SOLC 14

Monday began as it should, the shrill of the alarm alerting me that a new week was beginning and that I needed to get moving. I hit the ground running. My running clothes were laid out, I did my 3 mile run, showered and headed off to work. The sun was shining so brightly on my drive to work. I needed my sunglasses, something I have not needed in such a long time. The long commute was brightened by the scenery and the tunes kept me company. But, I felt that strange pain, square smack in the middle of my chest, it hit me hard. Hmmmmmmmm, what the heck? Then, suddenly it felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest, it was hard to breath. I began to wonder, do I turn around, should I pull over and call someone? The pain intensified. I thought this is just not the way to begin the day. I decided I should call my husband and then thought better of it. I did not want to worry him over something that was nothing. I figured I was hungry and once I ate I would feel better. That was my story and I was sticking to it. I arrived at work. Unloaded my bags and got out my yogurt while trying to ignore the pain that was now radiating down my left arm. I kept trying to keep myself from thinking about the pain. I decided that perhaps asking the school nurse some advice might be a good idea. I headed down to her office. She saw me in the doorway, she instantly got up and went for her blood pressure monitor. We do have a routine her and I. She asked if I had taken my pressure in the morning. I had, it was low, but not as low as I could go. She then asked if I was feeling dizzy and what was my heart rate in the morning. Ironically my heart rate was good I told her. She looks a little perplexed at me. I then slowly proceed to tell her that I am having pain in my chest that has now gone down my arm. She gives me that look, I know that look. I don't like when she looks at me that way. It is the same look I give my children when they are in BIG trouble. Yup, I was right. I was in trouble. I was right, I knew that look. She was not happy with me for not going back home when this started and for now not wanting to go home. She made me call my husband. Oh boy, it is now on! NOT THE HUSBND! Now I'm in trouble. I call him from her office. He picks up immediately. I can hear it in his voice, I know he knows something is wrong. I tell him everything is ok. He chuckles and tells me if everything is so good then why are you calling from the nurses office. Oh boy, he is too smart for me. Well, it is nothing, but I'm having some chest pain and will need to go to the doctor, but I would like to wait till school is over. However, Mrs. P thinks I should go now. I know you won't be able to get me for a few hours right? He wants to know why I would wait that long and then tells me he will call me back in five minutes he will call the office and get someone to cover his route. Oh nuts, I'm not winning this battle with anyone today! I hang up and proceed to tell Mrs. P what he has said and we both call the main office and explain what is going on. I then go and set my room up to be out. I end up not leaving though till 2PM because my poor husband did not get relieved from his job till 1:15, I work 45 minutes from his job. He picked me up and we headed to SBUMC where my Cardiologist was, it has the heart center where I had my heart ablation surgery three years prior. I speak to nurse from my doctors office they tell me to go to the ER. We arrive at the ER, they were expecting me. I am taken immediately. It is a flurry of activity, EKG, put on a gown, blood work, questions, etc. They ER was packed, but I was given priority because I have a cardiac history and the EKG showed something funny. Before I knew it, I was put in a room. I was now scared! Really? The doctor arrives, not mine, but one of the Pa's in the practice, lots of questions, more monitoring and the decision is made to do a scan to rule out the need to put a stint in my heart since they gave me 3 nitroglicerin tablets and it did not take away the pain. My head was spinning. I don't think we had time to think my husband and I or even time to get scared. We decided we needed to let our children know what was going on since it was now dinner time and the kids would worry that I had not come home from work. We called friends to let them know what was going on. We covered all bases just in case. They came and took me for the test. Within 45 minutes the test was done and then we waited…we never talked about the what if..we didn't make plans for me to be admitted, we just did not go there! I didn't want to think about it. We would cross that bridge when we needed to. Within that hour the doctor arrives and tells us, I have good news and bad news. The good news, you have PERFECT arteries, there is no calcification, no blockages. Your heart is in great shape. The bad news, I have NO idea what your pain is from. Perhaps you pulled a muscle running, perhaps your pneumonia is still there, we hear some wheezing. So, we will do a chest x-ray. I had the chest x-ray immediately. The x-ray was negative too. We were again at a cross-roads. They still had no clue where the pain was coming from. They decided to discharge me. WOO! I still have the pain and oddly, one day later, still have pain and now I have begun to come down with a cold, but I will take a cold any day of the week as opposed to what they thought was wrong! LIFE IS STILL GOOD and what a Monday that was!
Hugs,