Good thoughts for tomorrow please And food for thought for the Ladies

[arkienurse]

I have been having some "chest pains" over the last few months. The EKG when they first started was negative, doctor changed my acid reflux meds. Now they are back again,never totally went away, so I am having a cardiac stress test tomorrow. I really think it is all stress related, but we want to make sure.

I am sure some of you don't know, but cardiac disease is one of the biggest killers of women. And our symptoms are less likely to be the crushing pain radiating into the jaw and left arm like you men get. We women are more likely to just have vague pains like mine, or maybe some nausea and tiredness. My across the road neighbor died of a heart attack 2 years ago because she ignored her chest pains for too long. They found her on the side of the road, foot on the brake, car still in drive. She was scheduled to go in for a stress test the next week, but had put it off several times before. She never got to see her precious adopted son graduate from high school.

Ladies, take care of yourselves and don't blow it off as a "female complaint" . Don't let your doctors blow it off either.

And I will let you know what we find.

[mamasun73]

Good Luck and God be with you.

[SinkingFast]

Been thru it, Arkie.

Here's hoping you get the same diagnosis I did.

Stress. I was having panic attacks.

A little Xanax made it all better.

Prayers for you and your doctors as you go thru this process!!

[lrprn]

And I will let you know what we find.

Here's hoping it's something harmless or treatable, Vicki. And here's a virtual <hug> to use if you need one before the test. We'll be with you in spirit and anxious to hear what the doctors find out.

[whatamess]

ditto

to what everyone else said. Its good you are checking it out, and hopefully everything will be a-okay for you.
Make sure you are also getting a good nights sleep...(something I know I'm not getting anymore)and watch the coffee. I was substituting coffee for sleep and that makes me very edgy. I was up to five cups a day!!!
Best wishes...hope to hear a good report!
WAM

[arkienurse]

Thanks for all the good thoughts. I did the chemical stress test, and my doctor was there while they injected it,, says she didn't see anything abnormal on the ekg screen. The cardiologist is supposed to read it this afternoon sometime and give a report, so I should know something first few days of next week, but my doc wasn't concerned. And the medicine didn't make my chest hurt in the specific spot that I get most of my pain, so I really expect it to be negative.
I think it may be stress. I have been averaging 25 hours of OT per 2 week payperiod, I am supposed to be the charge nurse for my department and it isn't really working like I had hoped. DS lost his scholarship and has changed his major to something unexpected. And the icing on the cake- StepDaughter moved back home with her husband and a kid. They live next door in a trailer, but they are very "Dramaticidal". There is always something going on, and it worries me sometimes even though I try not to let it.

Some times I wish I did have a valium or xanax to take, but then I would be too zonked to do even what I do now.

[DeadManCrawling]

Sounds encouraging.
I once ended up in an ER in Las Vegas.

I had been consuming waay too much caffeine, they said.

I have now cut back to a mere 12 Mt. Dews per day.



-dmc

[arkienurse]

Sounds encouraging.
I once ended up in an ER in Las Vegas.

I had been consuming waay too much caffeine, they said.

I have now cut back to a mere 12 Mt. Dews per day.



-dmc

<snort>

( I have tried to cut down on my coffee, but......... I do buy the half caff for home)

[SinkingFast]

When my whole episode began, the doctor gave me a whole list of little stress reducer things to try. Breathing into a bag. Put your head between your knees and breathe deep. Calm your thoughts. Reduce caffeine. The whole 9 yards. Nothing helped. Until I got a script for my little blue pills.

Sounds good so far, Arkie!! I would think you've had enough stress recently to bring on panic attacks.

We'll keep our fingers crossed the Cardiologist gives you an equally good report!!

[arkienurse]

Oh Gosh they actually found something !!!

My doctor called this afternoon at work. She told me that much to her(and my) surprise the stress test actually showed a problem. She says it shows I have a "Small Repairable" defect. And they are scheduling a visit with one of the cardiologists. She also told me to start taking a baby aspirin daily if I werent already doing so. Guess I will have to see the cardiologist to get more specific details, but this sure is strenghtening my resolve to resign my current position and go back to my old one, even though it will mean a dollar an hour less. I can eat lots of beans and cornbread and pbj for lunch and easily make up the difference, will be worth it to be rid of that stressor.

[lrprn]

Whew! So glad that there is an identifiable problem and not only a fix for the small defect, but that you are considering reducing your stressors too, Arkie - good for you!

[SinkingFast]

Amazing, Arkie!!

When the heart specialists get to looking at all those waves on the chart how they can see a "blip on the meter".

Thank Goodness they did!! And it's small!! And it's repairable too!!

I don't blame you one bit for taking a step back. Especially right now. Don't wanna push things further.

More prayers for you, lady!!

[arkienurse]

Update

Well, I went to the cardiologist. He told me there is an 80% chance that there is nothing to worry about, and if there is anything there, it is at the stage I can take meds to control it. But he and I would like to know for sure, so I have had an echo of my heart and will be having a cardiac catheterization on Tuesday the 19th. That is where they inject dye so they can look at the heart arteries and make sure none of them are blocked off.

I will let you know after I go back to the doc for a formal report of the results, but he is anticipating that it will be my final visit with him, so so am I.

[lrprn]

I will let you know after I go back to the doc for a formal report of the results, but he is anticipating that it will be my final visit with him, so so am I.

Glad you are doing the tests to give you a definitive diagnosis, arkie. My thoughts and prayers will be with you on the 19th. Hoping everything turns out well for you!

[twuoo]

I just recently read that women have problems with the smaller vessels in the heart whereas men have problems with the larger arteries. This is why it's generally more difficult to diagnose women and doctors are more apt to say it's just 'panic' or some other misdiagnosis. The article I read even said women have more heart attacks than men and the precursors aren't necessarily the same signs and symptoms that men get either.

I hope it's not a big deal.

As for me, I rode my bike 3.5 miles in 20 minutes averaging 9 mph. I came home and put my stuff away, but was still feeling a little pumped up. I rarely ever exercise. Took my blood pressure and it was around 87/62. LOL...I won't be worrying about high blood pressure anytime soon ;)