Wednesday, September 28, 2016

Update #1: Health Issues

Since mid-June, I documented on here my issues with heart palpitations. I didn't know what was going on or what was causing them, so I went to my general doctor around early July to have her check it out. From there, we go into a saga. Let's begin from there, shall we?


After my general doctor confirmed she found nothing wrong with my heart, at least from what she could see and understand, she asked me if I was interested in getting an EKG for "peace of mind". I said sure and I was left to undress and put on a robe. A nurse came in with the EKG and hooked up twelve electrodes to varying areas of my left side. The test didn't take long, but even when I redressed and waiting for my doctor to return, it seemed to take longer than I thought. That should've been my warning sign.

My doctor returned and said, "Even though I think you're fine and I don't believe this reading, the EKG reads like you had a heart attack."

The system was "smart" and made those kind of diagnoses depending on the heart readings, or at least that's what I gathered from the haze of shock. She then referred me to a cardiologist for "reassurance". I left the office, stunned enough that once I got to the car, it hit me and I started to cry. After talking with my mom, I drove home and prepared for work. I almost called in, but honestly I'm glad I didn't.

I went to work, only telling my supervisor what was going on. I let him in on the heart palpitations before and he asked me to keep him in the loop on any future news. So I remained a woman of my word there.

Once things settled down, I called the cardiology office and found out that I wasn't able to get an appointment until mid-August. It was early July. I booked an appointment and also requested the day off from work. While I did search for other cardiologists in my plan's network, I decided to wait. In the meantime, I informed two of my co-workers that I trusted about the situation. They said they would pray for me. At that point, any good energy coming my way was better than nothing. I still fretted and worried, but time can be a healer. I started to worry less and move on with my life.

The day of the appointment came. My mom offered to go along with me. We waiting for what seemed like an hour just for a short visit, it would later turn out. The first thing the cardiologist said when he entered was "hmmm, false alarm, huh?". He explained that false positives are common and suggested either we do an echo-cardiogram or a 24-hour monitoring. I opted for the former, which he agreed was better. When we went out, we were told I would have to come back to get it done. I decided to do it during my week vacation, about two weeks from the day. Oh good, more waiting! But I left the appointment feeling better. And sure enough, that waiting did some good.

I started to do my homework, trying to solve the puzzle of my palpitations. At first I felt it was caffeine, but I never drank coffee nor imbibed in energy drinks as of late. I had the occasional soda and daily hot tea. So that was ruled out. But then my palpitations disappeared. I was thirlled, but it was only for a few weeks. They returned... during my PMS time. After doing some online searching, I learned palpitations can be a PMS symptom. Armed with that, I was certain that I never had a heart attack.

On the day of the echo-cardiogram, I went alone. I joked to myself that this was the only time any type of sonogram would be done on me. I promised to notify my family and my co-worker on the results. The nurse was kind enough to point out where my heart was on the screen and show which side we were looking at. It was surreal, watching the gray screen of my beating heart. The sounds were alien, like a sloshing submarine. After over twenty minutes, I redressed and waiting for the cardiologist to look at the results and talk with me. He shook my hand and congratulated me on having a healthy heart (even with me being overweight, which surprised me more). Nothing on the echo indicated any damage or inflammation that suggested an attack or disease. It confirmed what I already suspected: nothing was wrong. I thanked the cardiologist and left, contacting my folks and my co-worker with the good news.

I did get a bill from the office recently for about $513 for the echo, so I paid nearly half a grand for reassurance (for those about to ask, I have a high deductible). But I am happy to say that the bill was paid with no issue.

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So there you have it, peeps. I had one hell of a health scare, but I managed to learn a lot and was able to get through it. I am very thankful that I have health insurance so I was able to go get these check-ups and the readings. I am very thankful to my GD and specialist who were professional and very kind. I am very thankful for my family, friends, and co-workers who were supportive and loving during this scary time. But most of all, I am very thankful for my heart, which keeps beating with determination and spirit.

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