Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Mar 29, 2016 7:30:05 GMT -5
How scary! I'm glad to hear you're ok! I thought I was having a heart attack a couple of weeks ago (45 yr old female). I was getting my kids off to school in the morning when my heart started flying. The night before I had felt a 'fluttering' in the center of my chest that lasted a couple seconds, and I didn't give it too much thought, but that morning it would not stop. I was light-headed and the back of my neck/upper back started feeling tingly weird, and I just felt sapped of energy. I got one kid out the door, and had the other stay with me (in case I needed to call 911 and couldn't) while I called my husband to come back from work to take me to the emergency room. When I got to the emergency room they immediately did a quick EKG. They whisked me just as quickly into a room and got me hooked up to a heart monitor, an IV, and another EKG. My heart rate was 213 when I looked at the machine (normal is between 60-100). They determined it wasn't a heart attack, it was a SVT (Supra Ventricular Tachycardia), where the electrical impulse of the heart gets out of whack. They had to give me the medicine that stops your heart for a second (that's a funny feeling!) and then when it restarts it goes back to normal (it did). The blood test to check for cardiac enzymes kept coming back abnormal, so I stayed in the hospital overnight for observation. I have high blood pressure, but they said it's not related to that, and it could be the only time I ever have a SVT, or I could start getting them more often (and if I do, there are actually some things you can do at home to try to stop them). They can also do surgical procedures if they get too frequent, I guess. I hope it doesn't come to that! And for NOT having a heart attack, the bills are around $20,000 so far. I have a $650 deductible and a $2500 out of pocket max, which I've definitely hit this year, so I am going to schedule every kind of doctor visit I can before the end of the year to take advantage of that! How scary! I'm glad you are ok
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HoneyBBQ
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Post by HoneyBBQ on Mar 29, 2016 9:47:54 GMT -5
I am so glad that you are ok and didn't ignore the symptoms, I wish my sister had went to the hospital with hers, she passed away February 10th from a massive heart attack and had no symptoms except the chest pain and the numbness in her arm, please take care of yourself and thank you for sharing your symptoms I hope they help save someone else, you are in my thoughts and prayers.
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Angel!
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Post by Angel! on Apr 9, 2016 19:54:55 GMT -5
I just wanted to check in. The past two weeks were just crazy. I got released and they gave me a pneumonia shot before I left. That seemed fine, but about 8 hours later my arm hurt so bad I couldn't move it. Far, far worse than the soreness after any flu shot I've received. I couldn't sleep because it hurt laying down. Poor DS1 got cussed out for leaning against my arm because the pain was so intense. And that lasted for days. I think it was around day 5 where the pain was down to the level of "I feel like I just got a flu shot". In the mean time DS1 and DS2 both got the flu, so there was always someone home as I was trying to rest (therefore it was not restful).
And as the pain from the shot started to subside it was replaced with total body pain. Everything I did hurt. Driving caused my shoulders and back to hurt. Picking up DS2 (30 lbs) would make me want to cry because it would hurt so bad. Just pushing on certain muscles was painful. DS2 likes to lay next to me on the couch & push his feet against my legs. I couldn't let him do that because it hurt so much. I seriously wanted to die because it felt like I couldn't live. The simplest things before all of this were now extremely painful to do. And this was not the sore muscle because I worked out yesterday pain, but a true pain. I sat down and cried after cleaning up a paint spill because everything hurt so bad & it was so depressing that I couldn't do something so simple.
And through all this I had headaches, horrible headaches. And I was tired all the time. I was laying in bed almost non-stop. I was also starting to get depressed because feeling like shit constantly is just hard. I know the tiredness and headaches were due to all the meds. They said my body would adjust, just that it might take a couple of months. No one ever could say what caused the pain. My theories are some side effect of the pneumonia shot or just my body trying to recover from the crazy bruising that the catheters caused, but I don't really know. For a while I thought maybe it was the meds since it started around the same time as all the side effects. But the pain only lasted a little over a week and is gone now. I can't tell you how happy that has made me. The headaches have mostly subsided and are not nearly as bad as they were. Only the tiredness really remains. I want to sleep all the time.
I took the first week off work. Mostly because work wouldn't let me back & the doctor took 3.5 days to get me a note so I could go back. This only annoys me because I burned through 100% of all my sick time & vacation. Coworkers were very nice and tried to donate sick time, but apparently the policy is vacation only & only what I need, which turned out to be none because I had just enough. It just sucks because I planning a trip to Japan in June, that will need to be postponed now. Perhaps for the best because if I am not over the tiredness, then I may sleep the whole time & the trip would be a waste.
I've started cardiac rehab & had a doctor's appointment last week. My heart is damaged, but not so badly it cannot recover, so that is good news. I also started back to work last week as well. Longest week of work ever. Several times coworkers walked over just to find me with my head on my desk. No one really seems to mind. People seem to give you a lot of leeway when you've had a heart attack. Actually everyone has been wonderful, asking if I need anything & telling me to rest.
The good thing is that while I don't feel great, I feel so much better than I did even just a week ago. First day of rehab was hard, it felt much harder than it seemed it should have been. I am guessing that is because my heart is kind of weak. Maybe because of the meds too. They told me the first 2 weeks are rough on everyone and then it starts to get easier.
So overall thing are getting better. Everything went way downhill for a while & I wanted to die, but now I am on a big upswing. Rehab wants to get me in counseling as well. Mostly because the heart attack was partially due to stress, so they want to lower my stress. But, I think I was a depressed mess for a bit, so they wanted me to get counseling for that.
As far as causes - genetics & stress. That's really all they can come up with. My family does has a history of heart disease & heart attacks for people in their 60's. They said stress just likely triggered it much earlier in me.
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zibazinski
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Post by zibazinski on Apr 9, 2016 20:00:36 GMT -5
I'm sorry for your pain but glad you're alive.
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Jaguar
Administrator
Fear does not stop death. It stops life.
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Post by Jaguar on Apr 9, 2016 20:02:47 GMT -5
Angel!, have you tried either yoga or meditation. There's a fabulous meditation CD by Dean Sluyter called Just Being, I picked it up on Ebay for $15. Also try Amazon. <<< MASSIVE BIG HUGS >>>
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resolution
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Post by resolution on Apr 9, 2016 20:06:19 GMT -5
I said a prayer for you at mass tonight. I hope you feel better and better and that the rehab gets more comfortable.
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Cookies Galore
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I don't need no instructions to know how to rock
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Post by Cookies Galore on Apr 9, 2016 20:24:51 GMT -5
Angel, all I can offer is hugs and positive thoughts from afar. I'm so sorry it's been a rough couple of weeks but we're all glad you made it. <3
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Pants
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Post by Pants on Apr 9, 2016 20:35:40 GMT -5
Thanks for theupdate. Glandular starting to feel better.
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steph08
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Post by steph08 on Apr 9, 2016 20:41:56 GMT -5
Angel, I am sorry the past few weeks have been so rough but I am glad you are on the road to recovery!
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taz157
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Post by taz157 on Apr 9, 2016 20:57:54 GMT -5
Angel, all I can offer is hugs and positive thoughts from afar. I'm so sorry it's been a rough couple of weeks but we're all glad you made it. <3 Angel!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Apr 10, 2016 2:54:33 GMT -5
Angel!, I am so glad you updated us. I was going to stalk you by PM to make sure you were doing ok. I am very very glad to read that you are.
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Miss Tequila
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Post by Miss Tequila on Apr 10, 2016 5:53:10 GMT -5
Many prayers and positive thoughts for a speedy recovery. Im truly sorry for everything you and your family have gone through.
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lund
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Post by lund on Apr 10, 2016 6:29:04 GMT -5
Wishing Angel and Trippypea a fast and good recovery! Sending those who have lost dear ones my condolences.
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suesinfl
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Post by suesinfl on Apr 10, 2016 6:39:04 GMT -5
Angle, I hope that you are feeling better and thank you for sharing your story. I am also a single mother, but have no close family nearby, and when my kids were younger, something like this scared me daily. Now that they are teens, I still worry, but not quite as much.
Take care and keep us updated.
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Happy prose
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Post by Happy prose on Apr 10, 2016 9:26:08 GMT -5
I am glad you are on the mend Angel. Being you're so tired, check your blood pressure daily. When I was first given medicine, it lowered my pressure too much, and I was falling asleep at my desk. Now I take half a pill and feel so much better. Best of luck to you.
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yogiii
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Post by yogiii on Apr 10, 2016 12:30:53 GMT -5
Thanks for the update. Lots of good thoughts for you!
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mamasita99
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Post by mamasita99 on Apr 10, 2016 17:57:23 GMT -5
Glad to hear you are on the mend. Those side effects sound awful, hope you will get your energy back soon.
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TheOtherMe
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Post by TheOtherMe on Apr 10, 2016 18:39:21 GMT -5
Wishing you all the best, Angel.
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dannylion
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Post by dannylion on Apr 10, 2016 19:45:45 GMT -5
Glad to hear you are on the mend Angel. Also glad to hear you have understanding and supportive colleagues.
I hope your recovery continues in a speedy and uneventful fashion.
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kcladyjane
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Post by kcladyjane on Apr 11, 2016 13:43:32 GMT -5
How scary! I'm glad to hear you're ok! I thought I was having a heart attack a couple of weeks ago (45 yr old female). I was getting my kids off to school in the morning when my heart started flying. The night before I had felt a 'fluttering' in the center of my chest that lasted a couple seconds, and I didn't give it too much thought, but that morning it would not stop. I was light-headed and the back of my neck/upper back started feeling tingly weird, and I just felt sapped of energy. I got one kid out the door, and had the other stay with me (in case I needed to call 911 and couldn't) while I called my husband to come back from work to take me to the emergency room. When I got to the emergency room they immediately did a quick EKG. They whisked me just as quickly into a room and got me hooked up to a heart monitor, an IV, and another EKG. My heart rate was 213 when I looked at the machine (normal is between 60-100). They determined it wasn't a heart attack, it was a SVT (Supra Ventricular Tachycardia), where the electrical impulse of the heart gets out of whack. They had to give me the medicine that stops your heart for a second (that's a funny feeling!) and then when it restarts it goes back to normal (it did). The blood test to check for cardiac enzymes kept coming back abnormal, so I stayed in the hospital overnight for observation. I have high blood pressure, but they said it's not related to that, and it could be the only time I ever have a SVT, or I could start getting them more often (and if I do, there are actually some things you can do at home to try to stop them). They can also do surgical procedures if they get too frequent, I guess. I hope it doesn't come to that! And for NOT having a heart attack, the bills are around $20,000 so far. I have a $650 deductible and a $2500 out of pocket max, which I've definitely hit this year, so I am going to schedule every kind of doctor visit I can before the end of the year to take advantage of that! I had supraventricular tachycardia starting at about age 14 to 17. At 17 I had a surgery to "burn" the pathway that was causing the problem. Haven't had any problems since. The surgery was them going in through the arteries in your upper leg area and running up into the heart. I had frequent attacks pre surgery where my heart would race in the 200s.
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TrixAre4Kids
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'Not all those who wander are lost' - J. R. R. Tolkien
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Post by TrixAre4Kids on Apr 12, 2016 14:47:14 GMT -5
Angel, I just saw this thread, I'm so sorry to hear you've been going through this. Thank you so much for relating your story and sharing your symptoms. I sure wish you could have had more time off work. I've not much to add except hugs and healing to you and everyone else similarly affected.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 29, 2016 10:09:27 GMT -5
Angel! - Thinking about you this morning and wondering how you're doing.
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Anne_in_VA
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Post by Anne_in_VA on Jun 29, 2016 16:58:51 GMT -5
How are you feeling now Angel? I've been thinking about you and have been keeping you in my prayers.
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Jaguar
Administrator
Fear does not stop death. It stops life.
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Post by Jaguar on Sept 15, 2016 2:37:19 GMT -5
Angel!, how are you doing ? I hope you are getting much better every single day.
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GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl
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"How you win matters." Ender, Ender's Game
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Post by GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl on Sept 15, 2016 14:20:31 GMT -5
Angel!, how are you doing ? I hope you are getting much better every single day. I was thinking about her a week or so ago. I hope she is well.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 15, 2016 14:26:25 GMT -5
Is anyone FB friends with her?
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muttleynfelix
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Post by muttleynfelix on Sept 15, 2016 16:15:55 GMT -5
Is anyone FB friends with her? I am. She doesn't post often, but she did post on Sept 1, just an article. She did go to Japan in June.
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Angel!
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Post by Angel! on Sept 16, 2016 20:55:45 GMT -5
I am here. Apparently I haven't logged in for several months. I did for the first time earlier this week, but didn't have time to respond. I come back & there are several new posts looking for me Short update: I'm doing pretty great. Long-winded update: It took 2-3 months for the side effects of the meds to start to wear off. So I finally feel like myself again. Plus rehab strengthened my heart. Not only am I to a point where I can walk up 2 flights of stairs without feeling like I'm going to pass out. In some ways I think I am in better shape than maybe I've ever been. I never use to run, now I run. I did get to take my trip to Japan, Yay!! It was fantastic, but way too short. Prior to the trip I climbed the incline www.pikes-peak.com/want-climb-manitou-incline/ just as a test of my endurance. Basically it is climbing stairs for a mile. I thought if I could do it, then I could climb Fuji, which was one of my hopes for the trips. Made it up the full incline, but while in Japan we had to no-go Fuji. It would have just taken too much time, I was only there for 4 days & we decided there were too many other things to do. Had some test done on the heart in July after the trip. After the heart attack, my heart was pumping out blood at ~45% (>70% is healthy, <35% is heart failure range). I'm at 70% now, Yay!! There are some segments of my heart that are still severely damaged. Some will heal, some may never heal. But, they said the heart has found a way to compensate for the damage so that it is pumping effectively at full strength. They actually took me off one of the meds, so that was awesome. Work has been interesting. I was bitter, angry, and in some ways blamed my boss for the heart attack. When you have a heart attack with none of the typical causes (high blood pressure, obesity, smoking, diabetes, high cholesterol), they tell you stress & genetics. That was basically the only explanation I got after talking to many, many healthcare folks. Sometimes it just happens . Worst explanation ever for almost dying. Looking at the stress factor, work was a huge stress in the 3 months leading up to the heart attack. HUGE. There were many days I cried at some point because I was so stressed & frustrated. So is it directly my boss' fault I had a heart attack - No, I know that. It is even indirectly his fault - Who knows, maybe, but probably not 100%, maybe not at all. I recognized it was illogical to be angry at him, but I was. So I went through a period where I really didn't give a shit at work. I still did my job & did it well. But, I had a review in June & this is basically how it went: I'm not doing work X, Y, or Z anymore; I'm going to cut my hours; you need to hire me help; I want a raise. I was very nice about it & provided reasons & logic. I got everything. 6% raise, I can cut my hours whenever I want & to whatever I want (need 20 to retain benefits), we will hire someone, & we won't have you manage projects you don't like anymore. You would think that would have been enough, but it wasn't. The problem is that the owners & my supervisor make all the decisions about the above. But, inside I was pissed at my boss. So I started being a bitch. I wasn't too worried because the boss doesn't have the ability to fire me, he needs the owners support & I think they doesn't have much respect for him at the moment. But, part of me didn't care, let them fire my ass. I refused to go to a staff meeting. He thought I forgot & came to get me & I said no. It was hilariously awkward because he left the meeting to get me & they could all hear the conversation & see that he returned without me. Next meeting I attended because my supervisor said "you probably should". When he started with some BS about everyone pulling together to help dept X & we all help each other, I just started staring at him. Made it so awkward eventually he asked what I wanted & I just said "nothing, I have nothing to add". Yes, it was all childish, but I was angry. I almost died & part of me was angry at him for it. I should say, I was angry at him because I had a huge project & needed help from additional staff & he refused to give it. I went to 3 months of staff meetings & asked for help in every single one. At one point he literally looked at me & said "look in the mirror if you need help". I was the manager of the project & it wasn't going to get done & I was freaking out. It had to be done in a software I had never touched before & he wouldn't even give me 10 hours of someone's time to get it setup so I could get started. So the speech about pulling together to help another dept (the golden boy) because he MIGHT win a big project, yeah, pissed me off big time. Eventually we went to lunch. I told him I was angry & why. He claims he didn't remember the 3 months I attended every staff meeting & asked for help. He didn't remember telling me to look in the mirror. I got it off my chest & he deflected. One of those half-ass apologies where he is sorry, but it wasn't his fault. I wasn't supposed to ask for help from him in a staff meeting. I was supposed to ask supervisor who would then ask for help in the staff meeting. WTF. We are an office of 10 & it was his staff that I needed help from. He was sorry I didn't understand who I was supposed to go to for help. He also basically said he was angry at me at the time (he didn't say it, but I knew it & knew this is why I was getting blown off) & he wished he had authority to fire. Went on & on about not being able to lead if no one will follow & how no one respects him. I told him I pretty much want to do technical work from here on out, I'm done with the stress of managing projects. Literally told him I don't care if they cut my salary. The whole conversation was nice, but there was the underlying - me: "I hate you because I had a heart attack" & him: "I will fire you if ever given the authority". Supervisor has pretty much made a decision I don't need to attend staff meeting anymore. Boss doesn't know yet, that should be interesting. But when I ask the logical question of why I am needed in a staff meeting, when I apparently have no authority to request staff assistance, what can they say? I get 95% of my work from supervisor or another office directly. Very rarely does anything said in staff meetings affect me & if my help is needed, they can come talk to me. Realistically, I am providing 1-2 more hours of billable work/wk by skipping the waste of my life known as staff meetings. What really made me laugh is one of my coworkers wasn't busy so we decided he would help me out on a project that I needed help with. Boss had nothing for this guy to do until he found out he was helping me, suddenly there was a huge list & he wasn't going to have any time for me. Yeah, boss may not being doing it on purpose, but i'm fairly certain that subconsciously he hates me & wants to make me quit. I'm kind of over my anger now, so I've tried to stop pushing boss's buttons. If he ever gets the authority he wants or I screw up big time, I am probably gone. But, fortunately the people I actually directly work for think I kick ass. Lastly, my mom retired. She has been helping a ton with the kids. Much more than is needed & I keep telling her not to burn herself out. The older kids aren't going to after school care, saving me over $600/month, which in turn allows me to cut hours. I haven't cut hours so far because she has been helping so much I don't need to, so I have a lot of extra money. I haven't worried this little about money in probably 10 years. I'm working really hard to save the extra. Not trying to dig another hole by upping my lifestyle or wasting the money. Summary - things are good. I am happier. I am cutting out things in my life that I don't enjoy - managing certain projects, working 40 hours/week with kids in after school care, staff meetings. Life is too short to put up with bullshit & I've found saying no hasn't had much impact on my job thus far. I have every intention of keeping my stress low & avoiding any future heart attacks
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busymom
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Why is the rum always gone? Oh...that's why.
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Post by busymom on Sept 16, 2016 21:04:14 GMT -5
Thanks for checking in! Glad things are going better, but don't be afraid to leave that job & find something or some place that leaves you feeling less stress.
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Opti
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Post by Opti on Sept 16, 2016 21:07:40 GMT -5
Angel, glad your heart is at 70% or greater.
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