I drove up from TX to WI on Thursday and as the trip progressed, my chest hurt more and more to the point where I could barely hold the wheel with my left hand. It had been aching on and off for the two weeks I was back in Texas, but nothing bad enough to be real concerned about. About five hours after getting to my mom's, the pain was bad enough I knew I had to get to the ER. I wasn't sure what was going on, and wondered if it was somehow linked to the sinus infection I've been getting over or the steroids the doctor had put me on while I was in Texas. I've never been put on steroids for sinusitis before, and given my sensitivity to medications I wanted to blame them.
Anyway, I still had a bit of a sore throat from the sinus infection and the doctor was far more concerned about that than the chest pain. I wouldn't have gone to the ER for a damn sore throat--I know I'm not going to die from that. He sent me home with more antibiotics. :main_rolleyes: The pain kept getting worse, and I couldn't lie down or sleep because of it, nor could I use my left arm whatsoever without excruciating pain in my chest. I couldn't even turn a doorknob with my left hand or bend over to pet my dogs. I ended up going back to the ER on the 4th in the afternoon and saw a different doctor who was much more concerned about the chest pain. He was really pissed that the TX doctor had put me (given my history) on those particular steroids for a damn sinus infection. He was also pissed that I had come in less than 24 hours previously with severe chest pain and they didn't even run an EKG. He was worried that I had either a blood clot in my chest or that I had peritinitis (?... whatever fluid on the heart is). They had me on IV pain meds, drew blood for a myriad of tests, ran an EKG, x-rays, CAT scan, and some other weird observatory-type tests (don't remember what they're all called, I think one might have been an ultrasound) and did something with markers to see if I had been having an on-going heart attack. Everything came back negative and he said my EKG looked really good and that I had no signs of heart disease or anything that suggested a heart problem/complication. He seemed a little baffled by it until he started asking me about my anxiety, stress, and how much of a neurotic freak I can be. He wrote it up as "chest wall pain," gave me some prescription pain meds, and then told me to calm the fuck down and learn how to relax.
I don't know how to do that.
Anyway, I have to follow up with another doctor on Monday, but fortunately the pain meds are making it tolerable enough that I can finally get some sleep.
After talking to both the doctor and my mom about things, as well as reflecting on the two weeks I was in Texas with "nothing" to do, I think it comes down to me being anxious and stir-crazy when I don't have enough on my plate to keep me uber-busy. Unfortunately, the new puppy is incredibly low-maintenance, so she's anything but a replacement for all the gecko work I used to have.
Sorry for rambling on. I had taken a nap earlier this evening and am wide-awake with nothing to do.
Anyway, I still had a bit of a sore throat from the sinus infection and the doctor was far more concerned about that than the chest pain. I wouldn't have gone to the ER for a damn sore throat--I know I'm not going to die from that. He sent me home with more antibiotics. :main_rolleyes: The pain kept getting worse, and I couldn't lie down or sleep because of it, nor could I use my left arm whatsoever without excruciating pain in my chest. I couldn't even turn a doorknob with my left hand or bend over to pet my dogs. I ended up going back to the ER on the 4th in the afternoon and saw a different doctor who was much more concerned about the chest pain. He was really pissed that the TX doctor had put me (given my history) on those particular steroids for a damn sinus infection. He was also pissed that I had come in less than 24 hours previously with severe chest pain and they didn't even run an EKG. He was worried that I had either a blood clot in my chest or that I had peritinitis (?... whatever fluid on the heart is). They had me on IV pain meds, drew blood for a myriad of tests, ran an EKG, x-rays, CAT scan, and some other weird observatory-type tests (don't remember what they're all called, I think one might have been an ultrasound) and did something with markers to see if I had been having an on-going heart attack. Everything came back negative and he said my EKG looked really good and that I had no signs of heart disease or anything that suggested a heart problem/complication. He seemed a little baffled by it until he started asking me about my anxiety, stress, and how much of a neurotic freak I can be. He wrote it up as "chest wall pain," gave me some prescription pain meds, and then told me to calm the fuck down and learn how to relax.
I don't know how to do that.
Anyway, I have to follow up with another doctor on Monday, but fortunately the pain meds are making it tolerable enough that I can finally get some sleep.
After talking to both the doctor and my mom about things, as well as reflecting on the two weeks I was in Texas with "nothing" to do, I think it comes down to me being anxious and stir-crazy when I don't have enough on my plate to keep me uber-busy. Unfortunately, the new puppy is incredibly low-maintenance, so she's anything but a replacement for all the gecko work I used to have.
Sorry for rambling on. I had taken a nap earlier this evening and am wide-awake with nothing to do.
