Yeah, well. I got off the bus this morning and experienced searing chest pain, pain radiating into my back, and my vision greyed out for about ten seconds.
Panicking, I called work and got the First Aid attendant on the blower, and he came up with another coworker and met me halfway down the path. The pain quit pretty much as soon as I got the oxygen, but I feel really strange and I’ll be talking to the doctor today.
I got into an ambulance but assured the attendants I had perked up, went to work and promptly got sent home again by a very stern and uncompromising version of Patricia, who hand delivered me to Jeff, who came and got me. I’m glad she sent me home, ’cause I do feel off colour.
I’m still having waves of discomfort, but I’m thinking this is either radiating back pain, a pinched nerve, some new and entirely weird variant of a migraine, or just plain who the hell knows. I know it isn’t my heart – they ran a tape on me in the ambulance and it all looked fine.
The paramedic asked me if I’d been under stress lately. I don’t know how to answer that. I don’t think a LOT of stress. Like I said, who knows. It was embarrassing though, and next time I think I’ll wait until I can’t move to ring the baloney alarm….
I would very much like to publicly thank John V. for his professionalism and for the relief I felt when I knew he’d be dealing with it. And I’d like to thank Sandy C for calling the ambulance, and the folks who responded. I feel very cared for today. Although it seems there wasn’t anything wrong with me that being fondled by an ambulance attendant (joking, joking!) and supplemental oxygen couldn’t fix….
DO NOT wait next time until you can’t move to ring the baloney alarm. You did the right thing. That’s what the health system is there for. Cardiac events in women often present oddly. It is appropriate to take it seriously. I had severe neck pain (one of the ways coronary occlusion presents in women) and hied me to emergency. THEY took it seriously although it turned out to be nothing. And yes, it is a little embarrassing, but better embarrassed than dead.
Ditto on your mom. Remember my story? Arm pain, SOB, and because “I didn’t fit the profile (I’ll never be male and I wasn’t over 50) I had to talk them into believing it was a cardiac event.
Thank you. More after the tests come back.