O/T possible heart attack
Hi S-talkers,
I have been a bit quiet lately due to some health concerns. I had a crappy experience with a new doctor that I wanted to share. I am a 48 year old ( almost 49!) woman. My dad and I both have heart arrythmias and beart murmurs. I have a sister who passed away when she was 6 years old. She was born with a heart condition - a misformed valve in her heart, and she also had arrythmias. Heart disease is a factor in my family history, so I am very aware of it.
Last week, I sat down to watch TV after dinner, and I felt this pressure in my rib cage. It felt like extreme nausea, pain in my upper back, and general malaise. I couldn't sit comfortably so I laid down on the floor. I still couldn't get the pain to stop, so I ended up on my knees, leaning over a pillow on the couch. It still hurt. My husband was concerned and trying to get me talking. I felt dizzy, sweaty, and when I tried to go upstairs to get my stuff to take to the ER, I couldln't make it up the stairs.
I laid back down on the rug, and immediately felt like I was going to throw up. I couldn't get up, and I didnt' want to ruin the throw rug I was laying on, so I sort of seal-flopped my head off the edge of the carpet, and threw up violently 3 times in a row. Vomit was in my hair, on my shirt, and soaking into my bra. I still couldn't move without getting dizzy. After a few minutes (DH was trying not to sympathy-puke and cleaned up the vomit) I was able to climb the stairs and get into the shower, with DH's help. My goal was to get cleaned up so i could go to the ER. The warm water helped the pain and afterwards, I laid down on the bed. I felt better and the pain went away, so I ended up going to bed. DH was freaked out. I have a high pain tolerance so I am used to people freaking out over stuff that I shrug off. ( I literally passed out once on the side of the road while out fishing. I then woke up and considered not going home and continuing to fish. LOL. Except both my knees and my head were bleeding, but it was merely a flesh wound!)
DH was scared I was going to die in my sleep. I promised to call the nurse advice line and see if I should go in and see my doctor the next day. I did, but the nurse (who thought it was a heart attack) told me my doctor was not available but this other doctor was. I made an appointment with the understanding that he was going to do a blood test for tryponin, which is a chemical that shows up in your blood when your heart is in distress. It is a cheap, easy test, as opposed to a chest CT, or Ekg - which I had 6 months ago when I went in for the SAME symptoms, but without the vomiting and less intense.
The doctor looked about 17. He had the arrogance of a young med school graduate, and refused to listen to me. He told me they couldn't do the test I wanted, but he would prescribe me some heartburn medication. I said no thanks, doc - I will save my money for the huge hospital bill I am going to have when I pass out at work. He gave me a funny look and I walked out. I cried in my car for 5 minutes and left. Now I just don't give a crap about "prevention" because no one f***ing listens to you at the doctors office if you are a woman. I'm done. i will sooner die than subject myself to that BS again.
I sent a message to my regular doctor explaining what happened. She offered to see me right away. I refused. Now I am waiting for the next episode of vomiting and pain so I can call 911 and let the idiot doctors either figure it out or kill me in the process. Have you ever been so angry that you just stopped caring what happens to you?
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Comments
I am so sorry you had to deal
I am so sorry you had to deal with that - how scary. Allow me to virtually slap that arrogant shit of a doctor. Please accept your doctor's offer - stubbornness and a desire for vengeance could kill you. Why do that to your husband?
Hey, Hon,
Hey, Hon,
You’ve written:
Have you ever been so angry that you just stopped caring what happens to you?
No, I have not. Hon, give up the stubbornness and get thineself to your doctor; particularly since she was prepared to see you immediately.
Please, don’t allow one little asshole’s malpractice further abuse you by making you neglect your health. This shit is serious!
My concern is strictly self-serving as I love your posts and don’t want you dropping dead on me!
Do it, Shieldmaiden
Please heed Granny"s good advice and go to the doctor.
I had a similar chest pain experience when SD was living here. We went to the ER, it wasnt heart but digestive. The ER doctor let me go home on the proviso that my doctor would order a stress test. It all ultimately led to blood pressure rx and Omeprazole.
It's good to know exactly what your problem is and get the rx and treatment to preserve your precious life. Your family needs you and we need you
Shieldmaiden, please please
Shieldmaiden, please please PLEASE take your doctor up on her offer. You are loved and needed - likely by more people than you realize. Go to your doctor.
And report that arrogant little asshat. I would very much like to give him a Double Flying Five Fist Monkey Nut Punch every other week for a year. We want the swelling to diminish so he can feel the full effect of the next one.
Are you hearing us, Shieldmaiden?
Yo, Ani,
I second your brilliant suggestion of the mighty Double Flying Five Fist Monkey Nut Punch and will bet the farm that an increasing number of our members will be prepared to stand in line to deliver their own version.
Thanks
Thanks everyone. I swear I"m not being stubborn. Six months ago I had this problem. I went to my doctor. They ordered an EKG. It was normal.They ordered a chest ultrasound with contrast dye. It was normal.Before that, a few years prior - when I passed out - they ordered a stress test. It was normal.
So, having done all that, and just now paid off that huge bill because my insurance sucks balls.... I told the nurse I am NOT doing all those tests again - only to be told its nothing. I wanted a blood test. I was told that office couldn't do one - I"d have to go to the ER. My doctor's office is in that same building - so she coudln't do the test either. Therefore, there is no reason for me to pay for unneccessary tests that will tell them absolutely nothing.
That is why I will wait until it happens again, then get straight to an ER. This way they have access to this blood test - and when my husband had a heart attack last year, they did this blood test multiple times.
So, maybe I am partially also frustrated with my stupid physiology. I have to be in the throes of agony for any doctor ordered tests to come out correctly. Maybe its because I am a fast healer and have a high tolerance for pain - but either I am fine or I am at death;s door and everyone is asking how I am still walking around and talking.
Oh, and any stubbornness that I do have has served me well. Its kept me dragging my tired ass along no matter what life throws at me, so its not a bad thing. LOL. At least my husband has the same problem, so he knows when to push me to get help.
Aha, now I understand! Is
Aha, now I understand! Is there some way that you can get around the refusal of a (simple FFSAKE!) blood test? Perhaps you could ask your PCP to phone a request to your local lab?
Hugs and healing prayers.
I have had atrial fib episodes.
Mine are associated with Proctalgia Fugax. Insane nausea, projectile vomiting, not fun.
Dont mess around. Call 911 and get help immediately.
This stuff can kill you.
My mom has a Cardiacversion procedure in two weeks to treat a chronic a-fib condition. She has a monitoring pace maker that was set too high to catch the a-fib. They increased the sensitivity 3 wks ago and now are catching her a-fib. The cardiology office she uses has been blowing up her phone since they adjusted the sensitivity. We are hopeful the procedure will correct the condition.
Take care of you.
Unfortunately
Us non assertive types get the runaround. Keep insisting on the blood test until you find a listening ear! Your health IS very important!! After my tbone accident, a younger twenty something doctor told me it was "next to impossible to tear up my shoulder in an auto accident!" Well I got a 2nd opinion from the doctor who had done Chef's shoulder surgery (doctor in his fifties and gooooood looking) He ordered an MRI and what do you know? A severely torn rotator cuff!
If it happened a week ago, a
If it happened a week ago, a troponin test next week at the doctor's office probably won't show anything if it was a heart attack. Troponin levels go up within a few hours then go back down over the next week. An ekg will likely show heart damage, though. You really should see your doctor asap and if it happens again, go immediately to the ER. It might not be a heart attack, but it's something. Idk if you still have your gallbladder but it could be that if so. Don't play around with this. Screw that other doctor, he doesn't have to live your life.
Why couldn't he just order
Why couldn't he just order the test? Is he one of those people who think women don't have heart attacks? Your symptoms sound like the ones they tell women to take note of as signs of a heart attack. I hope you have detailed notes on what he said and find a new doctor pronto.
My father passed away because incompetent doctor's couldn't diagnose a gall bladder infection for five months. He went in with abdominal pain in April. They sent him to a hemotologist because his white blood cell count was high (she told him his counts were elevated, but not enough to have leukemia). Wanted him to go in for a stress test because he had bad heart burn, sent him for all kinds of scans, but no one thought, "hey, maybe this is some sort of infection". By September, he was rushed to the hospital with sepsis and passed away a couple of weeks later...after being sent home by the hospital at least once. I wish he had pushed harder and advocated more. He had also been a smoker, but had quit 3 years prior, and I think that led to bias against him. For that reason (and now some of my own less egregious, but still not positive experiences), I have almost zero faith in the medical profession. I have also noticed a preciptious decline in health care since 2020 when my daughter was born. Care during my second pregnancy was plagued by errors and indifference on the part of my doctors. Fortunately, I had a fairly easy pregnancy. The actual birth and post-birth experience was bordering on chaotic at times (not due to medical complications, thankfully, more due to no one seeming to know what was going on). I know the pandemic hit health care hard, but it's now at levels where it feels like it's reach clown college level incompetence.
Good luck to you and sending positive vibes for your health.
Going through something
Going through something similar now. Unfortunately I've gotten to the point where I've pretty much given up on going to the doctor unless I'm dying (it seems thats the only time they take you seriously anyway) so I completely understand the frustration. I've been just dealing with (possible?) overactive bladder, digestive issues, heavy cycles, pelvic pain, and insane indigestion and reflux. Last time I went to my doctor for super heavy cycles she just told me it's normal for 35 and I haven't been back.
Smh
Super heavy cycles; she should have ordered an ultrasound, preferably transvaginal to rule out Endometriosis. Please ask her for this next visit. And also don't forget to get your Pap smears
Some of those symptoms could
Some of those symptoms could be symptoms of ovarian cancer, so important to get it checked out. Many cases of ovarian cancer rae not detected early because providers ignore symptoms.
Less seriously, it could also be fibroids.
Either way, important to get things checked out.
Off topic here, AlmostGone,
Off topic here, AlmostGone, but I'm flabbergasted to learn that you are 35-years-old; a mere stripling to a 78-year-old! Since your SD is 23-years-old, there is less difference in age between you two than that between me and my sister! Unless your husband became a dad in middle school, he must be considerably older than you. My, my, my. This explains a lot!
My daughter had this
She's your age. Turns out it was something similar to fibroids. She struggled with digestion issues and not being able to keep anything down for almost two years before they found out what was wrong
Being female and going to the
Being female and going to the doctor sucks. I have read numerous studies saying it typically takes YEARS for women to get diagnosed. Women ARE treated differently.
Honestly I was having issues and went to doc and he tried prescribing antidepressants, insisting I was just having a case of the blues... you know, happens to middle age women (I was 36, so not even close to menopause - still am not at 46). Ummmm. No. He did blood tests FINALLY after I INSISTED. My vitamin D was so low it couldn't even be registered on the test. Him - oh that's no big deal. Uh, yes it is? Went to endocrinologist and found not only that low, but others as well. Effing jerk. The endo got me on track. She couldn't believe he thought my non existant vit D levels were "no big deal". He was a jackass... but it is all too common for women. They are treated like they are "just being hysterical" or "blowing it out of proportion". Funny, cuz most women seem to have a higher tolerance to illness and pain than men.
Women are often treated like
Women are often treated like they don't have the wherewithal to manage their own health...even sometimes by other female doctors. Its infuriating.
This makes me so angry.
Women are brilliant, docs... though many are amazing, can be F-in morons.
I had to learn in my teens that I own my health and my docs work for me. PERIOD! DOT!
It has always been mind boggling to me that people go see a doctor, sit there with a moron look on their face, do not tell the doctor what is wrong, do not tell the doctor what the doctor will do to support the patient. And worse, walk out and more often than not, do not do what the doctor told them to do.
Grrrrrr!
My own mother, is chronically stubborn on this. For 42 years I have banged the drum that I cannot have carbs in my food. Yet.... my stubborn, amazing, brilliant, did I say stubborn?, mother insisted that low carb is not a balanced diet, then proceeded to put shit in the food she cooked when I was with her, then goes out of her way to cater to the vegan dipshits in our family who can eat anything but choose not to. No mom, vegan is poison to me, even more than your balanced diet stubborn-ness. She gets upset when I won't eat her amazing kitchen wizardry. I watch what she cooks, and don't eat the things she includes high carb ingrediants in. I am your son mom. I can be just as stubborn as you are. And mom, my position is backed by science and my continuous blood glucos monitoring system. I know in fairly short order if you snuck crap in the food. Yes, I understand "but there isn't that much in it.". However, any is too much. Either support me or tell me which dishes have crap in them. And be wary of catering to my SIL and my niece in law by killing yourself to accomodate their choices while ignorning my medical necessities.
For clarity, my mom is not doing well and I am scared to death, and mad as hell at her because her condition is HER FAULT!!! She is a carb junky, a baking savant, and will not recognize that carbs/sugars of any source cause inflation, and inflation causes heart issues and her carb centric choices are at least significantly in part the cause of her pain, exhaustion, heart issues, swelling, etc.... STOP IT MOM!!! Please.
As my grandmother was famous for saying, "If you can't listen and learn you will have to feel." My mom is feeling and if this crap kills her the rest of us are going to feel sadness, anger, and loss ... and it is my mother's own damned fault.
Sorry to hijack your post.
See your PCP
See your PCP as soon as possible. The symptoms you described sound typical for heart attack in women. I can't believe that dumbass ER resident didn't order Troponins. And after seeing your PCP, you should also get a referral to cardiology.
Should have
Gone to an ER right away. Don't mind my saying but it sounds like you're playing Russian roulette with your health.
She did
She did go to the ER and they didn't order the correct labs to rule out a heart attack.
She did not. She made an appt
She did not. She made an appt with a doctor at a later time and it was a random doc who thought she had heart burn. Wasn't ER
You’re right
I misinterpreted and stand corrected.
((HUGS))
Im hoping and praying for you and wishing for a miracle right now.
shieldmaiden, do not mess around with this.
Any time you feel the a-fib symptoms, get to the ER.
When I had my scary incident and called 911 the ambulance was to me within 4mins and had me on a heart monitor tracking the a-fib all the way to the ER. My episode was at a grocery store located directly across the street from a fire station.
I stayed in a-fib for well over an hour. I had to battle the young ER doc to get a cardiologist on the call. The young doc argued with me until I informed them that I would yank the tubes and leads and go to a different hospital if the cardioligist was not in the room immediately. The cardiologist and I spoke, while on the phone I dropped to normal rythms, and based on my informing the doc of my rectal spasms preceding the a-fib the Cardio told me to go see my PCP on Monday. My PCP correctly Dx'd Proctalgia Fugax and put me on an as needed under the tongue involuntary muscle relaxer to take when my a-hole went nuclear. I have had these spasms periodically since I was about 6yo. I was Dx'd with Giardia in my early 20s after I passed out due to an episode. I did have Giardia, but my PCP missed the Proctalgia Fugax.
When I have a proctalgia episode that is particularly intense or of adequate duration the spasms can over stimulate my vegas nerve throwing me into a-fib. The ass cramps are hell, the a-fib is worse.
Take care of yourself.
Please.
Sorry if I dove into TMI on this. If my experience can help anyone, please use my extensive medical bills/investments if they are helpful.
Yes, I have all of the family diseases. Blessedly, my brother and our kids/spouses are all pretty much medical issue free. I am fine with that deal with God that lets me deal with it all so the rest of the family are healthy. Mom would be too, if she wasn't so damned stubborn.
But, that is another story.
Take care of you deal shieldmaiden.
It has become incredibly
It has become incredibly frustrating to see medical practitioners.. I won't say DR's.. because it seems that seeing an actual DR is even more difficult.. most people will end up seeing a Nurse Practitioner or a Physician's Assistant instead. I called early this year to get a DR appt with my PCP physician(a PA). and it was literally 4 months before there was an opening! Sure.. it was for a general annual visit.. but that is terrible wait times.. and I am guessing they do keep some schedule open for more urgent issues.. but even then.. my DH was told a few weeks when he was having horrible abdominal pain issues.. (turns out abscesses.. he almost died from not seeing a dr in time).
I had an issue a couple years ago.. severe headache that lasted over a week.. then I started with horrible fevers at night (104).. but they would go down normal during the day usually.. My DH finally got me to try to see a DR.. of course my PCP.. no availabilty for weeks.. so I ended up going to an urgent care.. where the DR saw me come in with no fever.. and vague complaints of pain.. and dismissed my concerns.. no blood test.. nothing.. must have figured I was pill shopping. The next AM I wake up with 104+ temp.. my DH drove me to the ER where it was discovered.. I was having severe issues.. liver.. kidney.. brain swelling causing the headaches.. from a tick bite.. I was admitted.. and on several rounds of IV antibiotics to clear it. It's crazy that you have to go to the ER to get considered seriously.
I get better care from nurse
I get better care from nurse practitioners then I did from my doctor.
I'm seeing a pattern
After thinking about my past terrible health experiences, I am seeing a pattern. I always have a femaile doctor, because they tend to be better listeners to female patients. When I have an emergency, my female doctor is usually not available on short notice, so they set me up with some male doctor. He doesn't listen, all but laughs in my face, and then I just wait and make an appointment with my female doctor a month later.
I think I need to start going to the ER from now on when she is not available. Otherwise its a waste of time. The only problem is, my insurance likes to gouge me for going to the ER, so I end up with the added stress of paying off a huge bill.
I tried to explain this to the nurse advice line - and she understood I didn't want to take the same expensive tests again that I took a few months ago. This is why she said to ask for the tryponin test. Somehow the message was not passed along to Doogie Howser, MD.
I did have another attack, though not as bad, on Saturday night. No vomiting, just extreme upper back pain radiating to my ribcage. It went away after 30 minutes. I am testing a theory on whether it might be gallbladder related, by avoiding fatty foods. So far, no more attacks and I am feeling better.
I will definitely go to the ER next time, if it comes back.