I have had chest pains and an irregular heartbeat over the past few years. I've had it checked by EKG several times and nothing turned up. I've been told that over 70% of people have an irregular heartbeat that is not a health risk, so I stopped worrying about it.
I decided to get into shape after Walker turned 2 and I could not blame him for my weight gain anymore :) I began jogging, doing yoga and pilates. My goal was to run the Peachtree in 2007. I was ready.
Two weeks before the race I began to have chest pains accompanied by a shooting pain in my arm. It was sporadic. I had 3 physicals this year and appeared to be in the best shape of my adult life, so I ignored it. I was still running and figured I pulled something while stretching.
Friday before the race. I woke with a severe headache along with the chest pain and shooting pain down my arm. My mother suggested that I have it checked before the race. I figured I would call the doctor on Monday.
Saturday. I had a vibration in my chest that could be felt from the outside. It would not go away. Stephen strongly encouraged me to go to the ER and so I did. I did not think I was having a heart attack, but figured they would find something irregular that I might need to address with my primary care physician.
The ARMC ER did treat me like a potential heart attack. They rushed me in and hooked me up. To everyone's relief, I was completely clear. The mood was light hearted and jovial. They then treated me for indigestion. The vibration and chest pain was still there.
The ER doctor encouraged me to have just one more test.....a chest x-ray. The mood changed as it turned out they found something. At this point, I did not realize how "big and scary" the something was. They took me for a dye CT and again the mood was grim.
I could tell Dr. Cassity did not want to deliver the news. I was alone....assuming it was no big deal I urged Stephen to keep Walker at home and not traumatize him with an ER visit. Somehow, Dr. Cassity found a very comforting way to give me the news that I had Lymphoma and would not be running (jogging) the Peachtree.
Stephen has now forbidden me to go to the ER without him!
1 comment:
I am so proud of you for continuing to check on yourself and for going to the ER when you did! Thank you for that. I am getting one of your buttons and wearing it proudly. Thanks for keeping us posted. You will stay in my thoughts and prayers, and I hope you will call on Jeff and me to help!
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