It's been both good and bad, but overall, I am ending it in a decent frame of mind, and have possibly answered some of my own questions about my health issues, and will be discussing them further with my doctor and cardiologist over the next few weeks.
So, the week started badly. I was extremely stressed, overly emotional (very weird to be laughing at our dog Angel's attitude and suddenly find my giggles have become sobbing and tears!) and the heart monitor was filling with the palpitations overnight so that hubby was downloading daily. My blood pressure stayed high, in the 180s/90s and I began needing to take the additional blood pressure pill I'd been given on an "half a tablet daily as needed" basis (for if my upper number went over 150) every day, and my doctor even advised twice daily if it was not staying below.
I was in such a mess! Worse, I was so fearful, I was afraid of being home by myself. More than afraid. I tried to sleep the day away until hubby got home from work. I knew it was irrational, but I was so so afraid of the palpitations, the blood pressure, worrying I might have a heart attack or stroke ... it was awful!
My breakthrough came Tuesday. It was pretty hot here in SC on Tuesday! More like Summer than Spring.
For years, I have had a Ventolin inhaler prescription, rarely do I need it. Usually in hot weather, when the air is cloying, and I was trying to get into my vehicle, in order to get it started, to be able to roll windows down, begin the ac running etc.
Hubby was in the Dollar store in Mauldin, and I began getting some palpitations and I knew my BP was going up as I was getting flushed and starting to feel miserable. Then I got the "elephant on my chest" feeling, and a bit of a lightbulb went off in my head. This has been a major part of the whole scenario with the palpitations, but in the heat, I got a reminiscence of similar feelings in trying to get into my car during hot Summers. I called the pharmacist at KMart, and he said he'd fill my prescription-on-record immediately.
After hubby came out of the Dollar store, we drove across to KMart and picked it up. My chest was still very heavy, almost like that feeling when you are grieving something deeply. I took a puff of the Ventolin ... and within moments felt much better.
That evening things began looking up. I had 2 or 3 more incidences where the palpitations began and then the chest heaviness, and I used the inhaler and eased it ... and my Bp stayed on a somewhat even keel, high normal like 148/90 but MUCH better than it had been for the previous couple of weeks at least!
I pondered on it, and began wondering. Asthma being a psycho-somatic disease, what if my fear during the palpitations had brought on a pre-asthma attack (I've never had a wheezing breathless incident so never considered myself asthmatic, although both my mum and son were) and the heavy feelings in my chest that had been accompanying the palpitations was not actually related to them?
I have also now been on the blood thinner for a week. I had been very afraid of starting that, and the insurance company had demanded preapproval to cover it, so during that time I had upped my aspirin to where I was living the old doctor joke "take 2 aspirin and call me in the morning", taking 2 regular 325 mg tablets a day (1/2 tablet every 6 hours). I had bloodwork done on the Thursday morning, as I collected the Eliquis in the afternoon. The lady who drew my blood was really good (I am SUCH a poor patient when it comes to blood) and had to get it from my hand as my veins, in my arms, decided to hide, deep. She began drawing it, and then said she'd stop, give me chance to relax, and try the other hand, as my blood was CLOTTING as she was drawing it.
That allayed my fear about the blood thinner ... I'd been taking 2 aspirin daily for a week and a half, and my blood was clotting as she was drawing it! I started thinking ... if my blood was that thick, no wonder I was getting palpitations with my poor heart pumping it around.
THANKFULLY, both EKGs done in the last 2 months show that I have a healthy heart, just something was making it do what it was doing!
So, just over a week in on the Eliquis and in the past 36 hours, not a single palpitation! Not even one that I didn't feel but the monitor caught ... NOTHING! God is good, and I am truly thankful!
*****
Wednesday was a fun day. I had my granddaughter pick me up and we went to Target for me to get my great-grandbabies, Daniel and Sami, their birthday prezzies. Sami's birthday was at the beginning of April and Daniel's was Thursday (their joint party is today). I got Daniel a Thomas the Tank Engine tee shirt that he chose, and a wooden puzzle, and I got Sami a denim romper and a kiddie cellphone that plays tunes and says things.
The best part though was Daniel riding on the ridearound shopping cart with me ... I was letting him steer, and then he realised what nanny was doing with the other control, and that was it ... he was driving the cart! Totally! We had a few hairy moments (I thought mummy was going to get run over a couple of times!) but it was fun!
After that, we went to Chick-Fil-A for lunch, and to let Daniel and Sami play in the play area.
It felt so good to be out and about and ENJOYING myself!
*****
Hubby is at work today, overtime, but when he gets home later, we are off to Studio Rejuvenate in Greer - him for a massage, and me for reflexology. Ah ... much needed! If you are local and want to go, tell them I sent you and you'll get $20 off your first appointment! I a so looking forward to my session this afternoon, it's another tool in my "getting well" resources tool chest!
*****
Have a great day and a wonderful weekend, my friends, and thanks for stopping by. Hope you have a relaxing one!
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