Not the Friday I expected
Yeah, that was sarcasm, clearly. I mean, I don't think anyone enjoys waiting at the doc or hospital half of the day, especially not when you feel overheated wearing these stupid masks again. Anyway what happened? I have mentioned before that I take blood pressure meds, they prescribed them to me when I had an extremely high blood pressure after taking just 2 prednisone tablets, prescribed for my arm, which at the time they thought was nerve related. It felt close to having carpal tunnel syndrome, so to me it made total sense.
The pain was over
After the meds started to do their work, it took about 2 weeks, the pain in my arm was over. So I already knew this was not from carpal tunnel syndrome but probably my blood pressure literally pressing at some part causing that pain. Whatever, I felt good and rarely had headaches as well for a while. I think this all happened at the end of 2022 somewhere by the way so I've been taking these meds for a year more or less. Never has the doc told me that I should go to the cardiologist to check the doses etc. Although I've been to the doc a few times to get my refill, and told the doc about the higher pressure some times, they never even bothered to measure it or check something. I just left it, I should have been more pro active.
New (or worse) symptoms
For a little while I already experience tingly feelings in my arm, hand and often it was very uncomfortable and painful. It usually seemed to come from my shoulder and I thought it was due to the lack of a proper desk again. The hight compared to chair is not ideal.
The last two days, my heart started acting weird. I had this before but just a few times and never more than once at the same day. This time it came at least ten times in a few days and much heavier. Add to that my painful arm AND later chest pain, you can guess what I was afraid of right?
We ordered a treadmill
A desire of my boyfriend has been a treadmill at home as he often just can't get out long enough to have a proper walk during the hours that it's nice to enjoy the scenery. I never really longed for one, I'm a bigger fan of bicycles myself so my plan was getting a decent bike now that we have a storage room.
But we have the space for it now in one of the bedrooms and it has this extra massage belt which my back and hips will be very thankful for. We bought it with an instalment plan for a year because then it's just like having a gym membership, haha. I see it as an investment for the health.
And then..
We went shopping for the last time to get some stuff for my boyfriend who will soon be out on a business trip. We had a few tapas on the way back home and then I started to feel discomfort. I felt weird, I can't really explain it but I knew it wasn't good. At some point, I felt as if I was going to faint soon and I asked my boyfriend to finish his drink so we can go home.
My headache already appeared an hour earlier and I took a paracetamol for it, which I had the feeling could have been the reason for the weird feeling but I can't tell for sure. We drove home and I felt very uncomfortable, I started to stress because I realized my boyfriend will be away from home soon and I don't want to feel ill in case anything happens.
Slept it off
Woke up with extreme puffy eyes as well as very painful arms (both) and I knew I couldn't not see a doctor today. I measured my blood pressure, and like yesterday evening, it was way too high, but lower than in the evening. As I had my medication, I thought I'd be able to get through the hours until I had the appointment.
To the doc
Fully prepared with a document with the symptoms and some things I've noticed that could be related, translated to Spanish to make sure they understand it all, I went to the doctor. He read the pages and asked if I saw a cardiologist, I said no. He wanted to make an ECG and I just underwent it hoping for nothing too worrying. When she printed the result, she walked to the doctor and I saw by the look on their faces that it surely wasn't good, later my boyfriend told me that he saw the doc walk in and out and he knew it was not good because of the look on his face, sigh.
She did the measurement to see my blood pressure and I was shocked to see it reaching 165/98, that was the highest I've had. Immediately they gave me two tablets under my tongue and I was told to go to the emergency room in a clinic in the city. Don't worry she said, but hey, of course I did!
Early pick up
I called the school to say I needed to go to the ER right away and that our daughter needed to be picked up immediately. This went super smooth, at home I grabbed a few things in case I was going to stay there, which I didn't hope clearly, but hey, it would save my boyfriend a drive to get the stuff at home.
Then the waiting began, it was so hot inside and the high temperature made me feel even worse, thankfully, the waiting room was next to the door outside so I went out to get fresh air 5 times or so while my boyfriend kept an eye on the screen to see if it was my turn.
Finally, my turn
I was prioritized in triage, because I clearly got called in sooner than others who sat there before we arrived. Sucks for them but I'm happy that I didn't have to sit there anymore, it was very uncomfortable. The lady who did the talks there didn't really listen, maybe even misunderstood some things even though everything was written down well, except for the one tablet that I was given, but that was not on me.
My boyfriend started to get very annoyed and it may have been a good thing she told him and the girl to go to the waiting room. I expected to get the ECG but a better one, as my first doc had told me, but they only gave me an IV with pain meds for my chest pain and two tablets, which ones is unknown, as they didn't write it down, sigh.
Hours later
When the IV was empty, she replaced it with one without meds, while I waited until a doc returned to see me. I already felt much better from the first IV and/or tablets they gave me so I was hoping that one measurement of my BP would be enough. Thankfully, this was the case. Although still too high, it was acceptable and I could go home with the note to see the cardiologist for follow up as well as another medication to take along with my current ones.
I was about to make the appointment but when the hospital was overcrowded I already start to feel dizzy again and I could not find it so I decided to either call for the appointment OR try my luck for an appointment elsewhere, nearby. I got lucky because an hour later I had an appointment for the clinic 5 mins from home. I was not pointed there because it's another chain and they have contracts with certain clinics so this was not optional going there today.
Taking it easy
So where I had plans to catch up on comments and stuff like that, I will now publish this post and drop myself on the couch to chill and watch some tv instead as it was a very long and exhausting day. I have loads to do tomorrow but I don't want to worry about it and keep my calm.
If I respond slowly, don't take it personal, I'm just trying to keep my cool :)
Have a good weekend!
First picture is my own + Relax picture is created with Canva Pro