I went to the doctor today because my palpitations are freaking me out. I was not sure that she could do anything exactly but I was willing to pay my $30 co-pay for the opportunity to talk to someone besides Lynne about it. I guess I could have just given Lynne the $30 but she does not accept my Benny Card & I am all about pre-tax savings.
Anyway, I had to have an EKG. This involves applying sticky pads to various parts of my body. Particularly the front of my body - close to the organ that has been flopping around like a freshly caught fish in the bottom of your boat. This meant putting on a gown. This is bad enough when you have to wear it so it ties in the back but I had to wear with the ties in the front. The gown does not go all around my front. It barely goes around my sides. This also meant that someone besides Lynne was going to see my pasty hairy legs. Thank God, there was no need to examine my armpits. Survive the procedure. No worries. Except that half way through getting dressed I am interrupted with a command to get undressed and put that gown on again. One of my EKG lines did not squiggle. This increases my palpitations but at least I know I am not dead.
The EKG shows a LVH Cleft Ventricular Hypertrophy. It's a thickening of the left ventricle wall. Huh? Me? I'm only here today to talk about perimenapause and its stupid hormone fluctuations on my ticker. I'm here to talk about the stress of the merger & how I'm not sleeping. Give me the eat more veggies and exercise speech. Tell me to take a vacation. I'm not ready for something to be really wrong with me. Nothing is ever wrong with me. I'm an ox for heaven's sake.
I read a little about it on the Internet. It's caused by high blood pressure (which I do not have) or by extreme exercise (reading this causes me to laugh out loud) or some conditions that sound awful & some that don't sound serious at all. Another test is ordered to determine the thickness issue and lab work is done to rule out thyroid as a possible reason for the palpitations. I'm also told to stop drinking coffee. Good Lord - why would I ever consider doing that. That is completely beyond my comprehension - but I will. I guess. Maybe. I'll only have one cup in the morning. That's it. Really.
So, that's my story for the day. More later.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
quite a day you had. Ever since I turned the BIG 5-0 doctor's visit have taken on a whole new meaning. In September I had a cold with a nasty cough that wouldn't go away....and so, I had a chest x-ray...which showed wonderfully clear lungs...but, oh my there was a "spot" on the right side of my chest. Had to have a CT scan to determine that the "spot" was an innocent fat-pad (don't even go there!) but, oh my the scan got a picture of the top of my liver and wouldn't you know it there was a "spot" there...so, I had to have an ultra sound of my liver...and it turned out it was a hemangioma...another innocent spot - one that I probably had since birth. Twice in a 3 day period I put my head down on my pillow at night and went through the "if I only have a short time left how do I want to spend it" conversation with myself. Way too much information for me.
ReplyDeleteRegarding future palpitation questions, comments, concerns, and arbitrary co-payments to family:
ReplyDeleteThough I have no hospital gown for you to don, I do have a wealth of knowledge and experience (and a degree!) in cardiac physiology, and I would be happy to accept $30! ;-)
... not to mention the strong medical consult and treatment rapport we've built since I was 11 years old and you let me practice "sports medicine" on you!
On a side note- it's frustrating for me to hear about your EKG ordeal. Anyone who knows what they're doing should be able to complete a full, 12-lead EKG without completely removing your shirt or compromising your comfort.