Perfect Storm

While deep in slumber, a sudden severe pain in between my shoulder blades woke me. It had been a long night of tossing and turning to find a comfortable position to sleep in. Laying on my right side until my hip hurt too bad I switched to my left side. This only lasted a short while until the pain in my left arm was unbearable. I shifted to my back for a brief respite and had actually fallen asleep when the sudden pain started. Along with the pain came a wave of awfulness that I cannot describe. It encompassed my chest, my back and with it came nausea and dizziness. I got up, staggered to the freezer and got an ice pack. Returning to the bed I laid on the pack hoping to relieve the pain in my back.

I laid there until my husband came in to say good-bye.  I told him I felt awful.  He kissed me goodbye and had to leave for work. I decided to sleep a little longer and skip my exercises.  Finally I convinced myself that getting up and moving would make me feel better.  As I lifted my head, the world began to spin. I stopped and let it settle then got up and made my way slowly to the bathroom.  The pain lessened and I persevered to prepare myself for work. In the shower I let the shower head pulsate on my back and it seemed to loosen the muscles. I was feeling better. I took the dog for a short walk, made my lunch, got breakfast and headed out the door. Doing pretty good I stopped for gas and drove to work. I arrived believing the worst was past and I could make it through the day.

Entering the building, I went straight to my cubicle. As soon as I sat down the pain returned to my back and chest along with the nausea. I convinced myself that I could do this and it would go away if I just waited a little while. Time passed and I logged into the phone line. I got my first call, which turned out to be very short, thank God. As I got off the phone the waves of nausea got worse and they were accompanied by severe pain in my chest and a pain radiating down my left arm. This could not be good.  I sat in my chair doubled over looking for relief in my drawer, Mylanta…Pepto…something. I went to my manager and told her I was going to have to go home. She asked if I was ok to drive and I said yes believing I could persevere for the drive.

After arriving at home I talked to my husband who told me to immediately call the doctor. I resisted and said I would just rest a while. But then the pain increased and I went online and put in my symptoms, they told me to call 911. I called the doctor and they set an appointment for me for that afternoon. Laying down I tried to rest for around 20 minutes then the phone rang and the doctor’s office told me to have someone drive me to the emergency room or call 911. I was alone and had to make some calls. My husband was an hour and a half away; my daughter was at work the same distance away.  She stared to scramble and before I knew it she called me back and said she got her father-in-law to pick me up and take me. I was feeling a little better as long as I walked around, but I was a little too dizzy to walk much.

He arrived and we made it to the hospital. They immediately tested me for oxygen levels and did an EKG. After looking at this they sent me to the waiting room until they could get a room ready. It wasn’t long and they took me back and began more tests. Blood tests, chest x-ray and a few hours later they were sending me home telling me they believed the problem was in my chest wall and not my heart however they wanted me to follow-up with my doctor to have more tests and told me to come back immediately if the pains worsened.

Though he was a little later in getting there my husband made it to the hospital and was there to talk with the doctor. I did my first follow-up visit with my primary doctor and we are on a path toward figuring out what caused everything.

Through all of this I had a confidence that God was in control and taking care of me.  I only felt a slight tinge of panic when the doctor’s office insisted that I immediately go to the hospital. It was a perfect storm of symptoms that caused great caution to make sure I would survive the day. I thank God for my husband, daughter, her father-in-law and the medical professionals involved.

This event made me appreciate what I have in this life a little more and enforced my confidence that when I leave this life I will be with Jesus.

Enjoy your life and I will be back next week with more.