Eye Opening

On April 5 & 6 I experienced something that I never want to experience again.  I though I was having a heart attack.  It all started about 9:30 on Saturday evening with severe heartburn/re-flux.  Not out of the normal, I have had that many times before and when I do I always feel the pain up my spine in the the back.  This time it got worse, I couldn't lay down in bed or even be comfortable in the recliner.  My dear hubby had to be to work at 2 am.  I walked all night trying to releive the pain.  I drank milk, I tried a few "home remedies" I found on Pinterest and I didn't have any Tums, Zantac, or Maalox.  Nothing.  It got so bad that I vomited severely many times that night.  I wanted to go to the ED (emergency department) or the store or something to find relief, but our 3 young children were sleeping.

Finally at 5:20 am I could not take it any longer.  The pain was not just re-flux/heartburn pain it was like the top of my stomach, diaphragm and lower lungs were on fire.  It hurt to breath, it hurt to walk, it hurt to talk.  Being a former EMT, still an Emergency Medical Responder trainer and Pre-ADN student, I knew things were getting bad.  I called my hubby at work to see if he could get off early (he had to work until 10 am) and take me in.  He said to wake the kids and have them get dressed and he would be home as soon as possible.  He is a jailer/dispatcher for the county we live in.  I woke the kids, they got dressed and into the car.  By the time I got myself down to the car Hubby was driving in the driveway and jumped in the car.  My upper stomach hurt so much I couldn't sit still, I would crunch up and then stretch out, I tried to breath through the pain like labor breathing.  This was so much worse than that and I was in labor with my son for 36+ hours counting 3 hours of hard pushing only to discover he was stuck face up and I needed a c-section.  Just over halfway to the closest hospital (not our preferred one - too far to go) my lips started to feel numb.  I could picture all of the training videos that I have watched over and over while training people in EMR.  Then my upper stomach contracted like it was the worst labor contraction in the world and I felt it in my back as well.  Then my arms went numb and I had a hard time moving them, my breathing became very labored and I couldn't get enough air.  I told hubby that we needed to call 911 because I thought that I was having a heart attack.  I handed him my phone, the kids in the back seat started crying, they know what 911 means, we have trained them.  Hubby had a hard time dialing so I took the phone back and I called.  It was so hard to talk and I was talking to hubby's co-workers.  They got the nearest Ambo going to meet us and hubby kept talking to them until we saw them.  I kept telling the kids it was alright and that I loved them, trying to stay calm for them and for hubby.

I didn't want to die.  I knew it was a possibility.  The number one thing that heart attacks are mistaken for are heartburn, I teach that all of the time.  Here I thought it was happening to me.  I am morbidly obese at 279.8 lbs and 38 years old, I have a family history of heart attack with my father who experienced that 10 years ago, my bp (blood pressure) has been on and off elevated, but not too bad and I have had higher cholesterol also.  I am a prime candidate.

Once the Ambo got there, I was out of the car and into the rig before the EMT's even got out of the front seat.  Like I said being a former EMT for this ambulance service, I know my way around a rig.  I started telling them everything I knew that the needed to know, OPQRST: onset, provocation, quality of pain, region/radiate, severity and time as well as SAMPLE history: signs and symptoms, allergies, meds, past pertinent history, last oral intake and events leading up to.  Anything to make it quicker.  They put me on O2 and my O2 SATS were 110% which was good.  I was still having pain and difficulty breathing for a time in the rig and then all of a sudden my stomach pain was gone.  My arms and lips were still numb and breathing was still rough, but it was better.

At the ED, my EKG was fine, O2 still good and pain was gone.  They couldn't get my veins to cooperate to put in an IV or take blood.  I had a chest X-ray which was clear, no pneumonia.  They also ran a urine which should a slightly higher blood sugar.  After all of that they figure that it may be the start of ulcers or gal-bladder issues compounded by my already diagnosed anxiety issues.  My grandmother had her gall-bladder removed and also had anxiety issues.  I got a 10 day prescription for Nexium and was told to follow up with my regular Doc.

Right than and there I decided that I have to make a change.  I have to get my health under control, eat better, exercise more and loose weight.  I believe I can safely loose half of me, hence the title of this blog.  I need accountability, guidance and help.  This blog is my way to keep track of my progress, spread the word of getting and being healthy and maybe find some accountability along the way.  My goal is to loose 140 lbs safely and not unhealthily fast.  I am not sure of what program I will use yet, but first off is just paying attention to what I eat, no grease (gall-bladders issues don't like grease or fat), no artificial sweeteners and limiting natural sweeteners, keep up my calcium intake as well as Iron because taking Nexium messes that up.  I have a follow up appointment on April 23rd (not within the 10 days I had hoped - but it is scheduled) and I am going to start walking again, October Whistle Stop half will be here before I know it and this will be my 3rd.

So here is to my journey to loose half of me and to never experience Saturday night/Sunday morning again.  Wish me luck!