Spending night in ER

[Tac]

For a week i had been having odd aches and 'jolts' in what i thought was my upper stomach...under the heart. Couldnt sleep in some days. Called my doc, got an appointment for mid feb (sigh)...

And this morning felt a jolt/jab in the heart that lasted a second or two. Called me doc she said go er now.... So here i am spending the night in observation.

So far xray, bloodwork and ekg look fine. Stress test tomorrow.

...and they just gave me potassium in a cup. Bleagh.

[Seanaldinho]

Bah rub some dirt on it 

But in all seriousness hope it turns out to be nothing and you get better.

[PFactorDave]

For a week i had been having odd aches and 'jolts' in what i thought was my upper stomach...under the heart. Couldnt sleep in some days. Called my doc, got an appointment for mid feb (sigh)...

And this morning felt a jolt/jab in the heart that lasted a second or two. Called me doc she said go er now.... So here i am spending the night in observation.

So far xray, bloodwork and ekg look fine. Stress test tomorrow.

...and they just gave me potassium in a cup. Bleagh.

That sucks man...

But let me say this...  If you are having a heart problem, this is the best way to find out!  Much better then the "Big Grabber" that could kill you...  My advice, approach the testing with enthusiasm and an open mind.  It won't be fun or comfortable, and it might be a little bit scary at times...  But could save your life in the long run and give you a lot more time with your family...

Best of luck and prayers for you!

[james]

Im with Pfactor on this. Don't skimp on the tests and really take interest to what is going on with you. All those nights staying up clubbing and spinning chem lights, listening to techno music,
and partying like a rockstar take their toll over time. Might need a pitstop for a refuel and tire change is all i'm saying. Maybe take a bottled water and a cool down. 

[SmokinLoon]

Lets hope it is nothing serious and the MD hands you a bottle of that nasty stuff that looks like 7UP that makes you poop funny (cleans yer innerds' out).  

Best of luck!    

[Penguin]

As others have said, it is better to approach testing enthsuiastically in order to avoid hiding any heart troubles.  If you're a 'tough guy', remember, there's no shame in crying, wincing, or asking for a smaller needle because no amount of pretending that it's fine can make up for the fact that you're lying on a bed while a bunch of eggheads (no disrespect to doctors) you don't know poke you.  So get into it!  If it turns out to be nothing, no-one cares, but if there is a problem, then you've likely saved your own life.

-Penguin

[EskimoJoe]

Never a better time to read a book, either. Stay in good spirits Tac 

[Maverick]

Ah go walk it off.   erre wait that is what the stress test is. Hope it all goes well. Take it easy, enjoy looking at the nurses and concentrate on making the changes necessary to avoid a return to the ER like that.

[oakranger]

For a week i had been having odd aches and 'jolts' in what i thought was my upper stomach...under the heart. Couldnt sleep in some days. Called my doc, got an appointment for mid feb (sigh)...

And this morning felt a jolt/jab in the heart that lasted a second or two. Called me doc she said go er now.... So here i am spending the night in observation.

So far xray, bloodwork and ekg look fine. Stress test tomorrow.

...and they just gave me potassium in a cup. Bleagh.

You made the right call.  Hope it is nothing serious.  Keep us posted.

[MaSonZ]

As others have said, it is better to approach testing enthsuiastically in order to avoid hiding any heart troubles.  If you're a 'tough guy', remember, there's no shame in crying, wincing, or asking for a smaller needle because no amount of pretending that it's fine can make up for the fact that you're lying on a bed while a bunch of eggheads (no disrespect to doctors) you don't know poke you.  So get into it!  If it turns out to be nothing, no-one cares, but if there is a problem, then you've likely saved your own life.

-Penguin

does this sentence apply to paramedics too, who have less training and less tools at their disposal? studying Medicine is more complicated than it appears. 8 or 10 years in school may not do justice for all that there is to know about medicine.... even in a specific field of study. Paramedics have previous years training and expierence in the field, plus only 2 years of training before they are pretty well on par with a doctor in some aspects. food for thought 

back to OP, good call and smart choice. better safe then sorry.

[4Prop]

when I was in the 9th grade I had a heart clot during school. i got really lightheaded when i was sitting down and woke up in the nurses office. i ended up in the ER for 2 days. you might be having what i call "Heart cramps" where if you breath past a certain point it hurts like a MoFo.

[Penguin]

does this sentence apply to paramedics too, who have less training and less tools at their disposal? studying Medicine is more complicated than it appears. 8 or 10 years in school may not do justice for all that there is to know about medicine.... even in a specific field of study. Paramedics have previous years training and expierence in the field, plus only 2 years of training before they are pretty well on par with a doctor in some aspects. food for thought 

back to OP, good call and smart choice. better safe then sorry.

I meant no disrespect to those who study medicine; I was trying to put it into perspective on the chance that his friends would make fun of him proportionally to the amount of treatment he went through.  Those people exist, and my point was that he was already in the hospital; therefore the difference between going all-out on the treatment and not would be so much less than going or not going that it could be considered negligible.  Of course doctors are, in a word, 'eggheads'; my mom is a doctor, and she is one of the smartest people that I know.  If you really want me to spell it out for you:

You are in the hospital, and are receiving medical treatment from highly trained and experienced doctors and nurses.  If your friends would give you grief for being enthusiastic about treatment, then what they would do about that is negligible compared to what they will do concerning the fact that you went to the hospital.



-Penguin

[MaSonZ]

I meant no disrespect to those who study medicine; I was trying to put it into perspective on the chance that his friends would make fun of him proportionally to the amount of treatment he went through.  Those people exist, and my point was that he was already in the hospital; therefore the difference between going all-out on the treatment and not would be so much less than going or not going that it could be considered negligible.  Of course doctors are, in a word, 'eggheads'; my mom is a doctor, and she is one of the smartest people that I know.  If you really want me to spell it out for you:

You are in the hospital, and are receiving medical treatment from highly trained and experienced doctors and nurses.  If your friends would give you grief for being enthusiastic about treatment, then what they would do about that is negligible compared to what they will do concerning the fact that you went to the hospital.



-Penguin

gotcha 

[Tac]

Thanks all. Im back home now. Imaging/stress tests/etc came back good.

It seems one of my blood pressure medicines had lowered my potassium so that was giving me palpitations and some chest pains and on top of that it could also have been a case of acid reflux.

The hour after they gave me two cups of the potassium supplement I felt like a million years.

So tomorrow Im going to my primary phys and seeing what I can do to get that med changed. ive been taking it for years and its been years that ive been feeling tired and had no clue it was low potassium.

[colmbo]

So tomorrow Im going to my primary phys and seeing what I can do to get that med changed. ive been taking it for years and its been years that ive been feeling tired and had no clue it was low potassium.

Hmmm.  You're Doc should be keeping an eye on how you're doing taking medication -- and that may include occasional blood tests to check for things like low potassium.   If he hasn't been doing that kind of follow up you should ask him why, if his answer is a good one there are lots of good doctors out there -- don't be afraid to change.