Daily Inspiration

Chest Pains

Yes indeed, when it rains, it pours. I’ve been working hard at getting all of my belongings sold, tossed out, or packed for moving. Next weekend is when my belongings will move from Lake Jackson to Mineral Wells. And I’m nowhere near finished.

Saturday, I packed most of the kitchen. Having knee and back problems means I’m not moving as fast as I used to. I should have been further along by now.

Saturday night as I lay in bed, I couldn’t sleep. Sleep usually comes as soon as my head hits the pillow. But not so on Saturday night. It felt as if someone was sitting on my chest. As I pondered that, I wished I could just sleep. Then about midnight, the pain started. By 2 a.m., the pain in my chest was really bad. It felt as if someone was holding my heart and just squeezing the heck out of it. I got dressed and drove to the hospital emergency room.

Tests were taken, and my heart enzymes were up. Whatever that means. I was given nitroglycerin, which didn’t help. It did give me a roaring headache. I didn’t know that nitro often gives headaches and other aches and pains. (It constricts blood vessels.)

The medical professionals decided to shoot me full of morphine to get rid of the chest pain and headache. They admitted me to the hospital, so they could continue testing.

The next day, I was released. The emergency room doctor and cardiologist he consulted have decided the problem is definitely with my heart. They’ve scheduled a stress test.

My family doctor showed up on Sunday morning. (He was none too pleased. I hadn’t asked them to contact him because he “fired” me as a patient a few months ago. He was my doctor when I could pay his prices.) That doc said that my problem was with my gall bladder. He’s scheduled more tests.

Another doctor decided I have an ulcer.

I didn’t know that chest pains could be caused by gall bladder problems or by an ulcer. Go figure.

If stress was the cause of my chest pains, nothing that happened at the hospital relieved that. I’m even more pressed for time in moving, having had about 18 hours cut out of my time. And there’s really nothing to show for it.

I guess I did get a good night’s sleep last night, though.