AmrraBlog

I had a frightening experience on Monday that's really been hard to talk about, only a few people know. It's kind of embarassing and all around just a tough thing to deal with.

The new soccer season started last monday the 14th. Had a great time, I love my teammates, wasn't too exhausting, but when I got home I started to feel my heart flutter. I didn't think it was too big of a deal, it's happened before for short periods of time, and from what I know it's pretty common. But then it started happening daily...these strange palpitations that would just pop up out of nowhere and throw off my heartbeat.

It all came to a head this monday. There was about a 3 hour period at work where it was happening every fifteen minutes or so. I tried to relax, took some aspirin, just tried to chill out and I couldn't shake it. It's a really frightening experience and I just couldn't handle it. I got home from work, walked in, hugged Rhiannon and said, "honey, I'm scared." Explained to her what was happening and she insisted we go to urgent care. I don't have medical insurance but I agreed, yes, gotta get this checked out.

Got to the Hillcrest urgent care facility, gave them my info, they pretty much rushed me in, got my vitals, and hooked me up to an EKG. Doctor came in with the EKG results (which were normal) and I explained the situation to her. She got a look of horror on her face and asked, "why haven't you gone to the doctor about this before?" Simple, lady, I don't have insurance.

"We're really not qualified to deal with this here, we don't have a cardiologist on staff. You need to go to an emergency room IMMEDIATELY and have them look at you. I'm not going to charge you for this visit if you promise...PROMISE to go directly to an ER."

SO at this point I figure I'm going to have a full blown heart attack.

We go to the UCSD medical center ER figuring a) they'll have the best medical staff available and b) they're SD's version of "county" so they could admit me without insurance. Called Jon since he lives right next to it to steal his parking space. Sign in, grab a seat, watch this old lady in a wheelchair go to the bathroom 4 times in an hour, each time asking someone different to help her in. I think she just wanted attention.

Around 10:30 I was starting to get really grouchy and snappy and decided, yes, I do need a cigarette. I hadn't had one since around 4 in the afternoon. I told the receptionist I was going outside, lit up, just at that moment Jon and our other friend Carolyn were driving back from our soccer game that we missed. They stopped, hung out with us for a few minutes, I explained what was going on and then handed Jon my 1/4 smoked cigarette. As bitchy as I was getting I didn't want to have a nicotine induced fit.

Sometime before that, Rhiannon had gone to the vending machine to get us something to drink. All I had was a fiver. The machines didn't take 5's. She went to the cafeteria. Cafeteria was closed but they had $5 change machines. She put the 5 in. No change. $5 bill gone. Jonathan gave us some ones. Thank you Jon!

When we went back in, I was called for my EKG. At the time Rhiannon was at the vending machines. She got back and I was gone...that must have been great...I heard the receptionist lady on the other side of my curtain saying, "he said he was going outside for a little bit." I yelled "IS SHE LOOKING FOR ME?" a pause..."YEAH!" "TELL HER I'LL BE RIGHT BACK!" Now I ask you this, how could someone at reception, who called my name, and admitted me into the back area tell my fiance that I was outside? I guess the pharmaceuticals are free there.

After the EKG I went back to the waiting area, watched some wrestling, then they called me back. This time they let Rhiannon come with me. They put me on a bed in the middle of a hallway with a sign above it that said "T1." Nice. Everyone else there gets their own rooms, some of them even had their own sheriffs to keep them company.

Through all of this, Rhiannon was fantastic. She just tried to keep me in a good mood. I was feeling a little bit of chest pain, on the chest wall really, not the heart, so when I laughed it was like "HAHAAHaAhaa...ohhhh...stop..."

Doctor finally came to see me. Explained what was going on, and he was the first person to actually make a diagnosis and explain back to me, in more efficient and logical wording, exactly what I was feeling. Premature Ventricular Contractions. Major electrolyte imbalance probably brought on by a combination of stress, anxeity and alcohol. What? Not nicotine? Hmmmm, that's odd.

Recommendations:

• Change of diet. I rarely eat vegetables and I never eat fruit.
• Increase water intake. Ok.
• Quit drinking for a while. dammit...ok.
• Regular excercise.

What do you mean I don't have to quit smoking? LOL...

When I was discharged, the nurse comes over with the recommendation paperwork, starts going over it and stops..."Have you been drinking today?" No. "hmmm...take a look at this." The discharge papers were covered with "Alcohol Abuse" rhetoric. Whoa. The nurse says "wow, they can be pretty harsh can't they."

So I'm changing my lifestyle. This experience really scared the shit out of me. I'm in love, I'm getting married, this is NOT the time to start fucking it up. I'm on the wagon for a while. I'm trying to fit in fruits and vegetables. I'm drinking water constantly. I'm even trying to cut down on smoking, even though they don't seem to care about it LOL.

I don't want to die. I've finally gotten to the point in my life where I have things to live for. I need to be here for a long time.

And I plan on it.

Can someone though help me out...why is it so hard to find an inexpensive but healthy lunch? It's really starting to piss me off!

-z