So in case you don't yet know the story, I had chest pains recently. My sweet, lovely, amazing friend Wenner took me to the hospital and once there, the doctors just wouldn't. let. me. leave. They ran a bunch of tests on me ... most focusing on my heart, of course. Among these were a series of EKGs, which revealed an abnormality. The kicker was a stress test, and besides being a little stressful ... I passed it with flying colors. Fast forward to the end of a 24-hour stay and the verdict looked great on paper -- I was going to live. But I wasn't satisfied.
What the wha? Unsatisfied with a prognosis of life? The ungratefulness of a sow such as me. But let me explain. I've suffered with stomach/digestive/f-ed up system issues for about two years now. I actually started a blog about it a few months ago. And so I was released back into the world ... my chest ostensibly okay, but my stomach still hurtin' and this time, hurting a bit worse then usual.
It's odd, when I went into the hospital, doctors would ask me about pain. I have been in some sort of pain almost non-stop for the past two years. And digestive pain is some of the most uncomfortable, and let's be honest, potentially socially and professionally embarrassing pain around. So when I'm asked to rate pain, I have to laugh. Yes, I'm in pain, but hey, it's just new pain. Welcome to the club.
I have to admit, I was scared in the hospital. And I'm relieved now. But I also cannot swallow without any discomfort (insert inappropriate "that's what he said" joke here). And that bums me out. I've tried a lot of remedies and medications, and now am taking some time off of work to actually make this my full time job ... finding physical comfort.
Here are a couple of things I've found out so far since I made this decision:
1) There are only a handful of good doctors in this town. I put the word out on Facebook that I was looking for a good doctor. My Facebook friends were good enough to send me some really good referrals that checked out with some great reviews on Yelp. When I tried to make appointments with these doctors, I got timelines of 6-8 weeks out. Ugh. The appointment setters were eager to tell me that t other doctors in the practice were readily available. Double ugh. This is the problem I've been having the whole time! Bad doctors. I want a good one.
2) Facebook is crazy good/bad/insane. I was out of the office for just a short while when I started getting messages from concerned friends about my visit to the ER. Within 12 hours, I started getting concerned messages from college friends that could not go unanswered. I felt totally loved, but I couldn't believe how fast the "news" of my hospital visit spread. On the same note, I was able to use Facebook to solicit referrals and quickly connect with friends who have had similar symptoms. I feel more empowered and yes, not alone.
3) Even though I physically feel like shit, I feel optimistic and psyched that I'm finally putting the right kind of attention toward my health. I know it sounds drastic to take a month off of work, but when I landed in the ER, it just seemed like math to me -- get better and you'll be able to give more to everything.
And now you know!
