Wow, I'm really sorry to hear that!! Sounds awful and incredibly scary. I know you will, but please be careful and watch your symptoms closely. Keep us updated!!

Leave from work sounds like a good idea. Nothing is more important than your health.

Get better soon AP, that is so scary. Glad you got to the doc. Thinking of you..

RR

Oh and by the way, the signs of a heart attack (myocardiac infarction or MI) are very different for a woman than for a man.

What to watch for: chest pain, difficulty breathing, fatigue (extreme even), nausea/feeling of indigestion, cold sweats. The biggest difference between men & women is that the chest pains are significantly stronger for men than for women, and the fatigue or nausea is significantly worse for women than men.

When women have MIs, they usually don't list chest pain as the primary symptom. Also, women tend to wait longer then men in complaining about how they feel. Thirdly, which was true in my case, I had children to care for which delayed me in seeking medical attention.

Needless to say I won't let that happen again. :-(

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

Holy cow! I hope it's not an MI or pericarditis! If your doc thinks it might be an MI and you're still having chest pain, I'd go to the ER--you'll at least get an EKG and blood work to rule out an MI there regardless of this holiday weekend.
Get better soon!

(((((hugs)))) I hope you feel better soon.
tc

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

Gosh AP I'm very sorry to hear about this. You are young for an MI (aka heart attack), but I'm not saying it can't happen.Other causes could be infection, autoimmune diseases(ie lupus),trauma , rheumatic fever and more. YOu are right symptoms are different in a women. Some diabetics have silent MI's in which they have no symptoms. In any event I am worried about you. Didn't you recently ask about a rash on your face? Will you mention this to your doctor?

Did they do the MI workup on you at the hospital?? I can't imagine the doctor sending you home if your enzymes came back positive or if you had EKG changes. Dressler's syndrome(pericarditis post MI) shows up weeks to months after the MI. I just wanted you to know that so you can think back in time, and not worry that the MI is acute.

Did the doctor ask you to stay on bedrest?? Please ask your doctor for advice on your activity level. If you will be taking massive doses of NSAIDS (ie advil) please ask you doctor about taking Pepcid as well. Pepcid will help with any "stomach problems" caused be the advil. YOu may be more comfortable propped up in bed leaning slightly forward, but you probably figured that out. IF you will be on bedrest you may also want to take Colace (stool softner)100 mg 2x/day and drink lots of water. YOu don't want to get constipated right now.

Rest up and please let us know how you are doing! Email me or PM me anytime.

Thanks PC, I just PMed you. Dr said nothing about bedrest, but I sure get fatigued quickly, I have to sit and rest and catch my breath a lot it seems, even when only walking 10' or so. Damn, that reads badly doesn't it. Wonder if I should just drive to the hospital now. AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

It does read bad, and I would probably go to the hospital if I were you. I know you also mentioned concerns about a pulmonary embolism earlier this week and that probably needs to be ruled out if they decide it's not pericarditis/MI. Your symptoms are not inconsistent with PE. BTW, PC mentioned lupus above; I'm pretty sure that blood clots are more common in people with lupus. Whatever it ends up being, it seems like something you need to have checked out NOW! I'm thinking of you.
Heidi

How is your stress level ? High level of stress makes the same symptoms of a Heart attack.

It's strange that you doc sent you home without doing the full exams . Or at least an ECG.
Did he ask you to take aspirin ?

I would go back to the hospital if you are still bad. The other factor is that if you think too much on heart problems ... you will feel the symptoms very soon...

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Luiz Eng

pericarditis and endocarditis are the main reasons that I discourage patients from flying with viruses- there seems to be a propensity for the virus attacking heart tissue whilst flying - which could be pressure/stress related.

with you rash I would REALLY be worried about lupus or other autoimmune disorders and you deserve a full workup NOW. I cannot believe ANY doctor sent you home with concerns about MI or pericarditis....certainly the latter still warrants ruling out the former....

your symptoms sound like endo or pericarditis and you need an EKG, enzymes and an echo done....

feel better...

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cat
Sponsored by Suntheanine, Lycored and Celadrin
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Just so everyone can breathe a touch easier, I just got off the phone w/ Andy and she's walking up the the ED now.

Will keep you posted as I hear back.

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<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter!
Proud member of the Smartasscrew, MONSTER CLUB
Get your FIX today?

AP, you are way too young for a heart attack, and way too healthy. Get this little bugger figured out and get healthy quick!

Parke

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Behold the turtle! He makes progess only when he sticks his neck out. (James Bryant Conant)
GET OFF THE F*%KING WALL!!!!!!! (Doug Stern)
Brevity is the soul of wit. (William Shakespeare)

Wow, Andy. I hope you are OK. I'll be thinking about you in Denver. Please let us know how you are.

Geez, get better! Thinking of you in Seattle.

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Jen

"In order to keep a true perspective on one's importance, everyone should have a dog that worships him and a cat that will ignore him." - Dereke Bruce

Home you figure it out, and start feeling better soon!

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Miles of Life --- Powered by MarkyV

Wow, sorry to hear this. Get better soon...so you can keep kicking Khai's butt ;-)

Wow... Thinking of you !!!

Marker for blood clot came back positive, she's going in for a chest CT now.

From the background noise it sounds like P is there w/ the kids, so it would appear that she's got great on-site support...

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<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter!
Proud member of the Smartasscrew, MONSTER CLUB
Get your FIX today?

Thanks for the update. I'm glad they caught it and I hope she's doing okay. Very, very scary. Please let us know anything you hear.

Ok - just got off the phone w/ P (who had to go home to put the kids to bed). CT came back clear, no apparent signs of a clot. She's still there as they're still doing more testing, but it could potentially be something as "simple" as adjusting to the thyroid meds, stress, overtired, etc. I'd like to think it's a combination of those...

Will post again when I know more - or ideally, she'll be cleared to go and can tell you herself. That's what I'm really hoping for...

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<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter!
Proud member of the Smartasscrew, MONSTER CLUB
Get your FIX today?

Keepin you in my thots today, AP, & hopin you're up and about soon!

Keeping you in my prayers! ~~~~~~~~healing vibes~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow AP, that's some scary news. I hope it all turns out okay.

Hi all --

Thanks for the thoughts and wishes. They ruled out almost everything. While the marker for blood clot was positive in my blood tests the CT scan showed a clean chest. Heart was described as "perfect, textbook" by the echo techs. Small amount of unhappiness in the sac, so home for the week and NSAIDs, with the stern promise to come back if I feel even the slightest bit off. Will follow up with Internal Medicine at VGH and my GP on the blood clot thing. The Emerg Doc said he thinks I've got one somewhere but it's not yet become a problem, so following up sooner than later is appropriate.

The funny things you hear as a (reasonably) healthy individual in the ER:
"Um, I had to turn the lower limit alarm off on your EKG so it wouldn't keep you up all night."
"Your PulseOx is better than mine, yet you are getting out of breath walking up a flight of stairs?"
"That's the cleanest bloodwork I've seen in months."
"Do you smoke? Wait that's a dumb question."

And some of the characters you hear and meet in a major ER - well... they're pretty f*n hilarious when you think about it. I almost felt bad for being there and taking up the bed.

So bed-ish rest this week, follow-up with IM next week and return to light duties early next week if I feel ok.

Guess my OLY in July is not such a hot idea ;-)

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

Welcome back! Glad to hear everything is pretty much ok. Take it easy (you were in my blogging thoughts :D)

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______________________________________
I know I'm promiscuous, but in a classy way

Glad to hear you are back home!!!! Rest up!

Girl really knows how to scare the crap out of us, huh?

Geez....

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<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter!
Proud member of the Smartasscrew, MONSTER CLUB
Get your FIX today?

Glad to hear everything is ok so far... keep us updated!

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Come crawling faster

glad you are ok....bet you still can do your OLY in July...

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cat
Sponsored by Suntheanine, Lycored and Celadrin
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follow-up with IM next week and return to light duties early next week if I feel ok.


Now, it is too soon for CDA, so which IM are you talking about?

I know, Int Med, but a lot of people's first thoughts would be similar. ;-)

Good to hear that you are basically very healthy, just need to track down the little thing that is out of whack. I'll be keeping fingers crossed that your IM'ist is of "House" quality, but with fewer dramatics.

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Behold the turtle! He makes progess only when he sticks his neck out. (James Bryant Conant)
GET OFF THE F*%KING WALL!!!!!!! (Doug Stern)
Brevity is the soul of wit. (William Shakespeare)

Yeah, afterwards I wondered how many folks would think I was actually referring to IronMan lol... The main Internal Med doc I was dealing with was very good - "here's my card, here's my pager #, here's my office #, you call me anytime you have any questions, I'm back on rotation in 3 days..." yadda yadda yadda.

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

Glad things are working out for your Ms Andy. If you're back at VGH let me know as I'm a quick hop, skip, and jump away. Maybe you need a little R and R on the pool deck at kits????

K

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"There's good all around you, you just have to be able to see it".

I like the way you think miss! I'll ping you when I figure out when I will be back at VGH. AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

OH my gosh. I was away all weekend and just read this. Thank goodness. Hang in there and keep us posted on how you're doing!
HUGS

A lot of us are watching this thread. So many of us here with a family history of heart problems; we're not immune just b/c we're "in shape." PLEASE keep posting or we'll worry about you!
:(

That's just it - we like to think we're immune from heart problems but we are often just as susceptible as the "general population." I certainly have been doing my reading up on blood, heart and lungs lately - heck some of these tests are fascinating (that D-Dimer test for example, is quite amazing). AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

Yikes Andy!!! I was without a computer for a few days and just saw this. How frightening. I'm thinking of you - keep us posted. Do they think it's related to your thyroid issues?

halliet

Nope not at all. If you are overmedicated on synthroid you can get weird heart stuff happening, but I'm not even close to overdosed, they checked that.

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

with your thyroid issues and the contamination that you are exposed to at work, it might be good to find a really really really excellent endocrinologist to give you the most thorough work-up possible and rule out absolutely everything. it seems like you have had some weird/lingering issues since you started taking the thyroid meds. it might be nice to get another opinion from someone with a different perspective. i tend to think that tsymptoms are more related than most people (and docs) assume... get better. :)

yeah - or a better, lower-stress job! It might be easier! ;-) AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

Hopefully you won't be back at VGH but just in case know that I am a hop skip and a jump away. I'm good for smuggling in "non hospital" food and drinks.

How are you feeling today?

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"There's good all around you, you just have to be able to see it".

I just saw this thread as well. I'm so glad you're OK! Definitely keep us posted...

M

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The beatings will continue until morale improves

I think the idea of her being back there is for a scheduled appointment with the Internal Medicine doc. There are some good eating options nearby though... :)

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<If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough>
Get Fitter!
Proud member of the Smartasscrew, MONSTER CLUB
Get your FIX today?

I'm doing OK, just still tired. Still find some tightness in the chest when I lay flat on my back, which is expected. It's *hard* to rest! The harder part is trying to explain to the kids why I can't pick them up or go to the park with them :-(. They still tired me out last night.

Two more days of couch life. Sigh.

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

Hang in there AP.

Now sounds like a good time to do some online shopping. Got all your gels and salt tabs and energy bars for the summer season? Does your bike need to go to the shop for a tune up? Check out some running shoes (on line of course!)? Maybe even do some window shopping for future races.

Good time to get your administrative stuff out of the way.

When's the little one's birthday? Or, if you're really one of those organized freaks, you could start a little Christmas shopping. ;-)

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Behold the turtle! He makes progess only when he sticks his neck out. (James Bryant Conant)
GET OFF THE F*%KING WALL!!!!!!! (Doug Stern)
Brevity is the soul of wit. (William Shakespeare)

LOL, K's birthday is in Jan, so I'm all good for months.

Instead I am looking at booking flights to Quebec City for 2009's Carnival. ;-)

And doing some financial planning lol, sad that you have to get sick to spend time on this kind of stuff.

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

Hey AP!

How about an update? How are you feeling these days? Any improvement?

Enquiring minds ...

;-)

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Behold the turtle! He makes progess only when he sticks his neck out. (James Bryant Conant)
GET OFF THE F*%KING WALL!!!!!!! (Doug Stern)
Brevity is the soul of wit. (William Shakespeare)

Oh yes, definitely feeling better, but mentally going nuts at not doing anything - back to work tomorrow, with a lunchtime walk on tap for Monday, and Tuesday. If those feel OK, then I will swim easy i.e.: max 1000m on Wed. Still haven't been able to make my booking with the IM folks - the chief is out and she needs to push the appointment up (otherwise it's waaay out there).

Hopefully by the time I finish watching World's next weekend, I'll be ready to GO GO GO!

Thx for asking BTW.

AP

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"How bad could it be?" - SimpleS

I am hoping to revive this thread - out of the several other choices - because there were several very helpful suggestions throughout.

I was recently diagnosed with acute pericarditis (10/19) - I am 38 y.o. BW showed big inflammatory changes, chest x-ray was negative, EKG was indicative of pericarditis, ECHO basically normal. Have been on high does NSAIDS and colchicine since.

So first - I DO have an appointment with a cardiologist who deals with athletes in 1 month. This is still quite the long time away in my mind.

What I am wondering from any cardio/pulm/etc people is about progression and long term prognosis. I know I will get more info at the cardiologist, but curious from a group of like minded people. I was pretty restful for the first 11 days after diagnosis (thankfully was on a short vacation from work). Would get tired and out of breath easily. I do have a farm and would lightly walk around and do animal checks and feed (taking about 3x longer intentionally). I would also take very slow walks with my dogs. Days 12-14 I walked 'faster' about 2 - 2.3 miles in ~45 min (which to me didn't seem 'aggressive'). By days 13 and 14, increased pain was starting again. Day 15 had follow up and was told again to 'just take it easy'. But I have never been told what 'taking it easy' is defined by. So for the last 9ish days back to slow walks, light feeding, deliberate movements. I am definitely better, intermittently still have 'pressure' and what I describe as constriction - not so much like something is on my chest, but like something is deep in my chest.

So here goes:

Are there parameters - HR, Oxygen Saturation, BP, respiration that I can use to determine if I am overdoing, BEFORE I have increased pain?

Is there a typical progression of activity that I should expect?

What is the long term prognosis for return to higher level activity (Duathlon Worlds...Tri Nationals...70.3 or 140.6....ultra - were all on the radar)?

Thanks in advance for any info.

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Don't Just Live, Thrive!
Thrive Kinematics Physical Therapy - http://www.facebook.com/...8178667572974?ref=hl

Thinking of you, AP.

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(Formerly SoCalTricurious, now in the PNW).

I hope you get some useful information. Unfortunately, I have none. I wonder if you might be better off with a new post, perhaps linking to this and or the other older threads you found. I'm afraid people won't get to the end of the 2nd page to see your question, and instead AP will get lots of new well wishes.

Good luck!

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To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.