A Bit of Further Explanation

[copied from dland]

My earlier entry today, which you would need to read for this one to make sense, is here.

I am okay.

Really, I am. Remember, this is me, the one who is famous for going to the emergency room or the doctor even when I think nothing is wrong because somehow, I know that I should, and it turns out to be appendicitis or a broken leg or something. I actually have a very good track record for pursuing what I think are hypochondriacal concerns and getting appropriate medical attention.

Thank you, New Mary (and leave me a link so I can read you); you are 100% right that women's heart attack symptoms are often not men's symptoms. My problem is that I know that, which is why I was concerned about the pains I was feeling. I know that women often don't experience the crushing chest pain that men do (although both my grandmothers did), and what to look for. I am on the alert. But I also know that going to the emergency room if you are still conscious and are not carrying one of your limbs in a paper bag means that you will not be seen forever and ever, and the stress of that alone could kill me.

I will indeed see the doctor next week, or sooner, if necessary. I am not shy about having doctors tell me that there is after all nothing wrong with me. My recently retired and beloved doctor made it clear that I was to call him if I ever suspected anything and he would be happy to spend his time checking me out and then telling me nothing was wrong. I am conditioned, and will do the same with my new doctor.

(The SCM, btw, has absolutely no sense of when he should see a doctor, and has actually in the past called me on a weekend and described symptoms and asked me what he should do. This is how he found out he had broken a couple of ribs; I told him to go.)

At the moment, it seems to be much better than it was. I took a brief nap, disturbed by the phone after only a half hour, and it hasn't troubled me since then. I think it's more positional than anything, although I was aware of it at one point when I woke up during the night last night, so I didn't think that would help. But it seems to have. I just had some dinner and so far, so good.

Dear LA, I actually have been considering myself that it is somehow related to the bra I'm wearing (which I haven't worn in a while), but since it bothered me during the night, I wasn't sure. I'll gather more evidence on that one tomorrow.

Really, I just needed to say somewhere I think I'm having a heart attack! without anyone shoving me into a car and rushing me to a doctor. The Hubs, who has not himself been to a doctor in more than 25 years, has no qualms at all about getting me to an emergency room ASAP, and as I said, I ain't in the mood for that. So I'm not mentioning it to him just yet. (And anyway, he's coming home late tonight.) I feel pretty good right now.

However, as Bartles and Jaymes used to say, Thank you for your support. You guys are the best, as always. Mwah.

WATCHING REBA :: ENTRY #1414