I almost asked my husband to take me to the ER today, (although from past experiences, the ER in the hospitals in this side of the world aren't that encouraging either) after I felt a sudden chest pain, weakness in my limbs, dizziness, and nausea, which are all indicative of a heart attack. Now, why in the world would I get a heart attack? Well, yes! I am not the healthiest person, but heart attack?
So I decided to wait it out a little and see how it goes, telling myself to breathe in and out because it came to a point where all my awareness is focused on the crushing pressure on my chest that makes it so difficult to breathe. I voraciously searched the net for any possible diagnosis of the symptoms I was presenting and came across a forum where people with similar symptoms posted what their doctors found out (or mostly what they did not find out) and some remedies they've tried that somehow alleviated the discomfort.
A lot of them said it might be trapped gas that is causing the pain in the chest cavity. This is possible because the pain is usually accompanied by severe upper abdominal upset that radiates to the back and feels like someone has 'eleazarized' you. (Eleazar is Aaron the High Priest's son who wedged a sword into the back of someone.:) So I tried to drink a soda and the belching that ensued had somehow lessened the pain, that I was able to put a load into the laundry machine, but the pain came back after a few moments and so I ran back to bed. But as I am typing this, I have to stop a lot because the pain keeps coming back. This is even after I had called Lani to give me a back rub which released some of the pressure I was feeling on my back.
Last night, I had a terrible nape and throat pain after a long day of staring at my computer. It was so bad it feels like someone has put his fingers around my neck and was strangling me to death. I was beginning to feel disoriented and as if my ears were going to blow. I thought it was just fatigue, but when I started to feel nauseous, I remembered to check my blood sugar and the checker revealed 30mg/dl. I called my husband and we checked it again, and it was the same. I am supposed to be a diabetic, my blood sugar should be above 180. Then I remember, I have been on a medicine intended for my other condition but is actually a sugar-lowering medicine and I was also taking bitter gourd (ampalaya) capsules specifically to lower my blood sugar. So I ate a couple of tablespoons full of honey, and an Ibuprofen for the strangling spastic pain on my neck and a sleep aid and went to bed. I woke up this morning feeling shaky in my hands and knees, drank my coffee and went to work. Then at 5PM, I was preparing to start my exercise regimen (because a very dear friend lighted a fire under me this morning and told me to restart really exercising because she'd like me to have a longer life--thank you, S) when I suddenly felt the pain in my chest.
I was also reading about the toxicity of the medicine I was taking and lactic acidosis was one of its worst. This one can be fatal. Maybe this medicine is killing me softly... :-)
I'm going to the doctor on Thursday and prayerfully hoping that the chest pains I've been having are just trapped gas like all those people in the forum were talking about. Tomorrow, I have a teaching commitment to go to. Lord, please show me favor and let me be okay tomorrow.
