Heart check for Valentines Day

I woke up about 6 with a hot flash. I got up to go to the bathroom. I felt a squeezing sensation in my upper left chest. It was the first time I felt anything like that. I laid down again, I did some tapping, I took some vitamin C. Nothing seemed to help. I kept my phone with me just in case. I did not have pain in my left arm, or stomach. But I felt something was very wrong. My legs were weak and I was a little unsteady. I called Faye, but got her voice mail. I called Dad to wish him a happy valentines's day in case it was the last thing I ever said. I worried a lot so I got on my laptop and looked up heart attacks. Finally I called Chris and told him I needed to be driven somewhere. He came home from work. He was going to take me to the big hospital, but I chose Crestwood Medical instead. We got there about 7:30. I was clutching my chest and told the receptionist I had chest pain. She handed me a form to fill out and called for triage. It was a short form. I scribbled my basic info and we waited for 5 or 10 minutes. Then a lady called us back to room 1. She had me lie down and she put a monitor on my finger. She put stickers on my chest and legs and did an EEG. Another lady put a port in my left arm (because she couldn't get the vein in my right arm.) She took blood. I was all trembley at that point: the kind of trembling I get when cold or given opiates. They told me to relax and they left. I wanted to tap, but with a monitor on one hand and a port in the other, it was difficult. Plus they said it would interfere with the EKG results.
A doctor came in, asked a few questions about drinking, smoking, family history. He recommended Adavan and potassium. He left. More wait time. Should have brought a book. A nurse came in and gave me a low dose of Adavan, four aspirin and two potassium tablets. Then she did an in-room x-ray. Later I was wheeled to a cat-scan and given a contrast. It made me feel hot, but not for long. She told me to drink lots of water later. She took me back to my room and let me use the restroom at the end of the hall. She did another EEG but with a different machine so I got a whole new set of stickers and wires. Then she left and we waited. I played with the monitor by holding my breath until the alarm went off. No one ever came. I also tried reducing my heartrate below 85, but was unsuccessful. Finally the doctor came back and said my heart was fine, and gave me a card for an internist. He wrote the name of a cardiologist on my patient form and recommended a stress test.
We waited again. Finally a nurse came to take the EKG wires off and the blood pressure cuff and the finger monitor. She carefully removed the port. She said I could get dressed and meet her in the hall. Well, I was still covered in wires from the first EKG. I disconnected them. Chris pulled both sets of stickers off. Ouch! I got dressed and we found her in the hall. She showed us to registration. A lady there had me sign paperwork and pay $200 for discharge. She said there would be bills from the doctor and the radiologist, etc. It was 11:30 when we left.
Chris wanted to stop by the bank, then get gas. Finally we were home. He dropped me off and went back to work. I called the insurance company to find doctors on their list. The ones recommended from the emergency room were not on the list. I was given two names. Then I went to the insurance website. Those names were not on there. I found another one and called for an appt. They insisted I call the insurance again and ask if a referral was needed. So I did, and called back. Then they said they needed a doctors order for the stress test. I scanned the one from the ER into the computer and e-mailed it to them. At the same time as all of this, I started a loaf of bread for Chris and boiled water for coffee. I completed my coffee detox while waiting for them to call back. Chris came home from work with a large box from Nuts.com. One item was for Jennifer. I e-mailed her to see if she wanted me to bring it to church, but she did not respond. I ate a banana, and then breakfast. I took a shower and got dressed.
We went to church to the Ash Wednesday service. I forgot the item, but Jennifer hadn't gotten my e-mail so she didn't miss it. The service lasted about an hour. Since it was the second service of the day, it was not well attended. Afterward, the choir gathered to sing over the song for Sunday. It took about 20 minutes. The chest pain started up again and people asked about it. I admitted I had been to the ER and given a good report.
Chris and I went home on Airport, so as to take in the lights of the city coming over the hill. When we got home, we watched two episodes of Voyager, probably because it was a two-parter. I took more vitamin C and my evening supplements. Knowing Chris is going to be gone next week, I decided to sleep in the master bedroom until he leaves.