Update on my health

I know I haven't posted about any of this, but I've had a very full month of doctor's appointments. It started about 3 months ago when I started working out. My trainer asked if I'd had any chest pains in the past month. I had. I promised to call my dr. if it happened again. It did. I called and talked to my Doctor's nurse. She called back and Dr. P wanted me to go straight to the ER. By the time I talked to her, I was not in pain, but I went anyway. Chest X-ray, EKG and labs showed no concern. I followed up with Dr. P that week.

He referred me to a cardiologist, but he didn't really think it was heart related. (For example, I never get the pain while I'm working out. I'm always at rest when it happens.) He also referred me for a sleep study. (Something we started 4 years ago, but the insurance run-around delayed it.)

The cardiologist took my history (Dad died of heart failure at 62---probably brought on by polio as a teenager. Mom has had heart problems for 22 years----as a result of a separated sternum in a car accident.) and did an EKG. He heard a heart murmur (probably the result of scarlet fever when I was 16.) He ordered a heart ultrasound, a stress test, and lab work. My heart appeared to be normal in the ultrasound, and I did well on the stress test (9 minutes: 13 seconds).

Today I had the follow up. The nurse practitioner said everything looks good. But she was worried about the continued chest pains. I could either wait a month to see what happens, or they could go ahead and schedule a cardiac catherization. That doesn't sound like fun. We decided to wait (unless the pains continue and worsen).

Last week I had a sleep study. After about 2 hours, he woke me up to "split" the study. My apnea (not breathing) episodes were so bad, that rather than bring me back for a second study, he hooked me up to a C-PAP (constant positive air pressure) machine. Before the CPAP, I even had a 33 second apnea where I wasn't breathing. I've always snored, and my sister got a CPAP a few months and said it changed her life. I'm hoping I get some of that extra energy when my machine arrives!

I saw my doctor for a physical today. He had all the reports except the lab work. I have to go in next week to do some labs. He's very proud of my 30 pound weight loss since February. He's gave me a prescription for my CPAP machine.