Still Unhappy Camper, but Better

The problem with a mini-heart like my father had (often called a 'warning' heart attack) is that it can be dangerous beyond just the discomfort and anxiety one is experiencing. It can damage your brain, your heart, neurological system and other organs in your body. This can literally take years off your life and imperil your overall health down the road. Nothing to roll the dice on, IMO. Rule it out and you can breathe easy on at least that one regard.

I'm concerned. Madalot hasn't posted since 11:29 am Mountain time.

Hopefully she took our advice and went for help.

Because everything has been about the same, I decided to wait until my regular appointment tomorrow. I've just been resting today. I'll let you know tomorrow what he says. I know it's risky to wait, but I still believe this is probably muscular.

Thought I would chime in here...you know one stubborn person to another.
Remember my eye floater issues a couple of years ago?? I chose to wait also... despite everyone here wanting to send me an ambulance. Everything turned out just fine just like I suspected it would. While I would be more concerned about your type of pain than a little floater in the eye....I understand where you are coming from and since I imagine you are probably just as stubborn as I am ...I don't like it.... but I will hold your hand through the computer since I can't be there with you.

But if you weren't going to the doctor tomorrow...I would be over at your house kicking your butt for sure.
I found your address (from long ago when I sent you something I guess) the other day when I was looking for hubby's birth certificate (never found it, damn) and I know where you live. I will come kick your butt if you don't take proper care of yourself.

So from one stubborn old fool to another stubborn "younger than me" old fool... I understand...I don't like it but I understand.
So will just send you a big hug for now.........and go check flights to the East coast...just in case I need to kick some butt.

Several BIG HUGS...sent through cyberspace...on their way to you.

Appointment at 10:15 tomorrow. I promise.

Madalot wrote:Appointment at 10:15 tomorrow. I promise.

Thanks for letting us know. As you can tell, we don't want to see anything bad happen to you. Hope all works out well tomorrow. Keep us updated. Thanks again.

idamtnboy wrote:

Madalot wrote:Appointment at 10:15 tomorrow. I promise.

Thanks for letting us know. As you can tell, we don't want to see anything bad happen to you. Hope all works out well tomorrow. Keep us updated. Thanks again.

I appreciate all the input I'm getting, even though some of it has scared the "you know what" out of me.

Still in pain this morning. I managed to sleep a little better despite it, but it still hurts like an SOB. This is day 9 of this and it is really wearing on me.

I DID talk to my Neuro's office yesterday and *IF* it's muscular and my PCP wants to give muscle relaxants, I CAN take them, but need to use the minimum amount possible and be aware of the possible issues from side effects. The doctor was kind of funny saying that I probably shouldn't drive (which I don't any more anyway) but then he told me to be careful climbing trees...

I'll let you all know what's up after my appointment.

IF this turns out to be a muscle issue, you might try accupuncture before muscle relaxants - I've had great results with it.

Just got home. Got to the appointment early and they took us early.

My doctor agrees it's muscles with neuropathy. He poked, prodded, checked (no rash so it's not shingles). He said there's no doubt the muscles are very aggravated causing the pain. I asked if he was pretty sure there was no cardiac involvement and he said that he was pretty certain.

He gave me a steroid shot and a prescription for muscle relaxants (hubby will pick them up later this afternoon).

Since I already have my yearly MDA checkup on Friday, we'll see how I'm feeling and obviously discuss it at that time. We'll probably discuss increasing my gabapentin to compensate for some of this pain/neuropathy. He said the dose I'm on now (1200-1500mg a day) is a "baby" dose and has a lot of room to be increased. But we'll let the Neurologist decide on that Friday.

With neuromuscular diseases, strained/pulled muscles take a lot longer to heal. Another fun-filled problem in the world dealing with a neuromuscular disease.

So now I still feel like crap (and hurt like an SOB) but at least I'm not scared or worried about keeling over.

Maybe the muscle relaxant will help me get some SLEEP. The last two nights have been brutal in that department.

Madalot wrote:My doctor agrees it's muscles with neuropathy. He poked, prodded, checked (no rash so it's not shingles). He said there's no doubt the muscles are very aggravated causing the pain. I asked if he was pretty sure there was no cardiac involvement and he said that he was pretty certain.

He was able to rule out other inflammatory issues without tests or imaging? Are you comfortable with that?

The reason I brought up the other inflammatory issues previously is because they are not at all uncommon for individuals suffering from auto-immune or connective tissue disorders. Again, just a remote possibility to rule out.. My Mom has connective tissue disorder, RA, Lupus etc. so I have seen it before.

Could even be a back / spine issue affecting the chest wall...

Snippet from a google search concerning Lupus:

"Well, your chest pain may be caused by something known as costochondritis, also known as Tietze's syndrome. Like those other -itis conditions which lupus patients have come to know and love (like pleuritis and pericarditis), costochondritis refers to an inflammation of one of the body's connective tissues-in this case, of the costal cartilage, which connects the ribs to the sternum."

jdr999 wrote:

Madalot wrote:My doctor agrees it's muscles with neuropathy. He poked, prodded, checked (no rash so it's not shingles). He said there's no doubt the muscles are very aggravated causing the pain. I asked if he was pretty sure there was no cardiac involvement and he said that he was pretty certain.

He was able to rule out other inflammatory issues without tests or imaging? Are you comfortable with that?

The reason I brought up the other inflammatory issues previously is because they are not at all uncommon for individuals suffering from auto-immune or connective tissue disorders. Again, just a remote possibility to rule out.. My Mom has connective tissue disorder, RA, Lupus etc. so I have seen it before.

Could even be a back / spine issue affecting the chest wall...

Snippet from a google search concerning Lupus:

"Well, your chest pain may be caused by something known as costochondritis, also known as Tietze's syndrome. Like those other -itis conditions which lupus patients have come to know and love (like pleuritis and pericarditis), costochondritis refers to an inflammation of one of the body's connective tissues-in this case, of the costal cartilage, which connects the ribs to the sternum."

Well, am I totally okay with this? No. I agree with what you're saying. What I find, a lot, is that they do what he's doing FIRST if they think they can. I'm also going to my Neurologist in a couple days who is at a major university hospital. I would think (hope??) that they might take it further if they think it's necessary. I know they'll look at this pretty closely since it definitely relates to my issues that they watch.

I plan to see if the injection and muscle relaxants help. Give it a couple days to see.

Obviously if things worsen, *I'll* have to escalate what we do.

I always find it to be such as shame when people are afraid to go to the ER because of the expense. So many people task risks and delay getting checked out and receiving the appropriate care because they typically don't want to pay the high co-pay

Just to be clear, cost has no bearing whatsoever on my decision not to go to the emergency room. I don't like using the emergency room unless I am absolutely, 100 percent positive that I need to be there. I can afford my co pays and if I know that it is an emergency, I will go.

A few years ago, when my gallbladder was in danger of blowing up, I had no problem whatsoever having my husband take me to the emergency room. Probably saved my life. But I knew at that time that it was an emergency. So I went.

Should my doctor have done more today? Maybe so. But we have to remember that I am disabled and on Medicare. With Medicare reimbursements being what they are, its not unexpected to have doctors do the minimum they feel they can get away with and see if it works out okay. But to give my doctor a break, he knows that I know how I feel better than anyone and he trusts me, I think, to push harder if I think I need more in the way of care. But I've said from the beginning that I felt it was a muscle problem. Checking in with him today made me feel a little better because based on what he saw and felt he agrees it's a muscle problem.

I think many of us have to accept that we're not going to get top of the line care if the doctors are reasonably certain, based on what they see, hear, and feel they can get by on doing the minimum. It's a sign of the times.

But in my specific situation, worrying about copays was not an issue.

My concern for you is that I am myself a year ago had pain in my chest. I went to the doctor 2 times, he took the EKG and blood tests, sent me home afterwards. I went for 3 weeks with pain, then I went into the emergency room. I had an ongoing heart attack, got put in the stent directly the same day. I feel good now.