From: DarkDivah (RaziCichlid)

Date: 3/12/07

I awoke yesterday morning and set into my normal routine. Wake, go pee, make coffee, turn on computer, surf forums, check email, get cup of coffee, back to computer.
 Well there was an exception to the routine yesterday morning, in between get cup of coffee and back to computer there was the little task of setting the clocks ahead. While setting the clocks ahead I feel my heart flutter.

As I’m sitting I notice that I feel a little numb on the left side, in the back of my arm. No biggie, I switch position and it seems to resolve for a bit. I look at the clock and it’s time to get the puppies out of their crates and start the mayhem of the day.
I go downstairs to do that( my room is on the lower level of the house) and I sit on the edge of the bed to put on my socks and the sexy foot brace I have posted about and then the numbness comes on full force, my whole left arm and the left side of my face!

I casually wake my hubby and tell him in my calmest voice that I think I should maybe go to the hospital because this just doesn’t feel right.

He jumps out of bed in full panic mode and I have to ask him to not do that because I am trying to keep me as calm as possible. He apologizes and then goes into quieter panic mode as I finish putting on my socks. I let the foot brace stay on the dresser. I wasn’t going to need it where I was going anyhow.
I stop at the computer for one minute to send a very important email to a very important person and then off I go.

It was nothing…this time… thanks to the Gods.

My blood enzymes were perfect. My cholesterol was perfect, my blood sugars were perfect, my blood pressure was a little high, but in high normal range and they always attribute that to the stress/fear of the situation. My oxygen saturations were at 99 and 100% the whole time I was there. My heartbeat was steady between 66 and 72 depending on whether I was straining to see the monitor or not and whether I was laughing or not. My respirations were deep and consistent (except when I was laughing.) My chest x-ray was clear as a bell as were the x-rays they took of my sinuses to ensure that it wasn’t some sort of sinus related condition seeing as I have allergies and all that jazz.

So what caused the numbness then?

Nerve Compression.

What is causing the nerve compression? The weight of my breasts in relation to how much weight I have lost, especially on my upper body. (See entry about weight loss and things drooping.... Journey Inside the Journey.)
 
Do I feel silly or stupid for rushing to the hospital over nerve compression?
NOT ON YOUR LIFE!

Women too often ignore the symptoms of heart attack and stroke and sadly they often ignore them until they are too late. Heart and stroke conditions run rampant in my immediate family (both maternal and paternal). There was no way in hell I was staying at home because there was no way in hell for me to know what was going on in my body.

I will do it again and again and again as necessary until the whole thing is resolved.

To any and all the ladies out there who might read my blog and take what I have said symptomatically and apply it to them as a reason not to go to the hospital… DON’T DO THAT!

What might only be nerve compression for me might well be heart attack or stroke for you.

I’m GLAD I went in to the ER to be seen. I’m also very thankful that it turned out to be something other than what I feared, but it doesn’t give me or YOU permission to ignore the signs should they ever happen again.



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