Tuesday, June 05, 2007

The Last Beat of my Heart

We are at the ER, and once again the nurse comes in and pokes with a needle, drawing blood for yet more blood tests. We are hoping that this time it will tell us what we need to know.

Oh, did I mention that this blood draw was not for Vampboy? Nope -- it was for me.

Friday was a relatively "normal" day. Vampboy was delayed in his treatment, which meant that a weekend of shuttling back and forth to Boston was put off (good news), but the delay meant adding another week to the treatment calendar (bad news). I was enjoying a day at my office, trying in vain to get ahead of the seeming endless pile of paperwork, good ideas and "to-dos". I was in the process of creating the 4th draft of an agenda for an upcoming training, when I noticed a slight pain in my chest. Having asthma, it's not unusual for me to feel some tightness now and again, so I didn't think much of it at first.

In fact, I continued on with my routine, which included a trip to the gym for a little cardio workout. The pain came and went, never getting worse, for the next half and hour. When it continued to stick around, I decided it was time to get it checked -- after all, I have a family history of high cholesterol and cadiac issues (thanks, dad!). A quick call to the on-call nurse, and shortly after Vampmommy was taking me in for what became my first stay in a hospital as a patient since my own birth.

I hadn't even been moved from the ER to the floor before the pain suddenly stopped. Various blood draws and some time running up a treadmill under doctor supervision later, it was determined that whatever it was, a cardiac incident it was not.

Perhaps stress? Thai food I had for lunch? Either way, it was nice to know that it wasn't "the big one", and I was discharged Saturday morning with enough time to join Vampboy at his friend's birthday party (complete with adult-size bouncy house). I'll be visiting my doctor shortly to follow up, but a few days out and all is back to "normal" -- including Vampboy starting his next chemo round yesterday.

Perhaps I wasn't clear to the cosmos when Vampboy first got sick -- no one is aloud to get sick or die while Vampboy is in treatment. That includes me.

Am I clear?

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I think the entire Vampfamily has paid its medical dues for...forever. I'm glad this was nothing serious but know that the mystery and anxiety about such incidents isn't fun. I hope they find out what it is soon and it is something like...the effects of bad tuna fish.

Papa Bradstein said...

Crikey, you almost stopped my heart with that post. I think I stopped breathing for a moment there. Good news all around. Perhaps the cosmos could join you in a sing-along.

Anonymous said...

Wow, as if you guys didn't have enough to deal with. I'm so glad it was not cardiac-related. Take care.

Angela

Anonymous said...

You and me both, my friend. We're too young for this shit. Glad to hear that it's not cardiac-related. Must be all the stress. Let me know if they find out what it was. Maybe we have the same thing?

Lainey-Paney said...

Well....no offense but at least it was you & not VampBoy. (is that horrible of me to say???)
And...at least you're in no severe pain or acute emergency.

Glad you're home.
Sorry you had to go to the ER.
Glad you're feeling better.

And, shame on you for worrying VampMommy like that. (as if it were your fault...)

:)

Denver Dad said...

Feel better, Vampdaddy! Seriously.