Hitch hiker
New member
Let me spare some of you some time upfront with a big fat TL;DR.
Sooooo, it's been years since I went to the gynecologist (don't worry, just a regular checkup no girly talk here) so I finally broke down and went. While there he asked if there were any issues I had, I was fairly liberal at listing them so he did an exam and bloodwork on me and sent me on my way. After the results he decided I just needed estrogen to fix my hormone levels and prescribed them (aka birth control pills). I began taking them and within 4 days I began to have weird side effects, one of which was chest heaviness, dizziness and shortness of breath. I called my gyn and he told me to quit the pills and go to my regular doc or the ER.
Wonderful. So I call my regular doc and of course he's gone for the day and the office staff told me (after hearing my problems) I needed to go to the ER. I really REALLY didn't want to so I called the acute care place here to see if I went with these symptoms would they be able to help. They told me to go to the ER... so I finally did.
That's where the fun began. I walked in fully expecting to be in the waiting area for hours. I filled out the forms of what my complaints were and a brief family history. I get called back in 5 minutes for my vitals to be taken and more questions. They asked if anyone in my family had ever had heart disease or heart attacks prior to the age of 50. I answered, "yes, my father". The next words spoken were those of the nurse to the techs in the back which were, "we need a bed now".
Sooooo, now before I know it I'm in a gown laid out on my back with numerous leads attached to my chest, belly and sides with an oxygen tube up my nose (well under it but it was far enough up it to cause me to be terribly uncomfortable). I get an immediate EKG done with good results. Great, I'm thinking it's probably some weird side effect from the pills and I can go home but NOPE. The doctor (resident I think) came in to tell me because of the family history they were going to treat me as high risk and keep me for two more ekgs and blood work over night. I couldn't believe it!
So before I know it, I'm in the Cardiac Decision Unit (CDU) still strapped to the monitor and O2 tank for the rest of the night. In the morning they discharged me because they found nothing EXCEPT my triglyceride level was 732... it should be in the 100-200 levels. NOW, before anyone starts preaching carbs/diets, etc... let me let you know that I count every carb, starch, sugar, morsel of potential sweetness that crosses my lips because my mother is diabetic and I've had gestational diabetes twice. I know the dangers and the ways to avoid them. Apparently this "intolerance" I have is the same thing my uncle had 15 years ago before he died (he didn't die from it). His level was close to 800 back then. BUT, because my father had a heart attack and surgery at 45 (he was a HEAVY drinker - 6 pack/day for the past 25+years and -at that time- a heavy smoker for the past 35 years- yeah he started young) lumped with the triglyceride issue I'm considered to be at high risk.
I saw a cardiologist today mainly to get set up with him as a new patient and he now has me scheduled for a 5 hour stress test and ECG for next Wednesday... to rule out any cardio "event". He told me until then to avoid ANY starchy, sugary, sweet foods and to take a baby Aspirin every day and gave me a prescription for nitroglycerin in case I have any more chest pain that doesn't go away when I lay down... fucking Nitro!! I'm too young for this shit!
Yay...
Sooooo, it's been years since I went to the gynecologist (don't worry, just a regular checkup no girly talk here) so I finally broke down and went. While there he asked if there were any issues I had, I was fairly liberal at listing them so he did an exam and bloodwork on me and sent me on my way. After the results he decided I just needed estrogen to fix my hormone levels and prescribed them (aka birth control pills). I began taking them and within 4 days I began to have weird side effects, one of which was chest heaviness, dizziness and shortness of breath. I called my gyn and he told me to quit the pills and go to my regular doc or the ER.
Wonderful. So I call my regular doc and of course he's gone for the day and the office staff told me (after hearing my problems) I needed to go to the ER. I really REALLY didn't want to so I called the acute care place here to see if I went with these symptoms would they be able to help. They told me to go to the ER... so I finally did.
That's where the fun began. I walked in fully expecting to be in the waiting area for hours. I filled out the forms of what my complaints were and a brief family history. I get called back in 5 minutes for my vitals to be taken and more questions. They asked if anyone in my family had ever had heart disease or heart attacks prior to the age of 50. I answered, "yes, my father". The next words spoken were those of the nurse to the techs in the back which were, "we need a bed now".
Sooooo, now before I know it I'm in a gown laid out on my back with numerous leads attached to my chest, belly and sides with an oxygen tube up my nose (well under it but it was far enough up it to cause me to be terribly uncomfortable). I get an immediate EKG done with good results. Great, I'm thinking it's probably some weird side effect from the pills and I can go home but NOPE. The doctor (resident I think) came in to tell me because of the family history they were going to treat me as high risk and keep me for two more ekgs and blood work over night. I couldn't believe it!
So before I know it, I'm in the Cardiac Decision Unit (CDU) still strapped to the monitor and O2 tank for the rest of the night. In the morning they discharged me because they found nothing EXCEPT my triglyceride level was 732... it should be in the 100-200 levels. NOW, before anyone starts preaching carbs/diets, etc... let me let you know that I count every carb, starch, sugar, morsel of potential sweetness that crosses my lips because my mother is diabetic and I've had gestational diabetes twice. I know the dangers and the ways to avoid them. Apparently this "intolerance" I have is the same thing my uncle had 15 years ago before he died (he didn't die from it). His level was close to 800 back then. BUT, because my father had a heart attack and surgery at 45 (he was a HEAVY drinker - 6 pack/day for the past 25+years and -at that time- a heavy smoker for the past 35 years- yeah he started young) lumped with the triglyceride issue I'm considered to be at high risk.
I saw a cardiologist today mainly to get set up with him as a new patient and he now has me scheduled for a 5 hour stress test and ECG for next Wednesday... to rule out any cardio "event". He told me until then to avoid ANY starchy, sugary, sweet foods and to take a baby Aspirin every day and gave me a prescription for nitroglycerin in case I have any more chest pain that doesn't go away when I lay down... fucking Nitro!! I'm too young for this shit!
Yay...
