Very Scary Day

Things never turn out the way you expect them to. Ever. I expected to have a great time spending time with my husband's family this week. They've been staying with us since Friday night - his brother Jason, his wife Kim and their four amazing kids. Kevin's other brother Matt, his wife Tricia and their twins are also here from Madison. It is a huge blessing to see my husband with his brothers again. And watching my kids interact with their cousins is something I could never put a price on.

Unfortunately I would get sick!! We spent the entire day in the city on Saturday and on the way back I noticed I was feeling very run down and my throat was a little scratchy. I figured I was just tired and it was from being out on the boat tour. But, by morning it was clear something more was going on. I waited it out until Monday morning until which I promptly drove myself to the walk in care for a throat swab. I was sure it was strep. Once I got their they noticed my heart rate was very elevated and wanted to check into that further by having me lay down, check it and then sit up and check it. We didn't even get that far. I passed out on the table and when I came to they were hooking me up to a heart monitor and giving me drugs to slow my heart rate down. I guess it was up towards 200? The second shot of the drug didn't work so they got some EMTs to transfer me via ambulance to Rush Hospital. I thought I was going to die. I told the people to please not let me die because I had an amazing husband and three beautiful children who needed me. They took really good care of me. It was absolutely surreal. I am 30. I am a healthy person. I have NEVER had anything like this happen to me in my entire life.

The EMT warned me that if my heart rate didn't come down they would need to shock me with the paddles. So they had me try some vagal manuevers like blowing into a straw in the ambulance (while we were waiting for a GOD DAMNED train on Ogden) and they helped thank the lord. I was able to get my rate back down in the 140s-150s by the time we reached the hospital.

I stayed at Rush where they did some more basic testing to find the cause of this illness, heart failure - no strep, no swine flu or any flu or any other signs of anything besides a fever and they fact that I was in bad shape. I had an elevated blood sugar of 167, but nothing else. My heart rate went back into the 130s where they felt comfortable discharging me with orders to see a cardiologist at the heart center the next day (this morning.).........

So here I sit killing time until I head over to see a cardiologist to see what they heck is wrong with me. The theory of the ER doc was that some type of infection had spead to my sac around my heart and was causing the distress. Hopefully it's easily remedied and I can get back to feeling normal soon. I see my family practice doctor this afternoon as well for thyroid tests and other blood work to see if illness is an underlying cause. I am trying to stay calm, but this caught me out of nowhere. Please keep me and my family in your thoughts and prayers that they would be able to find and treat whatever is causing this. I will update as soon as I know something else!!!