For the people that can afford it maybe… If you read Jessica’s last post you have heard about my little chest pain episode last week. It was pretty scary at the time. I was working the front desk at about 3 in the morning and was reading a book to pass the time until the phone rang again and I started getting a pain in my chest that got pretty bad pretty quick. Normally when I get random pains I just grit it out, as Chris Rock would say in his old comedy bit, “Put a little Robitussin on it and it will be fine.” This one was different though, never felt anything like it. I got short of breath, couldn’t breathe, started sweating and got real cold and thought I was going to go down. Normally I don’t let anyone really know when something is wrong but this one had me pretty scared and I had to get up and go find Ryan so I had someone to keep an eye on me for a while. I thought it could be one of those things where I passed out and died and no one came across me for another 2 hours. Then everyone would talk about what a “freak thing it was for someone his age to die from _________ , coulda saved him had someone found him sooner.” Very scary. I ended up finding Ryan and after a while the pain passed. When I got home I told Jessica about it and she of course insisted that I go to the doctor to get it checked out (as I knew she would, which is why I told her). It was scary enough to make someone like me who won’t go to a doctor even if there is a bone sticking out of my leg want to go to the doctor. Since I’m pretty much like a helpless child when it comes to going to the doctor Jessica went and found a family practitioner for me and made me an appointment. Me? I’m not even sure how to go about picking a doctor, how do you choose? I am always afraid that I will pick one out of the phone book to see about a sore knee and it will turn out he is a butt doctor or something. Long story short I really really dislike going to the doctor. I liked the one that Jessica picked though, not that much older than me, he had run in the same races that I had run in and he was a reservist in the National Guard. I got an EKG and a chest X-ray there and there was nothing out of the ordinary other than a calcium thingie in my lung from some debris that got in there and the body tried to surround with stuff since it couldn’t expel it. Not surprising really since I’ve worked some dirty, dusty jobs in the past. Apparently it’s pretty common. He did hear a heart murmur though which was something new. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the doctor and they never heard it so it’s a relatively new development. He didn’t think it was much to worry about but since I had the chest pain and I am a runner he thought it was best to refer me to a specialist to run some additional tests just to be sure there wasn’t a valve problem that would cause me to drop dead while I was exercising.
He referred me to the Nebraska Heart Institute where I waited and waited and waited to see the doctor. I was by far the youngest person there. Most had walkers or wheelchairs. Finally I got in to see the doctor and he too heard the murmur and scheduled me for the treadmill stress test where they put you on a treadmill and wire you all up and then kill you running with a 20 degree incline until you can’t go anymore. They scheduled me for an ultrasound on my heart. I came in for the next appointment and I did the treadmill test and made it 13 minutes which they said was pretty good, most people only make it 6 to 8 minutes. They said anything over 10 minutes and there is a less than 1% chance of a heart issue and then add the normal EKG that was recorded on top of that and it’s even less. After that I went and got the ultrasound done on my heart and that was ruled as pretty much normal other than… I can’t remember but it was extremely minor whatever it was. Finally after about 7 hours waiting around in doctors offices and about 7 minutes total talking to actual doctors the diagnosis was… I’m fine and I have a benign heart murmur. As for the pain in my chest? Turd turned sideways I guess. After getting my bills for all this stuff I’m shocked that anyone can afford to actually have anything wrong with them in this country. I was perfectly fine and it still cost me over a week’s pay out of my pocket and I have good health insurance. It cost more than it it’s going to cost for the doctor to deliver our baby. The health care system in this country is seriously broken, you can only afford to actually be sick if you are independently wealthy. Anyone who says otherwise has never been sick.
The “Steve and Jess Shotgun Wedding/We’re Having a Baby Celebration!” is coming up real quick, only a couple weeks away now. It looks like there is going to be a pretty good turnout. Hopefully everyone has a good time. Jessica even has people coming in from Michigan for it which is a long way to come just for a party. I don’t know if I would be that good of a friend… that’s a long, expensive trip when the actual event (the wedding) is already over. I have to go to Omaha next Saturday to pick up someone that I’ve never met at the airport and she’s going to crash at our house until the party. That should be a super awkward pick up, especially for me since I don’t really that great when it comes to meeting new people. Oh well, It will turn out fine. I need to work on that sort of thing anyway so I can do a better job at it.
The weight loss thing is going really well so far, I’m halfway to my goal and the food tracking has made all the difference in the world. I’ll be glad when I reach my goal and can eat more just to stabilize my weight because sometimes I get pretty hungry. Not as bad as it was when I first started though. I am starting to feel a lot better too, I don’t feel like I’m bloated anymore and I can see some of my top abs again. I haven’t been eating completely healthy all the time or anything, just watching my caloric intake is all. There’s obviously no secret formula to weight loss, take in less than you burn, eat less move more.
You can see when I started tracking my food around the 18th. The graph becomes less erratic and starts a slow downward trend. At this rate I should reach my goal around the first week of August. Nice.
Ha! If you picked ME up at the airport I’d be creeped out! Anyway, glad you’re ok dude, but this makes me worry if maybe I’ve got a lug nut or something stuck in my lung from the days at wheel & tire. Ever think your kid may wanna grow up European? It’ll never know the shitty, shitty feeling of going through the American healthcare system.
I’ll say it again, I’m glad you’re ok! Love you!
Somehow I missed Jessica’s post about all this, but I’m glad to have read all that you went through. I think it’s extremely helpful when people share these experiences; it can educate and prepare you, or let you know you’re not alone. Also helps with the family history.
Yes, I am glad you’re ok too!
And oh yes, I understand the expense too. Bummer.
Or is this all a made up story, just in time for the shotgun wedding party? Will there be a box to put money in?? Ha, ha…just kidding (but good idea).
Take care you kids.
Love,
Kim
Nope, not made up, but there will be a box if anyone feels the urge! This year we will be running a little thin with Jessica’s already limited full time work season cut short and with the new baby every little bit will help! Seriously though we don’t really care about that, it’s not like we are starving or anything, we just hope everyone that comes has a good time. It is a celebration after all!