• Zurf
  • Zurf
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  • From: Virginia, USA
  • Registered: 2007-06-27
  • Posts: 7,522

Topic: If it's not one thing, it's another.

So Saturday night I was out to a movie with my wife, looking forward to a dinner without the children, when I started feeling bad pain in my chest.  I thought it was an allergic reaction to a hot dog because I am allergic to soy and some makers use soy as a filler. 

So I get to feeling worse and worse over the course of the day Sunday, and by the afternoon I can't stand up straight, I'm weak, I'm sweating heavily from extremely mild exertion, and it's time to call the doctor.  I do.  She says to go to the Emergency Room.  I do.  They think I'm having a heart attack.  I'm not.  The heart attack meds don't help at all.  They gave me morphine (which in addition to treating pain also reduces inflammation) and a heavy duty inflammation reducer - ahhhhhh.  That's relief. 

They admit me anyway because I had pretty much all the classic heart attack symptoms, except dieing of course.  No heart attack.  Confirmed three different ways.  I stayed overnight in the hospital and awoke Monday feeling ready to go on a hike or a good paddle on the river or something.  The cardiologist wanted to do a stress test, but was going to do a chemical one and I told him to forget it, I was ready for the treadmill.  So we did the treadmill.  I'm more fit than I was six years ago the last time I had an intensive treadmill stress test.  No pain at all.  No shortness of breath.  My legs got tired and my heart rate was high, but I was still able to carry on a conversation breathing wise.  Piece of cake. 

So, no one can figure it out.  Why was I incapacitated Sunday afternoon, and the next afternoon I'm running on a treadmill feeling great?  Wish I knew. 

If it's not one thing, it's another. 

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude
  • KajiMa
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  • From: Glastonbury
  • Registered: 2009-03-24
  • Posts: 608

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Ha Zurf soaz!

No answers, just glad you're all right mate and still with us!

Gans pup bollonjeth oll da!

<-----<< On an even field, only talent prevails! >>----->
   Gans Gwarak da yn dorn yu lel, gwyr lowen an golon!
        >>-----> [color=#FF0000]Rudhes[/color] hag [color=yellow]Owres[/color], Kajima <-----<<
  • From: Queensland Australia
  • Registered: 2007-05-07
  • Posts: 232

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Hello Zurf,  these symptoms are typical of either missing out on your daily dose of strumming, or, you have reached puberty.
                                            Dr. Bushy.

Seriously though, take care of yourself, I enjoy your lightheartedness on chordie
All the best

Not one drop of my self worth depends on your acceptance of me.
"Quincy Jones"
  • From: Madeira Beach, Florida
  • Registered: 2007-12-05
  • Posts: 3,312

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Stress? Did that B chord finally get to you in a very bad way? In all seriousness, I've had a couple bouts with short term, but violent illnesses for unknown reasons and the only thing I could think of is that they came at particularly stressful times.

Glad you're OK.

Rule No. 1 - If it sounds good - it is good!
  • From: Tooele Ut
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 4,049

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

That's an easy one, Zurf.  You were so excited being out with your wife that your heartrate increased.  Admit it, she was looking good that day.  Seriously, I hope you are alright.  hang in there, bud.  There are lots of unusual aches and pains as we get older.

You can see all my video covers on [url]http://www.youtube.com/bensonp1000[/url]
I have finally found happiness in my life.  Guitars, singing, beer and camping.  And they all intertwine wonderfully.
  • From: A black hole in deep space
  • Registered: 2007-10-28
  • Posts: 7,865

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Zurf sorry to hear of your episode hope there's no repeat performance but you did the right thing having it checked when something like that occurs its best to treat it as serious till tests prove otherwise glad your feeling better smile

"Growing old is not for sissies"

Russell_Harding's Website

7 Reply by NELA (edited by NELA 2009-09-01 23:19:29)

  • NELA
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  • From: West Monroe, La. 71292
  • Registered: 2007-11-28
  • Posts: 1,303

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Be very carefull, Zurf. These thing can slip up and bite you right on the arse. Something was causing these symptoms and you need to find out what is wrong. Complete physical covering hemmoroids to tonsils would be in order. Just make sure the doctor use's a different hand to check the different parts.

I speak from experience - I was having several early warning symptoms going on that were misdiagnoised for at least 2 months prior to my having a heart attack in May. We all think we are so big and strong and this will never happen to us but it does. Get yourself checked out and be safe!

Nela

NELA's Website

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-03-29
  • Posts: 953

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Hi Zurf,

   I'm glad your ok and feeling better. The same thing happened to my beautiful wife sometime back, she has fibromyalgia "hope thats spelled close enough" but she was feeling fine when all of a sudden she atarted having bad chest pains, I took her to the local hospital, they said she was not having a heart attack, even though they gave her the nitro-glycerine pills and everything, but they didn't give her a thorough exam, so I took her up towards Topdowns neck of the woods to Wake Forest Babtist Medical Center, they ran her through the mill, checked out everything, in the end, they were sure that her Fibromyalgia caused her to feel as if she a had a heart attack. So I'm just wondering if you had ever been checked for that, just a thought. Hoping you stay healthy, we'd all miss you here!

Cam

Keep a fire burning in your eyes
Pay attention to the open sky
You never know what will be coming down
  • From: Adelaide , Australia
  • Registered: 2006-06-04
  • Posts: 129

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Hey Zurf , had almost exact thing happen to me , was in absolute agony but felt a million bucks at the same time ...still a mystery...but as you say if its not one thing its another ..been having pain in my right arm for some time , thought it was too much guitar playing , turns out it a bulged disc in my C7 vertabrae in my neck crushing the electrical wires into my right arm , so major surgery , here I come . Bloody hell..I just couldnt believe it when they told me... what else can happen??? !!!

Zurf wrote:

So Saturday night I was out to a movie with my wife, looking forward to a dinner without the children, when I started feeling bad pain in my chest.  I thought it was an allergic reaction to a hot dog because I am allergic to soy and some makers use soy as a filler. 

So I get to feeling worse and worse over the course of the day Sunday, and by the afternoon I can't stand up straight, I'm weak, I'm sweating heavily from extremely mild exertion, and it's time to call the doctor.  I do.  She says to go to the Emergency Room.  I do.  They think I'm having a heart attack.  I'm not.  The heart attack meds don't help at all.  They gave me morphine (which in addition to treating pain also reduces inflammation) and a heavy duty inflammation reducer - ahhhhhh.  That's relief. 

They admit me anyway because I had pretty much all the classic heart attack symptoms, except dieing of course.  No heart attack.  Confirmed three different ways.  I stayed overnight in the hospital and awoke Monday feeling ready to go on a hike or a good paddle on the river or something.  The cardiologist wanted to do a stress test, but was going to do a chemical one and I told him to forget it, I was ready for the treadmill.  So we did the treadmill.  I'm more fit than I was six years ago the last time I had an intensive treadmill stress test.  No pain at all.  No shortness of breath.  My legs got tired and my heart rate was high, but I was still able to carry on a conversation breathing wise.  Piece of cake. 

So, no one can figure it out.  Why was I incapacitated Sunday afternoon, and the next afternoon I'm running on a treadmill feeling great?  Wish I knew. 

If it's not one thing, it's another. 

- Zurf

A five yr old could understand this. Somebody fetch a five yr old !
Groucho Marx
  • Registered: 2007-03-24
  • Posts: 1,108

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

That's some scary stuff. I'm sure you'll be careful but it's very disheartening. Kudos to you for not ignoring it. Stay with it I'm sure they'll figure it out. Keep smiling and strumming!!

I used to be disgusted; now I try to be amused.
Elvis Costello

11 Reply by klbrackin (edited by klbrackin 2009-09-02 02:44:22)

  • From: PA
  • Registered: 2007-08-13
  • Posts: 26

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Hey Ray, you shouldn't ask "what else can happen?",  you might find out!  You need to take it day-by-day and bug the Doctors until they figure it out.  (At least as long as the insurance holds out.)  We went through something like this after my wife had complications from gastric bypass surgery.  Now, we have a great-grand daughter who was born with a tumor in her arm and abnormalities to some blood vessels.  It's tough when no one seems to have the answers. 

Kurt Brackin

Dear Lord, I'm not what I should be,
not what I want to be and not what I'm
going to be.  But, thank God I'm not what
I used to be.

Sometimes you have to burn a few bridges
to keep the crazies from following you.
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Glad you're well and able to tell us of your scarry experience. As others have previously mentioned, stress can do some freaky stuff to the body and/or brain. Anytime you need to get something off of your chest( no pun intended) you have lots of folks here on chordie who'll lend you a friendly ear.

Peace and Guitars,
SouthPaw41L

Give everything but up.
  • From: Wales
  • Registered: 2009-01-09
  • Posts: 220

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Regardless of how good you feel now, just take it easy for a bit! 

Try and get the sympathy vote from your better half and she may pop down that shop and pick up the 12 string you've been wanting for ages ;?)

Epiphone EJ200  -  Epiphone SG400  -  Fender Strat Blacktop.
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14 Reply by RestlessSpirit (edited by RestlessSpirit 2009-09-02 09:30:25)

  • Registered: 2009-07-14
  • Posts: 19

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Great news that there was no heart attack, though the worrying question remains.  I don't really know too much about it but if you're following it up or if it happens again, I understand that it's worth checking the status of your platelets which are indicators of risk.  Good luck with working the system and in the meantime keep up with the garlic!

  • From: Cardiff, Wales, UK
  • Registered: 2008-08-25
  • Posts: 182

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Look after yourself, Zurf. It happened to me too but I was not so lucky. It was my heart. That was 7 years ago and, fortunately, I've made full recovery.
Keep eating the garlic as as Restless Spirit says (but keep away from Mrs Zurf for while after!)
Also, eat lots of fish oil and drink plenty of green (China) tea.
It works wonders for me.
The fish oil is good for the joints too. Get them fingers working on the B-cord - no trouble.

  • From: Georgia
  • Registered: 2007-07-09
  • Posts: 381

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Zurf 'm glad to hear you're okay but not to hear that you had the problem to begin with. Just keep the faith that our creator will keep watch over you and be wise to follow up with another doctor because ER doctors have a hard time making the correct diagnosis sometimes. God bless and good health to you.

  • From: Belfast
  • Registered: 2009-03-31
  • Posts: 330

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Glad to hear you're fightin' fit.

It's probably come back for having run a thread on the health service the other week. The only way to avoid big brother is to sit in the corner playing your guitar and wearing a tin foil hat.

"Don't play what's there, play what's not there." Miles Davis

StranSongs's Website

  • From: Scotland
  • Registered: 2009-08-30
  • Posts: 9

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Hi there Zurf, i'm kinda new here and was just surfing around the forum when i noticed your post.
So thought i'd slide in with a few words.Glad to hear you are feeling better, it can be real scary when 'stuff like that happens.I'm reading between the lines here, from what i can see this or something similar has happened to you before?..I have suffered from fibromyalgia for several years now, which simply put is an inflammation in the fibres of the muscles, and from time to time no reason or explanation ( although stress can be a factor),
this inflammation goes into the ribcage (Costochondritis) oooh all these big words!! causing extreme pain/sweating on any exertion at all.It was interesting that you mentioned Morphine giving you relief and reducing inflammation, whilst the other Medz did'nt help at all. I am not for one second suggesting that this could be what was the matter, but it just sounded a little familiar..Please do get youself a thorough check up, if nothing else mibbe put your mind at ease a little, don't take no for an answer--- you can always threaten them with a bucketful of 'B'
chords :-)

Take care~ MMsippy

A bird doesn't sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.

Maya Angelou~
  • Zurf
  • Zurf
  • Blunt but well meaning moderator
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  • From: Virginia, USA
  • Registered: 2007-06-27
  • Posts: 7,522

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Well, just back from the follow-up exam with my general practitioner.  It may be gastro-intestinal.  We're going to try a medicine to see if it helps.  After a month, if it doesn't help, it's yet another stinking endoscopy.  He considered doing an endoscopy, but I've had it up to here (hand raised really, really high) with endoscopies.  So we're trying a less invasive and less painful route. 

As far as blood work: done, done, and done.  They drew enough blood I accused them of using me as a donor for a covert transfusion.  Not this, that, or the other where blood is concerned. 

So, I've been under a ton of stress lately and expect that the stress is making my GI problems shoot into overdrive.  You know it's crazy in your home when the hospital seems like a nice restful, quiet place.  I slept like a log, in between blood draws and vital statistics checks, and medicine distribution. 

I thank you all for your well wishes and good thoughts.  However, my room mate got some bad news while I was there.  Anyone who is of a mind for prayer I'd ask you to pray for Zurf's room-mate's help.  The Lord will know what that means.  It's not right for me to give out his name or personal information and so I won't, but I can say that he is in need of prayer.  Rest on the promise that the Lord knows what you mean even when you pray only in groans too deep for words. 

- Zurf

Granted B chord amnesty by King of the Mutants (Long live the king).
If it comes from the heart and you add a few beers... it'll be awesome! - Mekidsmom
When in doubt ... hats. - B.G. Dude
  • From: Grimsby, UK
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 604

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Glad ur ok mate, thought it sounded a bit gastro intestinal!  Have a free B chord on me cool

I'm the son of rage and love
  • Registered: 2006-03-04
  • Posts: 2,662

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Zurf wrote:

You know it's crazy in your home when the hospital seems like a nice restful, quiet place.  I slept like a log, in between blood draws and vital statistics checks, and medicine distribution. 

- Zurf

Maybe the morphine you spoke of yesterday has had a little something to do with your restful stay in the hospital. All the best the you and your roomate. Get well soon and come back to us in great health and spirits. We have some healthy debates to resume in the near future.( haha) Seriously, all the best Zurf, get well soon.

Peace and Guitars,
SouthPaw41L

Give everything but up.
  • KAP54
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  • From: London Ontario Canada
  • Registered: 2008-06-04
  • Posts: 1,746

Re: If it's not one thing, it's another.

Glad to hear that you checked out OK and not checked out Zurf. Being a human pin cushion can't be a lot of fun but sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Don't quit looking till you have the answers needed.

Sorry to hear about your room mate.

Positive thoughts heading your way. big_smile

Kenny

Just Keepin on Keepin on
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