One thing about being chronically sick and chronically in pain, is that you learn to live with a wide range of random, weird symptoms...and unless they tend to interrupt your life or require you to do something about it, one tends to dismiss most of what one is experiencing. In addition, due to my cognitive issues, I no longer can tell what is important or not. Rather, what I seem to think/feel is important my caregivers do not and many of the things that I think are of no concern, others find of great concern...so I just never know.
I have been experiencing increasing heart pains, or at least I think that they are heart pains, as well as waves that last about 20-30 minutes of it hurting to breathe. I have always had a healthy heart, low blood pressure, and tend to recover my heart rate well after exertion so I have never given my heart a second thought and have no doubt that the symptoms I am posting here will continue to be dismissed as a non-issue because my numbers, although very high and low to me, do not scream high or low to doctors. Nonetheless, it is something that is becoming more of a problem and is interfering with my day and again, I just don't know what I don't know about heart issues...and well, it is probably just something relatively stupid and super easy to solve.
Lately, the random "hurting to breathe" episodes feel like they are taking a toll on me...leaving me feeling worn out afterwards. And today, I felt poorly even before they started. It is hard (for me) to define this feeling poorly from the others...the only difference I can see is that my awareness does not diminish with this feeling poorly. As well, I have been experiencing a feeling that is like heartburn but is not heartburn (no acid reflux, nothing in stomach, just same type of pain) as well as a subtle pain in my left arm. Otherwise, I just don't feel well...suddenly tired, worn out, like i need to sit down/lay down/sleep/rest, and feel like it is an effort to breathe (although not like asthma). Again, I tend to dismiss this since I feel like this most of the time anyways. However, since I have been taking my O2 and BP readings, I thought to see if that would shed any light.
My pulse rate was in the 170s when it first started reading and then came down to the 160s and it stayed up there for a while. I couldn't get the camera on fast enough to catch the picture, having forgotten to turn it on first...and sorry for the shaking. My normal heart rate is in the 60's, 70's, and maaaaybe 80's, I had never seen it this high and even during challenges at fitness clubs (although I have trouble remembering now), seems to me it had been a challenge to get it up to 125. That said, I did not recognize this as an issue or a problem, although standing, not feeling well, I sat down. The second reading was taken when I was sitting down.
This was my blood pressure sitting down at 5 and 10 minutes after the initial oximeter reading. Still not feeling well, and feeling like I needed to sleep, I went and laid down as I often do waiting for these times to pass.
These were taken laying down at 15 and 20 minutes from the original oximeter reading, thankfully my heart rate had come down...although, I did not feel any better and I think I dozed off in shear exhaustion (I had not meant to).
The feeling kept coming and going all day...it was similar enough to the way I have been feeling for the last two weeks at least, but worse today. Again, I was disreagrding it because in a way it feels like what I thought was the "herx" reaction from Lyme treatment...where you feel tired and achy, like you have a bad flu (only you don't have the flu), which is exactly what I felt like today...really tired and run down (far more so than usual) and just thought the Japanese Knotweed that I had begun taking must be working. Anyways, because of the weird reading earlier in the day, I thought to check periodically...and these were the readings...both while standing...both while feeling very average for the day (in other words, not extra bad or extra good).
And so, for reference, here are two readings taken previously to show my typical high and low...all except the heart rate which have been elevated lately.
And this one is a more normal reading for me...this was taken laying down. Before being sick, my normal BP was 90/60...since being sick it has been 115/70...and again, my heart rate normally 60's, 70's and sometimes 80's.
So I know that Lyme is rumored to attack the heart...and although my overall health has deteriorated and my muscles have atrophied and I have very little stamina, I have been doing physical therapy regularly at the Courage Center which is the only thing that gives me any cause for concern over the new/sudden decline in my heart's ability to keep up. I am also on the two new antibiotics and have been experiencing a lot more new and difficult symptoms. My ability to understand this, due to my cognition being shot, is close to nil...so, for what it's worth.
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