Wednesday 29 March 2017

ECG Test, A&E and Mental Health

So yesterday was eventful to say the least. Started off the day with an ECG and blood test. The blood test was to see if I was Anemic as I had fainted / blacked out a few weeks ago before, which wasn't the first time, but I also kept having dizzy spells. And the ECG because I said I sometimes get chest pains and discomfort, which I anyway put down to panic and anxiety. 

As I went about my day normally, until about 6pm to then get called back by my doctor to go to A&E as my ECG results came back abnormal. 

Not being told much about why and what further tests they needed to do, I went to A&E blind, and quite frankly scared as anything. *Note to self* In future, do not google things, as it doesn't actually help the situation.

So when I arrived at A&E, it suddenly clicked even more so 'wait, this isn't the drop in centre is it, this is actually the accident and EMERGENCY department, so now my anxiety is kicking in full speed. 

Long story short, I had to have another two ECG tests, I had to sit in the waiting area in between being seen with the stickers all over me, looking like some kind of experiment. Turns out my doctor never sent the hospital my first ECG reading, so the hospital didn't actually know what they found that was wrong in the first one. 

This whole time I still had no idea what was happening, and the doctors at first all seemed to be making out like I've just invited myself for a day out. Like when he asked about me fainting, and if I had been drinking, I said one pint (I rarely drink anymore, and when I do it's one drink, maybe two), for some reason he didn't believe this, and looked at me as if because the youth of today like to go out and get smashed, that this is what I had done, and was the reason I blacked out, which to be honest I didn't appreciate and it did tick me off a bit.

By this point, I was convinced I was going to be kept in over night. But after meeting with the doctor for the twelfth time to discuss my 3rd ECG, he says that theres nothing major to worry about - which was relieving news, but there is something odd about my results that isn't quite normal, but nothing to really worry about. I kinda get it, but it's hard to explain.

But so they can see what this little bit is all about, I've been told to do a 24 heart monitoring test to get a clearer look at my heart rate. Which means wearing a little machine thing for 24 hours and going about my day. 

What makes me sad, is that this whole time no one mentioned other pretty natural causes of this, such as anxiety and stress, which is something I've always suffered from. And I really hope that's what it is down to, but every one seems to push aside mental illness - because if you can't see it, it must not be real right? Surely, if they get to the bottom of it and realise that is the case, surely that rings alarm bells to actually take me more seriously, as a human being.

I got let out about 12, but I have never been so relieved to see the outside world, and never been so happy to come home. 

Has anyone else out there had a similar or same experience?

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