I spoke to a few people at work and decided to go a a highly recommended asthma doctor here in town. After all the tests, he looked at me with a concerned look and said, "There's definitely something wrong, but it's definitely not asthma." He wanted me to go to see an ENT doctor because my "throat was a little red" and have a cardiac echo done. First was the ENT, who did a scope down my nose, down my throat to look at my vocal cords. Most of they time they use Lidocaine to numb and for a pain reliever, but because I'm allergic to Novocaine, he said "we just won't use it." WHAT??? Well, stupid me, thinking that the Dr. knew what he was talking about, I figured it would be ok without. I asked, "Does it hurt?" His response, "Well it's not a procedure 
I'd ask my doctor to do, but everyone tells me it's not as bad as they thought it'd be." I pulled up my big girl panties and pretended to be tough. I couldn't pretend for long. You know when you bump your nose and your eyes immediately water??? Well, mine were pouring tears faster than Niagara Falls...which continued up to a half hour after I left the doctors office. As many of you know...my nose was broken when I was a wee lil thing...leaving it crooked. Try to put a scope down a crooked nose - no I take that back, DON'T! Instead of realizing it wouldn't go down one nostril, he tried to push a lil harder....oh my gosh, I thought I had experienced pain before...ah, no, this is real pain: jamming a lil metal flashlight camera thing directly into the already sensitive cartilage of your nose. "Ooops won't go down that one, let's put it down the other one again," was his only response...not a sorry, nothing. So, the third time he stuck that scope in my nose, he finally used it. Afterwards he asks me "So was it as bad as you thought it'd be?" (With tears still running down my face mind you) All I could muster our was a very agitated and annoyed "...Yah." Then he tells me he THINKS I MAY have vocal cord dysfunction and the only way to fix it is speech therapy, but that doesn't cause chest pain. He wanted to schedule me for therapy. No thanks, Mr. I Now Despise You.
I'd ask my doctor to do, but everyone tells me it's not as bad as they thought it'd be." I pulled up my big girl panties and pretended to be tough. I couldn't pretend for long. You know when you bump your nose and your eyes immediately water??? Well, mine were pouring tears faster than Niagara Falls...which continued up to a half hour after I left the doctors office. As many of you know...my nose was broken when I was a wee lil thing...leaving it crooked. Try to put a scope down a crooked nose - no I take that back, DON'T! Instead of realizing it wouldn't go down one nostril, he tried to push a lil harder....oh my gosh, I thought I had experienced pain before...ah, no, this is real pain: jamming a lil metal flashlight camera thing directly into the already sensitive cartilage of your nose. "Ooops won't go down that one, let's put it down the other one again," was his only response...not a sorry, nothing. So, the third time he stuck that scope in my nose, he finally used it. Afterwards he asks me "So was it as bad as you thought it'd be?" (With tears still running down my face mind you) All I could muster our was a very agitated and annoyed "...Yah." Then he tells me he THINKS I MAY have vocal cord dysfunction and the only way to fix it is speech therapy, but that doesn't cause chest pain. He wanted to schedule me for therapy. No thanks, Mr. I Now Despise You. Next, I was hopefully that my cardiac echo would show something fixable, so I could treat it with whatever, then move on with my life and be as active as I hope to be. Heck, I had a June triathlon to compete in. After chest x-rays, blood draw and an hour + ultra sound, nothing. Zilch. Dr. Bubak, not satisfied with the results wanted me to see a cardiologist and probably have a stress test since most of my pain and symptoms come upon exertion. So...back to another doctor's office. He was correct and a stress test was ordered. Early this month I went in for the test, did the walk/jog and they hurried me back to the bed for another echo. Even though I had shortness of breath and chest pain, the results showed nothing. My heart and circulation was doing everything it needed to and my oxygen levels were perfect. Nothing concerning, but the only thing "interesting," as Dr. Paa put it, was my heart rate was very high. He wanted to give me a med.
A med...without knowing what was causing it. I'm too young to be on mediation that will not fix the problem and just coat the symptom. However, figuring that he must know, he wanted me to try it for a month and we'd go from there. Two weeks after being on the med, I was a total sloth: sleeping during my breaks at work, taking at least a 2 hour nap and going to bed at about 8:30 or 9. I couldn't take it. I called the doctor and said I don't want the meds and I want more testing. The response I got? They've done all the testing they can and this is the only option for medication, so just reduce the medication by taking it once a day instead of twice. This answer did not satisfy me. (I forgot to take a picture of all the contraptions in the room where I did the stress test...sorry).
A med...without knowing what was causing it. I'm too young to be on mediation that will not fix the problem and just coat the symptom. However, figuring that he must know, he wanted me to try it for a month and we'd go from there. Two weeks after being on the med, I was a total sloth: sleeping during my breaks at work, taking at least a 2 hour nap and going to bed at about 8:30 or 9. I couldn't take it. I called the doctor and said I don't want the meds and I want more testing. The response I got? They've done all the testing they can and this is the only option for medication, so just reduce the medication by taking it once a day instead of twice. This answer did not satisfy me. (I forgot to take a picture of all the contraptions in the room where I did the stress test...sorry).This week I called my regular primary doctor and said, "I want to be seen as soon as possible, I need future testing!" They got me in in three days. Friday was my appointment and it feels like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders. He heard me. A doctor that finally heard me. He told me to stop the medication (Hip, Hip, Hooray). He told me we'd do more testing and that we'd test until we have a solid diagnosis (Yoo Hoo). He told me that I'm too young to be on medications without knowing why...and I'm in too good of shape to be having these problems without real reasons behind them. While I don't have any answers to this problem, I have faith that I finally have someone that is willing to take a deep look and find the cause.
So while I'm still in this limbo, I feel better. He told me to go ahead and try to train for the September Tri, like I'd like to. It will help with the testing to make sure I know what and when my symptoms are triggered - at least for now. But he also is concerned and wants me to take it easy. I'll do my best to heed those words...
This was my view for a while yesterday. Laying in my comfy bed feeling the nice breeze come through the window and listening to the birds sing and cars drive by. There is something relaxing about hearing the hustle and bustle of cars on their way to something or somewhere, and me having no agenda for the day. In my bed, I can let go of worries and concerns and just be content. I can cry out of anger and sadness with no one asking why. The fresh air from the window and the coziness of my blankets and pillows comfort me as I lay back and let time pass.