September 16, 2011

Ticker Update: We Got The (Premature) Beat



You may remember, a few weeks ago, I had to wear a heart monitor for a day to find out what's causing my heart palpitations, which I wrote about here.  I got the results this week & found out I have a premature beat, aka premature ventricular contractions (PVCs).  The holter I wore registered 24 of these premature beats in the 24 hours I was wearing it.

According to the Mayo Clinic, PVCs are extra, abnormal heartbeats that begin in one of your heart's two lower pumping chambers, or ventricles.  These extra beats disrupt your regular heart rhythm, sometimes causing you to feel a flip-flop or skipped beat in your chest.  PVCs are very common & occur in most people at some point.

My doctor is not alarmed because my ECG was normal & heart disease doesn't run in my family.  She said a premature beat is super common & thinks mine is due to stress/anxiety.  She again suggested I let her write me a prescription for a low-dose anti-anxiety medication, which I'm considering, & told me to quit my job.

Even though this is clearly something that's common & happens to people all the time without incident, I'm still fairly freaked out.  Mostly because it just ties in to how amazingly crappy this year has been.  Thank you, 2011.

My doctor & I are in agreement that the number one thing that will remedy this situation is me getting a new job.  If you would keep your fingers crossed for me &/or send some positive job energy my way, I would really appreciate it.

5 comments:

Stephanie said...

You have had a rough year - it's no wonder you're having physical effects. Have you ever tried positive visualization? It sounds hokey but it has worked for me.

Ginger said...

Yikes. When your job is literally hurting your heart, it's definitely time to move on!

Fingers crossed on those jobs!!

The Blonde Mule said...

Stephanie: No, I've never tried that, aside from attempts to 'go to my happy place', which never works. I'll google it. Thanks!

The Blonde Mule said...

Ginger: Agreed. Thank you!!

Anonymous said...

A friend of yours (April P) passed your blog along to me this week, as I am going through the same unemployment blues (I'm into month 4) that you shared about on your blog. The totally weird thing is that I told my husband last night that I was getting a feeling in my heart that felt like trying to catch your breath or missing a heart beat. It sounds like I'm experiencing the same thing as you were here. What perfect timing to be reading your blog.

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