No symptoms. No signs. Just a heart rate that started dropping by 30 BPM when standing or walking. Yet no feelings of light headedness. I never felt like I was going to pass out.
Literally the only sign something was going on was that my HR dropping. And because it happened with no other symptoms, had I not started my Apple watch workout for a walk with dogs, I wouldn’t have even noticed this was happening.
“Well 50, that’s not normal, but I feel fine. I’m sure my watch is just acting up, probably time for a new one. Good ol’ planned obsolescence.”
I leashed up Dougie and Maizey, attaching them to my waist and headed out on our usual route.
We got home and I made my way up the stairs to get back to my desk. I felt a small little flutter in the throat, just on top of my trachea. My heart rate was still 50. I felt a tiny palpitation, you know the tiny ones everyone gets from time to time.
“You were just in Albany for work, lugging your suitcase up that massive hill for 3/4th a mile, you traveled and are tired, behind on water so you’re just dehydrated. You’ve had three cups of coffee this am, more than normal. Your body is just not happy today with all the back to back meetings. Nothing to worry about.”
I went to my desk and continued working. Went to a meeting on the other side of town. Felt fine. HR was back to normal, flutter hadn’t come back. It was about 8:30PM when I got home and time to get the pups ready for bed. We took another short walk, HR was down to 55, felt fine. Called a friend who is a CNA, said my HR had been dropping, was told if it goes below 50 get to the ER. Once I got into bed it went back up, slept like a baby, even earned a high sleep score.
Tuesday am rolls around; day went great, busy but productive. The flutter had stopped, HR was normal on the walk, so I didn’t take time to look at my HR the rest of the day. Tuesday evening I went to another meeting, this time a walking tour of a non-profit. It was a humid day and the space we were touring was kept very warm for those living there. I noticed my HR was going back and forth between 90 and 60, but I felt fine. During the tour I texted my PCP.
“My heart rate keeps jumping high and low. Make an appointment with you or get my ass to the ER?” “I’m out of the country on vacation, get your ass to the ER.” Well shit. I don’t have time to go to the ER tonight. I talk to my friend before leaving the tour, she tries to put some sense into me to go to the ER.
I drive home and call Brian. I haven’t randomly called him on a drive home in weeks; we’re both stupid busy. I tell him what’s going on.
“Do you have any sweating?” “No, but I did just have two really bad acid flux burps. That’s not usual for me, I can’t think of anything I ate today besides some lemon juice with my lunch that would cause that.” “You know acid reflux is a sign of heart attack for women.” “I don’t have time to go to the ER, I have to go get fitted for my night guard in the morning. I can always go to the ER after that appointment if I need to.” “Great, you’ll die of a heart attack and your parents will be mad at me that I didn’t make you go since you called me.”
At night my life is like Bill Murray in Groundhogs Day; same thing, same order, every day. The dogs have a routine and the end is a kong with frozen peanut butter, so they do things like it’s their job. I got home, turned on my workout to walk the dogs and saw my HR was low again.
Decided to stop and do the ECG on the watch. My heart rate is 50 and my rhythm on the screen is looking like a drunk 5th grader drawing a line. Longest 30 seconds of my life, the result: INCONCLUSIVE. Inconclusive?! What the fuck does that mean? I’ve never had anything besides sinus rhythm show.
I walk the dogs and go slow to be safe. We went .10 of a mile and I just had this gut feeling that I should turn around. As soon as I did, I got some sweat on my brow. I don’t even sweat pushing 400# leg presses. “You were just in a hot building, it’s humid tonight, it’s fine.”
I get home and sit down and feel a large amount of sweat on my chest. The band of my sports bra is soaked in cold sweat. Fuck me. I guess it’s time to get my ass to the ER.
I call my dog sitter – I never call her, I usually text. She picked up right away. I told her I needed to go to the ER and could she pack an overnight bag as I’m sure it’s nothing and I’ll be there for hours. She’s on her way.
I put together a bag of things to work on (aka WORK) as I’m sure I’ll be there for at least four or five hours. Computer, notebook, chargers, earbuds. No clothes, no toothbrush.
I grab a hoodie since ERs are cold. I have my running shorts on, change from a tank to a t-shirt, slip my bare feet into some tieless chucks. I drive myself to the ER and walk in.
“I’m having some slight symptoms and my HR keeps dropping. My doctor told me to get my ass to the ER, so here I am.”
After waiting about 25 minutes (See! Nothing to worry about, they didn’t whisk me back right away!) they take me back for vitals. The EKG showed something because they got me into a room quickly after that. I had an ER NP in my room within 5 minutes and am told that I have a 1st degree AV block. “We’re going to run some tests, you’ll be here for a couple of hours for us to run everything. Your upper heart and lower heart are not moving the electrical current correctly. But if we don’t find anything else you should be able to go home and follow-up tomorrow.” (Ironically as I type this part of this entry, I’m rewatching The Pitt and am in S1E3 when the guy learns he has to go to a cath lab after they look at his EKG.)
What the literal fuck. “This only started yesterday. Out of no where. I’m very active and never have any issues, no weird things with my HR, it rises and falls normally. I never get short of breath.”
Just as I have any time to form those thoughts, Brian walks in to keep me company and we settle for a long night.
Sausage in a Wetsuit 