All right...so about an hour after dinner last night, I got the worst feeling in my chest that I have ever felt. It felt like someone had a hold on my esophagus that wasn't every going to quit. My chest was on fire and it felt like it had someone sitting on it. My right arm went numb and I started feeling it in my right leg too. I broke into a sweat, got lightheaded and started feeling nauseous. I was scared...all the symptoms of a heart attack...which my mom has had four of. Her first was when she was about 26 years old...just a little older than what I am now. She died (and was clinically dead for ten minutes before they brought her back) from her second one. I was so worried that I grabbed the boyfriend, walked over to my car (the whole time, my chest was on fire...in addition to the cold that is starting to work its way back into my system, although I just got over one heck of a head cold!) Every breath hurt like a thousand tiny needles piercing my chest!

When we got to the emergency room, they took me back, asked me what was wrong, and did a couple tests, like an EKG and took some x-rays of my chest. While I was waiting, they brought me in this disgusting little cup of what they told me was Maalox and three other anti-acid/milk of magnesia things, that I was supposed to drink like a shot, to see if it would calm my stomach. The only thing that helped with was making me more nauseous! But I drank it nonetheless. After they took me back and did some x-rays and all that, they came in and asked how I was doing. By then, the tightness had gone down somewhat, but it still felt like my stomach and everything between there and my throat were on fire. They determined that I have ERD, or esophageal reflux disease. Basically...too much stomach acid because of the things that I eat and drink.

So, the doctor comes in and tells me that I need to stop ingesting so much caffeine... (but I LOVE Mountain Dew!!) and start eating a more bland diet, cutting out the greasy foods and such. And he prescribed me Prilosec...which is something that my dad has had to take for the last I don't know how many years. So...THANKS PARENTS! I have the same problems you both have. No wonder I have been eating Rolaids like they are going out of style for the last two weeks!

I was scared that it might have been a heart attack, but thank the Lord that it wasn't. I was so worried that they were going to admit me for the night. That would have sucked because I have an interview this afternoon! But I am out, and just waiting for the boyfriend to get out of classes for the day. When he gets out, I have to go get my car, drive back to his dorm, change my clothes and go to my interview. After that, I need to take a nap. Didn't get back from the ER until after 0230, and by the time that I took a shower and lay down for the night, it was after 0300. And then, because of his classes, I was up before 0800. I am so tired! And now I have to set up an appointment with my family doctor to get rechecked for the whole problem thing that I have. And here's to hoping that he can prescribe me a medication that my health insurance will cover, because it won't cover the Prilosec, because it can be sold over the counter.

But anyway...after a scary night and very little sleep...I am sitting here...waiting for the boy to get out of class. If he wouldn't have convinced me to go in last night, I would have just dealt with the pain and prayed to God that it would go away. But he and my mom both told me to be safe than sorry, so I went in...now I have to take a pill every day for a month, to see if it will take care of the problem.

Take care y'all.

-Bulldog

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