All this stress is stressing me out!

I saw my doctor today regarding some issues I have been having. What are the issues? For the last few months I have been experiencing my heart racing, shortness of breath, a sharp pain just below my left breast and occasional dizziness. These symptoms strike at all different hours of the day or night, even when I’m sleeping. I have been chalking these issues up to stress at work, the impending holidays, and the fact that I had a bad case of homesickness this year. But, not one to temp fate, I thought I should be smart and have a doctor take a look. Better to be safe than sorry.

The doctor ran an EKG which came up normal, thank goodness. After discussing the symptoms and my limited knowledge of my family’s medical history, she felt it was best that I wear a heart monitor for 30 days. She would like to rule out a benign arrhythmia or something more serious. But she feels that it is probably stress. Luckily the monitor about the size of a cell phone so it’s not really cumbersome. When ever I feel one of the symptoms come on I just push a button on the monitor and it registers. At the end of the thirty days she will have a better idea of what’s going on.

She did, however, give me the OK to start my workout program as planned. Good news for me! So starting on Saturday I will begin the workout schedule my friend Joy designed for me. Walking, cardio, strength training; she included it all. But I will take it easy until the heart testing is done and I have the final results. Again, better safe than sorry.

I’ve got to take it easy and stop sweating the small stuff. Taking deep breaths and just relaxing instead of worrying about things I can’t change is difficult for me. But it’s something I need to learn.

Liz