Got home from work yesterday with a weird feeling in my shoulder/back/left chest. It didn’t really hurt but just felt weird. A few hours later it was agonizing to breathe. Took a nap because apparently not being able to breathe wasn’t alarming enough. Woke up in even worse pain. Went to urgent care. Got x rays. Everything looked okay, but the doc who was doing a video consult was far more worried than the NP and asked if I’d ever been diagnosed with Marfans. I said no, but that I’d been through a lot of the process for getting tested, minus the genetic test, and hadn’t been diagnosed one way or the other. I also told him I saw a cardiologist a few weeks ago who ordered a CT with contrast and an echo. He said, “I think you’ll be getting those tests a lot sooner. I’m sending you to the ER right now. I think you may have an aortic dissection. Do you know way that is?” I said, “yea... that sucks.”
Immediately went to the ER. Being in philly, it was a quick ride over, which didn’t give me much time to process the idea of my possible impending doom. Got sent into triage, spoke to the nurse, and the ER doc poked her head in a said, “sorry, I was just listening in, and I wanted to get some more information.” I explained what was happening and what I was told, and she tried explaining to me why this was very concerning despite the fact that I’m young and seemingly healthy. I said, “basically, if anyone my age is going to have an aortic dissection, it’s me.” She agreed.
I get an EKG (normal), bloodwork (normal), and am put in a room while I wait to get a CT. It ends up taking about an hour to go to radiology because a shooting had just happened and four people with GSW’s were sent into the hospital and obviously needed CT’s. Welcome to philly. Obviously I understand, and sit in the bed for a while trying to make light of the situation while my family is worried that I’m suddenly dying. An hour passes and I get wheeled away.
I’ve had CT’s before but never with contrast. It was very weird. Everything was warm. I thought I was peeing myself. That aside, it wasn’t awful. I get wheeled back into my room and wait to hear the results.
The doctor comes in and immediately gives a thumbs up. He says I don’t have an aortic dissection. I probably strained a muscle the other day at work lifting piglets and it was just a delayed onset type of thing. Go home and take naproxen. It’s really wonderful that an aortic dissection and a muscle strain in this specific area share the exact same symptoms.
TL;DR: Was in excruciating pain. Was told I could be dying. Went to the ER. Found out I’m not dying. Awesome Friday night.
I promise I’m not mad or upset at the doctors, how medicine works, etc. I know they had to r/o a dissection. They did a great job. But it wasn’t a fun time.
