Atrial Fibrillation (AFib) Support Group
Atrial fibrillation (AF or afib) is an abnormal heart rhythm (cardiac arrhythmia) which involves the two small, upper heart chambers (the atria). Heart beats in a normal heart begin after electricity generated in the atria by the sinoatrial node spread through the heart and cause contraction of the heart muscle and pumping of blood.
Gang,
Haven't had this one happen before...Saturday I had drill. First formation 0700. They let me go at 1530 cuz the wife and I had tix for "Let's Be Frank," the Frank Sinatra tribute (100 years old 12 December 2015!) at the Kennedy Center in Washington. GREAT show! Get home and get to bed at midnight. Had to get up at 0600 for drill again today. So, around 2AM I turn over, and something reaches in and grabs my heart and starts squeezing....you know, like the evil queen does on "Once Upon a Time." I mean BAD, like I KNOW the afib is back after 2.5 years. Then boom, a little punch in the chest. Of course I cannot get back to sleep, so I get up to go take my BP and pulse. My legs were so weak I could hardly walk. I told my lovely wife Laura to be ready to get up, cuz we are on our way to the ER. Blood pressure 116/73, pulse 63. WHAT???? So I was so tired I fell asleep on the couch for an hour, then went back upstairs to get another hour of sleep before I had drill today. Thank goodness the REAL First Sergeant wasn't there, so I was acting, and I told everyone that 1500 is the END OF THE DAY..the old man needed to get home for a nap.
This one was just scary, I am wondering if the "tired legs" came from the panic I went through with the chest pain, which of course woke me from a dead sleep. I have always said I hope that I go in my sleep vice suffering from some terrible cancer for 10 years, but NOT YET! Can I please make it to 60 and start collecting my military retirement?
Just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience. Heading upstairs right now for a nap...
Tired Bill
Haven't had this one happen before...Saturday I had drill. First formation 0700. They let me go at 1530 cuz the wife and I had tix for "Let's Be Frank," the Frank Sinatra tribute (100 years old 12 December 2015!) at the Kennedy Center in Washington. GREAT show! Get home and get to bed at midnight. Had to get up at 0600 for drill again today. So, around 2AM I turn over, and something reaches in and grabs my heart and starts squeezing....you know, like the evil queen does on "Once Upon a Time." I mean BAD, like I KNOW the afib is back after 2.5 years. Then boom, a little punch in the chest. Of course I cannot get back to sleep, so I get up to go take my BP and pulse. My legs were so weak I could hardly walk. I told my lovely wife Laura to be ready to get up, cuz we are on our way to the ER. Blood pressure 116/73, pulse 63. WHAT???? So I was so tired I fell asleep on the couch for an hour, then went back upstairs to get another hour of sleep before I had drill today. Thank goodness the REAL First Sergeant wasn't there, so I was acting, and I told everyone that 1500 is the END OF THE DAY..the old man needed to get home for a nap.
This one was just scary, I am wondering if the "tired legs" came from the panic I went through with the chest pain, which of course woke me from a dead sleep. I have always said I hope that I go in my sleep vice suffering from some terrible cancer for 10 years, but NOT YET! Can I please make it to 60 and start collecting my military retirement?
Just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience. Heading upstairs right now for a nap...
Tired Bill
I never had anxiety in my life until afib showed up. Now, if I even think that I'm having an episode, my anxiety goes through the roof. I have techniques for calming myself down, but they take a while. In the meantime, I have all sorts of physical symptoms, strictly from anxiety. So it wouldn't surprise me if your weak legs were from that.
Many years ago after eating spaghetti and Fleischkaese (for simplicities sake: think grilled, thick slice of bologna type luncheon meat) I had basically something similar to what you described. I thought that was it game over! It turned out to be heartburn. Luckily nothing like that has happened since because even knowing what it was Im SURE Id head for the ER. Might you have eaten something while out?
I hope it doesnt happen again and you had a healthy nap.
Carpe diem,
atp
jan
I think that is a good suggestion..someone at the unit said the same thing, that it might be a good idea to get an EKG, just to be safe. I am off tomorrow, so I may just run on over there and see if I can get in, even without an appointment. It is just such a bummer when you have several good MONTHS, and then BAM! It does put things in perspective...I was always a bit worried about my little 10 second "spells." Compared with this they are nothing! ATP, just got up after a 90 minute nap,and I feel, well, not fantastic, but better. Funny how as you get older naps can be such a joy. Since we lived on the 4th floor in Montpellier, and I had a sliding glass door in the bedroom, this AWESOME breeze would blow through the room. I had stayed up late one night and was hurting the next day, but since we only had morning class that day I was home about 2PM, and took THE most amazing nap, with the breeze...ahhhh...sorry, I just cannot get la belle France off my mind! We were running late, so we did do McDonalds for a quick meal on the way down, my first McDonalds in two months, so maybe that did have something to do with it. Ugh, heart issues...
Bill
Good idea to follow up about it.
Stay well!!
Today is the day...going to the little med center they have on post, and see if they can do an EKG...should have gone Monday, but was so pooped that I just slept and sat out in the yard with the lovely wife relaxing. Amazing how this crap gets in your head..I was SO freaked out that Sunday night I woke up EVERY time I moved in bed. So you are freaked out not just at the conscious level, but the subconscious as well. I still feel so badly about running over to get an EKG after a tough massage that I didn't want to on this one...but this was a much more serious (possibly, but I hope NOT) event. If this little med center cannot do it, I will DEFINITELY go to the cardiologist on Monday. More to follow. Angina? AAAACCCCKKKKK!
Bill
Carpe diem,
atp
jan
So glad you are getting it checked out! Not knowing causes such stress.
laurab