Whenever I am anxious and worried, you comfort me and make me glad. (Psalm 94:19, Good News Translation)
On top of the back pain which migrated to pain all
over my body for most of 2023, I started having chest pain in November. After a
week of it, I finally saw my primary care doctor, who ran all sorts of tests
and set me up for a nuclear stress test. The night before that appointment, as
I lay in bed with over-the-top anxiety, I randomly opened my Bible and read the
above verse.
I ran those words through my head like a mantra until
I fell asleep.
The test went well. I didn’t pass out walking on the
treadmill and my heart didn’t freak out to the point they had to send me to the
ER.
A few days later, my doctor called to say that most
of the stress test was normal – in his words, my plumbing was all good. But one
of the numbers was elevated, which he didn’t think meant anything bad, but in
light of my symptoms and family history, he thought I should see a
cardiologist. That appointment isn’t until January 24, but I am seeing the
primary care doc the week before that and having some labs repeated. I haven’t
had any more chest pain, just shortness of breath with activity.
I also have been seeing a naturopathic provider, who
started me on an anti-inflammatory diet. It makes sense to me – something is
going on in my body and inflammation can cause most of my symptoms. So far, no
one seems to know if that can cause my heart concerns, but hopefully the
cardiologist can tell me. And hopefully, with this diet I’m on, the
inflammation will be settled down by then so that she says, “What are you doing
here? Your heart is a rock star.”
In the meantime, all I can do is watch what I eat, take
the recommended supplements, and pray.
God is good. He will comfort me in all of my troubles.
He will take away my anxiety and grant me comfort and joy.
2 comments:
Delt with back pain for over a year and ended up at Bone and Joint, having Radio Frequency Ablation done on my back to basically kill the nerves. It doesn't last for ever and can return as the nerves heal but it sure helped. G
After working in health care for 30+ years and now dealing with this pain for 9 months, I don't feel like traditional western medicine does anything to really help our problems. I think the patient is on their own to find a solution that works for them.
I had an injection in my low back in Sept which helped that pain, but I've been having pain all over and their answer was to get injections in those places too. That didn't make sense to me, because - as you've been told too - none of those treatments last forever.
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