I'm in my second year of school on the long road to becoming a pharmacist. I've heard it said that many students of *any*part of the medical field often feel that they actually have or have had some or all of the symptoms of one disease/condition/infection etc... That being said (because I am often given to silly tangents and other class clown-ish tomfoolery), I truly wonder if I may actually be in danger or I'm simply inventing symptoms. It's been a rather strange year....
About a month ago, I had experienced what *I* thought were symptoms of impending stroke. I'm 32 and, yes, I know it's ridiculous to worry about that generally. So I went to the clinic and was assured that I had not had any "mini-strokes" nor was I in any danger of said brain attack-which was my primary concern. I did have tremors in both hands, tachycardia, and a slightly swollen thyroid gland. She suggested that I go get some blood work done.
A little background: I do all sorts of things that require manual dexterity in all aspects of my life(Guitar, console and PC gaming, clutch on the left handlebar of my motorcycle) and have had mild carpal tunnel issues off and on for years. I have had no chest tightness nor angina of any intensity...
Ahem... well, as I was busy preparing for my final and term paper, I put off going and still have yet to. The paper and test were my priority now that I was safe from having a stroke. Things were fine for a while with an occasional symptom mentioned above until the beginning of this week, My left wrist and hand has been going numb when it is engaged in most any activity above the waist. Shaking it or letting it dangle will make the tingling and numbness cease for a bit but it will keep returning. Yesterday, I volunteered to be a test dummy for MA students learning how to use an EKG and, even though we jested about it(my BP was 139/89 if I remember correctly), both printouts read "old inferior infarction" on them. I know the EKG isn't the most reliable thing in the world for that sort of thing and that kind of reading does happen somewhat regularly. Still, it has scared the crap outta me....but I don't want to go rushing back into the doc's office just to be told that I have elevated blood pressure and not much else.
Am I a hypochondriac? Or am I going to re-enacting one of those old Sanford and Son "I'm comin', 'Lizabeth!" scenes with a far more macabre ending? And yeah... I'm not afraid of a little gallows humor, was a Marine after all.Thanks for taking the time to read this.