I should've known. For a few months, I felt a few chest pains occasionally, but I attributed them to fibromyalgia and the stress it has brought into my life. I was wrong, so very wrong. If you feel your chest hurts, see a doctor ASAP. Don't be a dumbass like me. Moving on...

A high and irregular heart rate was detected during routine exams by the end of 2023. Further exams concluded it was a mix of high blood pressure and arrhythmia. Yay for two health issues that can cause a heart attack. I guess I didn't have enough health issues and needed two more... ŧ߀» ←»↓𶢔ŋ

Speaking of heart attack, just a few days ago, I got a glimpse of what that might feel like. After a very stressful event, I felt a lot of pain in my chest, it seemed like my heart was being squeezed, and my arms began to feel numb. It was terrifying! I was terrified! I had to take an extra pill for the blood pressure and do breathing exercises, and even then, it took almost two hours to start to get some relief. I was an inch close to calling an ambulance.

The next day, I began thinking about how to avoid stress. I don't fool myself: I know I can't completely avoid stress. However, I can do something to reduce the number of stressful situations. How I'll do it, that's the question. I have a few ideas, some more radical than others: do yoga, stop smoking, or cut some people out of my life. But I haven't decided on any. I need to think more about it and maybe even do some readings.

If you have some suggestions, feel free to ping me on Mastodon. My handle is @brunomiguel@masto.pt.

#Health #Stress #HighBloodPressure #Heart