it's either a heart attack or too many malted milk balls
Yesterday I met a friend and her kids at the zoo (yes, again! we love the zoo) and at some point in the three hours of running and yelling and not looking at the animals, my chest started to hurt. Nothing too worrisome--when I took a deep breath, it hurt, when I picked Charlie up, it hurt, when I put my hands together behind my back, it hurt--you know, the usual. I figured I had pulled something. Or I was having a panic attack of some type. Or a heart attack. Whatever.
This morning, it still hurt; when I dropped Charlie at my friend Christa's, I said, "I may be having a heart attack!"
And she said, "Terrific! Here's Claire's carpool number! See you at soccer!"
No, actually she didn't say that; she just laughed at me. Because she's my friend and she knows how crazy I am.
Specific things that have made me crazy today: speech therapy (which seems to consist entirely of the very nice therapist charging me a $25.00 co-pay to recommend that we do EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING), Charlie wetting his pants AS I WALKED IN THE DOOR of Christa's house to pick him up, Henry spending over HALF AN HOUR in the toy aisle of SuperTarget trying to decide what piece of crap to buy with the $10.00 the NanaBunny sent him, Charlie giving himself a BLOODY NOSE as we pulled into the parking lot at the soccer field, the woman in the McDonald's drive-thru not including my dinner in our order (okay, maybe that was for the best, what with the heart attack and all).
Plus a few other things that I'm not at liberty to talk about with the Internet. Sorry. But trust me, they're REALLY stressful!
This afternoon, after the peeing and the toy shopping, we snuggled on the Big Bed in my room and had some quality time together. Then we got up to have our snack, and as I was pouring out cereal and filling cups of milk, I started to feel a little lightheaded. Plus my chest still hurt. And I was having some heartburn, probably from the spicy hummous I ate for lunch. Or from my heart attack. And I thought, hey, if I really AM having a heart attack, at least my kids will remember what a nice afternoon we had snuggling on the big bed!
At least I hope they would.
Dr. Google says no, no heart attack, but I am probably a little stressed and should find some way to relax. Of course! Why didn't I think of that! Although tomorrow Henry is out of school for Passover and Friday my cleaning lady comes so we will most likely be going to the zoo AGAIN and over the weekend I have an article to write and Charlie is out of school on Monday for Easter which means I will not get a break from the kids until next THURSDAY. But yes! I should relax.
In lieu of actual relaxation, I ate nearly an entire bag of malted milk balls--no, not those cute single-serving bags, the big ones that are all over the place for Easter. I tried to share them with the boys, but Henry wouldn't even taste them and Charlie ate one and announced, "Those are wierd. I don't like them." Okay! More for me!
Although now I feel a little sick. But no more chest pain! So probably no heart attack.
At lunch, Charlie said, very very sweetly to me, "I wish that sometimes Daddy could stay home with us and you could go to work."
And I said, "So do I, buddy."
Some good news, to balance out the heart attack and crazyness: Henry is on a new medication, Focalin, which seems to be working well (although we think it will work even better at a higher dose); my cool yellow espadrilles are in this month's Real Simple magazine (look how hip I am! and they're totally comfortable, too! I may have to get another pair!); my parents are coming to OKC on the 21st, totake care of me help with the boys and celebrate my birthday. So! As long as I don't have a heart attack in the next week or so, everything is good!
But no more malted milk balls. Ever.
This morning, it still hurt; when I dropped Charlie at my friend Christa's, I said, "I may be having a heart attack!"
And she said, "Terrific! Here's Claire's carpool number! See you at soccer!"
No, actually she didn't say that; she just laughed at me. Because she's my friend and she knows how crazy I am.
Specific things that have made me crazy today: speech therapy (which seems to consist entirely of the very nice therapist charging me a $25.00 co-pay to recommend that we do EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE ALREADY DOING), Charlie wetting his pants AS I WALKED IN THE DOOR of Christa's house to pick him up, Henry spending over HALF AN HOUR in the toy aisle of SuperTarget trying to decide what piece of crap to buy with the $10.00 the NanaBunny sent him, Charlie giving himself a BLOODY NOSE as we pulled into the parking lot at the soccer field, the woman in the McDonald's drive-thru not including my dinner in our order (okay, maybe that was for the best, what with the heart attack and all).
Plus a few other things that I'm not at liberty to talk about with the Internet. Sorry. But trust me, they're REALLY stressful!
This afternoon, after the peeing and the toy shopping, we snuggled on the Big Bed in my room and had some quality time together. Then we got up to have our snack, and as I was pouring out cereal and filling cups of milk, I started to feel a little lightheaded. Plus my chest still hurt. And I was having some heartburn, probably from the spicy hummous I ate for lunch. Or from my heart attack. And I thought, hey, if I really AM having a heart attack, at least my kids will remember what a nice afternoon we had snuggling on the big bed!
At least I hope they would.
Dr. Google says no, no heart attack, but I am probably a little stressed and should find some way to relax. Of course! Why didn't I think of that! Although tomorrow Henry is out of school for Passover and Friday my cleaning lady comes so we will most likely be going to the zoo AGAIN and over the weekend I have an article to write and Charlie is out of school on Monday for Easter which means I will not get a break from the kids until next THURSDAY. But yes! I should relax.
In lieu of actual relaxation, I ate nearly an entire bag of malted milk balls--no, not those cute single-serving bags, the big ones that are all over the place for Easter. I tried to share them with the boys, but Henry wouldn't even taste them and Charlie ate one and announced, "Those are wierd. I don't like them." Okay! More for me!
Although now I feel a little sick. But no more chest pain! So probably no heart attack.
At lunch, Charlie said, very very sweetly to me, "I wish that sometimes Daddy could stay home with us and you could go to work."
And I said, "So do I, buddy."
Some good news, to balance out the heart attack and crazyness: Henry is on a new medication, Focalin, which seems to be working well (although we think it will work even better at a higher dose); my cool yellow espadrilles are in this month's Real Simple magazine (look how hip I am! and they're totally comfortable, too! I may have to get another pair!); my parents are coming to OKC on the 21st, to
But no more malted milk balls. Ever.
21 Comments:
Not that I wish the chest pain on anyone--I'm just relieved that I am not the only one who gets it. Let's put it this way--in 24 hours or so, my husband will FINALLY be home after being gone for freaking ever. He'll have one more trip on Monday (there and back) and then he is DONE. Which is a good thing.
So about those espadrilles--I have two pair, but none in yellow--where did you get them?
Do all kids in public school in OK get off for Passover and Easter? Even if they don't celebrate? Color me suprised!
I am glad to hear that your chest pain is not a heart attack and that you got fancy shoes! I hope the shoes make up for the crummy day.
Hausfrau, the espadrilles came from Payless (and are on sale now! so go quickly!).
And Meredith, Henry's preschool is in a Jewish temple here in OKC--thus the day off for Passover--and Charlie's school is in an Episcopal church--thus Easter Monday. Next year, one will be in an Episcopal school and one in a Catholic school, and by God they had better be off for all the same days. Although you know they won't.
So happy to hear you are not having a heart attack. Maybe Wade should send you to a spa for the weekend - it would make a good birthday present.
I hope tomorrow is better and filled with more yummy whoppers!
I think I read somewhere that malted milk balls stave off heart attacks. I'm glad the internet calmed your fears. Too bad it can't step in to give you the break you need. Sad when taking time to relax is planned more than a week out. In the meantime, maybe alternate chocolate with a fruity fix - skittles?
Dude. I should totally have eaten some malted milk balls instead of going to the ER with my "musculo-skeletal-discomfort." Pretty much totally embarassing. You are a smart woman.
McDonalds and Milk Balls = Heart Attack :-))
We should probably not joke about this since a heart attack is pretty traumatic. According to my wife I'm an expert in delivering bad news and criticism so here we go. Stupid question but are you working out or doing some exercises on a regular basis? I know I'm an idiot for saying that since I can obviously tell that you are super busy with kids, family, and life. But it was just a well meant thought..... It would make you feel about a million times better.
Hope you feel better soon
AD
Ah yes. My oldest has wished before that Daddy could stay home and Mommy go to work. I have agreed that it might be better for everyone's sanity on some days. Glad you're not having a heart attack and glad the new medicine is looking promising. It's finally warm enough here for some fun new spring shoes... Hmm, espadrilles... must go shopping soon.
I'm pleased to know that you did not get an attack. However, chest pains are early or even late signs of an impending heart attack.
It's not just about malted milk balls! It may be a good start to let them go, though, especially if these balls are made of whole milk. I suspect they are also loaded with sugar, too much of which is bad for your heart.
Take care.
Ray
I had been wondering about Henry and the meds. I'm glad the new ones are working. And those chest pains could easily be stress-related, but I would still go to the doctor (in all your spare time) if they continue.
happy happy happy birthday to you! Here in NY the spring break is timed to coincide with the easter-and-other-denomination-holidays so my kids are home THIS week.
Glad there's really no heart attack. Happy happy birthday in advance, if I don't get back here in time.
I think it's funny that so far, the opinion on malted milk balls has split along gender lines. Women = Malted Milk Balls are good for you! Men = Malted Milk Balls are death robed in chocolate! (Oh God, I hope I didn't just start a giant flame war!)
Anyway, I have also experienced the chest pain. After ignoring it for months, my NP told me that it was probably the cartilage that connects your ribs to your breastbone, since it flares up whenever I have to carry Peanut around a lot, which also co-oincides with him having a period of unpredictable/insane behavior, which stresses me out, so of course I think it's a heart attack. Since I'm right handed, I carry him on my left side, so that seemed to make sense. (And when I drop dead from a heart attack, I'll be able to blame her and NOT all those brownies.)
In our house we sing the following little ditty:
Happy Happy Birthday to every girl and boy!
Hope this very special day brings you lots of joy!
Hope the birthday present you get from Mom and Dad,
Will make this day the very best day you ever had!
With apologies to Casey Jones, of course. Have a swell one. Enjoy your shoes and your malted milk balls. You only live once.
Oh yes, the whole "relax" thing. Yeah right.
Heart attack! You sound like me. Totally. Why are we such hypos?
I'm making myself an easter basket this weekend. It better have malted milk balls or someone will get hurt.
I should clarify that I am absolutely NOT having a heart attack, nor did I ever REALLY think I was (well, okay, except for about five minutes yesterday afternoon when I got lightheaded, but then I realized that all I had eaten was a couple of Triscuits and some spicy hummous, which may very well have caused me to be wobbly). But when my friend JR called just now and said, "I hear you may be having a heart attack and I just wanted to check in," I thought, hmm, I should let everyone know that I'm okay.
So, I'm OKAY! Really! When I get really stressed, the muscles in my chest spasm--in grad school, when this started, I had an echocardiogram to check it out, and it confirmed my doc's theory that it's not my heart. And yes! just now I am really stressed.
But I'm going to lay off the malted milk balls, just in case. SJ, they're yours if you want them.
And thank you all for your concern! My heart feels better just from the love (and good advice).
Sounds like we had the same kind of day, minus the chest pain here. Lots of crazy running around and no nap for the toddler as we were at the doctor's office for almost two hours and saw the doctor for 7 minutes! Glad it wasn't a heart attack, but yes, do relax even if it means locking yourself in the bathroom! I'm more of a Cadbury mini-egg fan here.
The malted milk balls are grossing me out a little bit.
I have a blister on the back of my foot from shoes that are too small. And I tell myself I don't need new shoes. Ha!
Your birthday is next week? I have an April birthday, too.
girlfriend, you need a day off. enjoy the time with your 'rents and i hope you're feeling better soon. reading your blog the past few weeks is giving me sympathy stress and don't you know i have enough stress of my own???
Hey! Foaclin! Sophie's future brother-in-law takes that, and her future mother-in-law thinks it's great. We're going to talk to our doc about it for Christopher.
And the back pain and all the rest? Yeah, I had that and it turned out to be pneumonia! Woo! Not saying that's what you have, just sharing.
There seems to be a McDonald's conspiracy going on. I had been led to believe it was just me but you've provided proof it is NATION-WIDE!!!
We hit the drive-thru on the way to the farm a few weeks ago and they COMPLETELY failed to put in my food. It just ain't right.
Heart attacks are the worst! Hate 'em. I usually get them around holidays, soccer season, birthdays, long breaks from school when the kids are home EVERY day, all summer.... Shoe therapy is probably the best solution for this sort of heart disease.
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