Am I dying? Stay tuned until next week when I get diagnosed!

[MalReynolds]

Probably heart something or other, but I don't think it's killing me. Of course, everyone says something else and the worst was "That could be fatal if you leave it unchecked."

Not a story. There' something wrong with my heart, it's either skipping a beat, being irregular or stopping for five second spans and I need to get it checked out. All it does is make me tired, make me a little sore or short of breath.

So, I live in NY but my insurance in VA based, so naturally, no one in New York takes it. Using a list of doctors compiled by my mother and e-mailed to me, I've spent today on the phone calling these doctors offices.

1st call:

Me: Hi, do you guys do walk ins or do I need to make an appointment?
Guy: I can't hear you.
Me: Can you hear me now?
Guy: What?
Me: Can you hear me now?
Guy: Yes.
Me: Alright, do you guys do walk-ins or do I need to-
Guy: I can't hear you.
Me: Can you hear me now?
Guy: Yes.
Me: Do you guys do walk ins or do I need to make an appointment?
Guy: Our offices are closed indefinitley.

2nd Call:

Russian Guy Answers Phone: (Speaks Russian)
Me: (Hangs up)

3rd Call:

Me: Hi, do you guys do walk ins or do I need to make an appointment?
Lady: Appointment only.
Me: Alright, can I make an appointment?
Lady: For yourself?
Me: Yes.
Lady: I'm sorry, this is a woman's clinic.

4th Call:

Me: Hi, do you guys do walk ins or do I need to make an appointment?
Lady: Appointments. What's the problem?
Me: My heart is doing this thing (etc etc)
Lady: Well, if you can get down here today the doctor is in and she has an EKG machine.
Me: Great!
Lady: Can I have your insurance information?
Me: Anthem Healthkeepers, (etc etc)
Lady: That's strange. I've never heard of them. Can you give me a number to call them and then I can get back to you?
Me: (Gives number)

So, I waited for a while before growing impatient and placing more calls to a new list of doctors in the area that accept Anthem. Three offices are closed, two of the numbers are dead ends. I finally make a call.

15th Call:

Me: Hi. Do you guys do walk ins or do I need to make an appointment?
Lady: Appointment.
Me: You guys take anthem?
Lady: Is that blue cross blue shield?
Me: Yes.
Lady: Yes. We can have you in next week.
Me: Great. What day?
Lady: Monday. What time would be convienent for you?
Me: Whatever time is good with you guys.
Lady: 11:30 sound alright?
Me: Sure.
Lady: First name and last name? Spell them. Alright. And what is the nature of your problem?
Me: My heart is acting up.. (etc etc)
Lady: If your heart is acting up maybe you should go to the emergency room.
Me: It's fine.
Lady: See you next week.

So, while I'm talking to this lady, the phone is beeping, meaning there is someone on the other line.

It should be said, at this point, that I haven't paid my sprint bill in three months, so I'm using my roomates phone. It was the nurse from the other office returning my call about insurance information. But she wouldn't leave the information in my roomates in box, because she spoke to me. So I call back.

Me: Hi, this is Michael, I called you earlier about my insurance...
Lady: Oh, we don't take it.
Me: Alright. Bye.

So, now I'm going in next week.

Wish me luck!

Mal

[FishFishRevolution]

RE: Am I dying? Stay tuned until next week when I get diagno

Good luck, everything's going to be peachy.

[Tokzic]

RE: Am I dying? Stay tuned until next week when I get diagno

They've got all sorts of cool technological stuff that can fix even really bad heart problems, so I wouldn't get too worked up about it.

[MalReynolds]

RE: Am I dying? Stay tuned until next week when I get diagno

Hopefully, all it'll take is pills. I'm not against surgery, but I'm nervous about surgery on the heart.

It's probably nothing. Hell, it might inspire some good stories. Who knows.

Mal

[NuclearShadow]

I loved the 3rd call.

I also have a problem of that sort with my heart. It's caused me to have bad stamina and that's about it. Unless there's like a hole in your heart (I forget the technical term but I've heard of this happening) then you prob won't have anything to worry about...but gl anyways

[Tokzic]

You don't have a heart murmur, do you?

[Laharl]

Mal, DON'T DIE.

Okay?

[Grandiagod]

If Mal dies I'll totally send flowers.

[aperson]

In the mean time you should take as many benzodiazepines as possible.

[Spazzbite]

I have the same kind of thing, but every single doctor has told me that either:

A) I'm doing it on purpose(Avoiding this doctor as much as possible, now)
B) There is nothing wrong
C) They have no idea what's wrong
D) My heart murmur isn't causing it

Hopefully your results will turn out better than mine. Good luck.

[lord_carbo]

Damn those first 3 calls were funny.

But please, heed my adive:

Don't die.

But I wouldn't worry too much. I'm just trying my hardest to make it all dramatic.

[FluorescentArmy]

Must really suck to be you. Everynow and then I will get cramps but not that kind of stuff. The only time when I get short of breath is when I think about breathing or when I site in a chair with my stomach bending in a way to compress my lungs. I hate it too.

[Grandiagod]

I get cramps too. Man, when my menstural cycle gets going. WHoooo!!!

[YungYung]

My sister had something similar to this 2 years ago. It never stopped for a full 5 seconds, but the doctor found that it was beating unvenly? I'm not sure if you understand what I mean, but basically her heartbeat would randomly speed up and slowdown, with somebeats being short and quick and some being long and slow.

She never told me what exactly was wrong, but it was also related to how when she woke up in the morning and looked around... everything on the edge of what she could see through her eyes was black, and she'd gradually be able to see clearer and clearer for about half an hour.

Hope all goes well and that it's nothing serious

[talisman]

When I was born I had a hole in my heart.

good luck on fixing the a(r)rhythmia.