Actually, let's back up. We went to talk to my new doctor about this surgery. He looked at what I've got going on and admitted that he would not work on it wihtout a vascular surgeon also on board, and that he thinks we should get me in to see one and do the "dye in the veins" thing before surgery so we know exactly what we're dealing with. Fair enough. Just prolongs things but hey, been a couple years, what's a couple more weeks at this point....  What was unnerving was how he kept talking about the vascular aspect of things and to have so large a vein inside puddling like that is a potentially hazardous situation especially during surgery. But it has to be fixed, it can't stay this way! (if anyone wants to understand better what I'm talking about here is a link to a powerpoint presentation, I think page 7 shows the best image: http://www.rsna.org/media/briefings/2003/ppt/Roberts_Ovarian_reflux.ppt
Okay, so we're a little on edge realizing that this won't be the most simple surgery ever done but we're okay, enjoying the kids, I'm kicked back on the couch with my hips elevated which is the best position I can tolerate right now... when out of nowhere I get terrible chest pains. In the left part of my chest, radiating up into my neck and left shoulder, I mean terrible sharp pain that gets worse when I breathe in. Eric flat flips out. I ask him to give me 10 minutes to relax and try to make it stop, that it's probably just a muscles spasm or something. It doesn't stop at all and then I honestly start to feel a little worried that something from this vein has formed a blockage or something???? We get brother-in-law over to watch the kids and he rushes me to ER. It finally stopped after over an hour. After many tests... my heart is fine but they also checked for a blood clot. That test came back abnormal but the ct scan showed no clot anywhere. So they're thinking the test was a fluke. I'm thinking something about this vein issue affected the test, but didn't have anything to do with my chest pain. I think I had some kind of anxiety attack because even though I felt relaxed and fine at the moment this pain has been building and this uncertainty about what is going to happen... I hate to admit I'd have somethign as "silly" (in my mind) as a panic attack but that seems to be what it was. Geez louise does it feel REAL and hurt and will scare the life out of ya!! When it was over I felt extremely nauseated and exhausted.
And a note on pain tolerance! I do NOT at ALL believe that we IBS'ers necessarily have low pain tolerance. I think we have HIGH pain RECEPTORS in our "guts" so we feel more pain! Does that make sense? Because... they had to draw blood from an ARTERY to do one of these tests - not a vein like when you give blood or they draw blood or give you an IV, an ARTERY - the guy told dh to hold my other hand tight because it was really going to hurt and take a while to do. He drew it from the really sensitive place in my wrist. Well, I took my deep breaths and focused like I've learned to do when all my other things HURT and didn't flinch one bit. When it was all said and done he said, "Da%#, you did better than most guys! You have one tough pain tolerance!" It actually made me feel REALLY GOOD because we can start to feel like babies or hypochondriacs after a while, as I'm sure you all well know! So keep that in mind - you're tougher because you're FEELING more, I totally believe that.
So, back to the story, we laid in the ER and wished each other Happy Valentine's Day! Can you believe it? oh the drama... make it stop!! I can't wait to get my normal easy-going picture of health life back!!!!!!!!!! Today all feels about the same but at least I know my heart is healthy, if nothing else is! 
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Take care,
Michelle
...the greatest of these is LOVE. (I Cor 13)
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We spent our Valentine's Day in the ER!
