Ugg

A few months ago, okay 7 months ago, I went to my regular appointment with my allergist and he did his regular check-up.
MD: "Julie, is your heart rate always this fast?".
J: "I don't know."
MD: "Let's recheck it. Still 115." "You take it."
J: "111."
MD: "Have you had problems with your heart?"
J: "Some palpitations from time to time but no, not really."
MD: "I'd like you to get an EKG. Every time you come in here you heart rate is well over 100."
J: (To self) That's just because you're hot.

So I went home and called the doctor he recommended to try and schedule an EKG. I couldn't get an EKG without a new patient appointment and the nurse said they wouldn't take me without one and to go to the ER. Not dying here. Not going to the ER. So I ignored it. Figured it was the allergy and asthma meds.

I'm no longer taking the allergy and asthma meds that would make my heart race/palpitate/etc. so when it didn't stop I thought maybe I should get that EKG. So I went to my current provider, with a different concern - I really just wanted sleeping pills for my plane trip to England, and brought it up.

So now I'm sitting here with a Holter monitor on. A Holter monitor monitors the electrical activity of the heart (EKG) for whatever time period it's set for. Mine is for 24 hours. It sucks. I have EKG leads stuck to my chest and TAPED on with tape that is visibly irritating my skin (and just plain irritating me), I can't swim, I can't shower/bathe/get wet and my heart hasn't done anything weird so far. Which means this will have been a tremendous waste of time, money, and my skin. Maybe it'll act up tomorrow. So here's the lesson, never mention a heart problem unless you think you're going to die imminently. Wait, if you think you have a heart problem you should probably see a doctor but if they hook you up to a Holter, call me and we'll commiserate.