Palpitation Nightmares

It was about 6 in the morning in 1997. I was taking a shower, preparing for work, when it struck. My heart bit suddenly went wild, beating about double per second. It had been a long time since my last heart palpitation---that was before I got married---and I didn't expect to have it that morning when I was in a hurry to leave for the office.

Photo by Aarón Blanco Tejedor on Unsplash.

I got scared. I kind of forgotten how it was to have an attack and what I had to do. That was my first big mistake, getting scared. Moreover, I was worried about not making it to the office on time. I couldn't afford to lose my job. I had been married just almost a year and my wife was pregnant with our first baby. I told my wife and announced the sad news. She too looked worried. We both didn't know what to do.

Okay, what I remembered was to relax and take a rest. A rest? I just got up from sleep and was only taking a shower. I wasn't tired. But I rested just the same. That's what I'd been told--just take a rest. I hoped the palpitations would be gone after a few minutes. It did before. I could just take a cab to the office after the palpitation to make up for lost time. But several minutes had already gone by and the heart palpitations continued.

HERE ARE THINGS I CONSIDERED IMPORTANT DURING AND AFTER MY HEART PALPITATIONS:

1. Never get scared.
2. Finger strokes to the neck.
3. Thank God.

Never Get Scared

During those times, I felt cold, sweaty, dizzy, weak and kind of breathing abnormally fast when I had palpitations. This was because I had allowed myself get scared initially. First impression lasts. Once you start with scary, it's likely to continue being scary. But after years of studying my palps, though, I discovered that palp attacks didn't need to have the accompanying symptoms I enumerated above. Heart palpitations are really simple and easy to manage.

Back to 1997. There was no pain, though. But I hadn't mastered it yet then so it made me panicky. I also couldn't eat anything because I felt like choking. Chewing and swallowing seemed to make my heart stop beating. I was afraid it might stop for good. I thought I was going to die. What about my pregnant wife? That morning my wife and I did nothing but wait for the palpitation to stop. Lunch time came and it was still on. I tried to calm myself by watching a noontime TV talk show (Tessie Tomas was interviewing Cesar Montano), to no avail. I was more worried now than I was that morning. 

My pregnant wife managed to buy some lunch and I tried to eat. I took a few spoonfuls and that was it. Finally, I decided to be brought to the hospital. Now I had four worries--my pregnant wife, my job, my heart palpitation and the hospital bill. So off we went with my mom to Lung Center of the Philippines (we fetched my mom along the way). Why Lung Center? For some reason, I was more comfortable with that hospital than the Heart Center. Moreover, my cardiac doctor, who was never able to help me all the time that he was my doctor, was there. I still somewhat believed in him.

At the ER, a lady doctor saw me. As usual, I was interviewed to get a background of my medical history and my vital signs were checked. They prepared me for confinement, although they seemed to be at a loss about what to do with me. They didn't know what was wrong with me. 

Finger Strokes

Then the doctor told me to look to the left and caress or stroke the right side of my neck, up and down, with my left forefinger and middle finger, applying pressure 40 times. She said it might do the trick. So I did. After a long while, the palpitation stopped! It was about 6 pm. I felt in my body that everything was back to normal (it always feels like that right after a palpitation). No more palps, sweating, feeling cold, dizziness and difficulty breathing. I felt suddenly elated and strong. Life was happy again.

The doctor checked my vital signs and I was suddenly so normal. She looked puzzled. But there was a painful snap on my chest, like a vein or something was torn off inside. The doctor said it was a natural reaction after having palpitations for almost a day. "The pain will subside," she assured me and didn't look worried. So I was confident it was nothing. And indeed it was. The pain was gone after a while.

Thank God!

We went home so thankful to God for his mercy. I attributed it all to his grace and mercy. For some reasons, God allows things like that, but you can always depend on Him to do the best thing at the exact moment. The doctor told me that the next time it happens again, just apply the same finger stroke on the side of my neck. She cautioned me, though, not to apply it on both sides of my neck. And it seemed effective. When heart palpitations set in, the trick worked after a few minutes. I thought it was going to be the permanent remedy since then. Before you try that trick on you, however, ask your heart doctor first.

Lesson

The vital lesson here is never to get scared when palpitation strikes. That's among powerful lessons I learned during the first episodes of my palps. At the first sign of a palpitation, pray. Ask God to make it stop. Second, relax and think positive. Tell yourself at once, "It's just a palpitation. It will go away soon." Third, follow up with, "Nothing to worry about. God is with me to make me safe." After this, think only of nice things, especially that the palps will soon stop.

Never get scared!

Often visit this blog. I hope my story helps folks with palpitation problems.