For several days I had trouble taking deep breaths – hurt too much in my right lung area. Friday I stopped at a walk in clinic to get it checked out. I suspected pleurisy. Dr checked me out, did x-ray and said had to rule out blood clot with CT scan, so left clinic, drove to lab, got stuck in 5 pm traffic and pain kept getting worse. Had CT scan and while waiting to see if blood clot, kept having more severe pain only able to take shallow breaths. Didn’t have blood clot so started drive back. Pain MUCH worse, only very shallow breathing so called my daughter to meet me and headed back to clinic. Saw doctor again, who decided that as diabetic, pain could be caused by heart problems and said with diabetics, heart pain could show up even on right side. Dr ran ekg (which was normal). Dr asked if I had family nearby and I told him daughter was on the way. He wanted her phone #, called and told her if she wasn’t nearby, he was putting me in ambulance. Fortunately she got there in time to drive me to ER. All she had to say was diabetic and chest pain and everybody got busy. Another x-ray, EKG, and blood draws, etc. I kept telling them all I thought it was pleurisy, but they didn’t listen. Got hooked up to oxygen, IV, etc and FINALLY got pain med so I could breathe. Kept me overnight for observation and with blood taking, etc. Saturday am – had stress test. Me still saying I think it’s pleurisy. Spent all day Saturday being monitored. FINALLY at 3 pm, dr comes in and says "I suspect you have pleurisy. I’m giving you steroids and pain meds and you can go home.
So, bottom line – they should have listened to me in the 1st place. Good news is my heart is perfectly fine. Bad news is pleurisy hurts like h3ll but am feeling better and loving the pain meds.
This is the longest post I have ever made and if you made it this far – thanks for letting me vent.