Saturday, March 21, 2009

Walking through the Pain~ angina attacks


The angina attacks I am experiencing are a part of my life right now. It is what it is. I am doing EXCELLENT when I have one and I am able to 'walk through it' because I know what it is and what is bringing it on. Usually the attack appears when I am stressed, extremely warm (hot as in heat) or I breathe very cold air and it can be a mixture stress/heat or stress/cold (those are the bad ones!!!). I have to stop what I am doing, sit down and center myself and begin breathing (small cleansing breath) and call on my divine helpers. I can not tell you how quickly I move in to a space of calm and the attack just disappears. Below I posted some medical info about Angina. an-jun-a or an-ji-na (either way is the correct way to say it)

Angina Pectoris or Angina

Angina pectoris is a precursor to a heart attack. Usually, what happens is this: During physical exertion, during stress or an emotionally charged situation, in cold weather or after a big meal, the heart beats faster. Heart requires more oxygenated blood flow to the heart muscle to maintain the beating. But if the channels by which the blood and oxygen flow to the heart are narrowed, not enough nutrients get to the heart muscle tissue. It suffers oxygen deficiency, and the heart tells you about this with a pain called angina pectoris.
The pain is quite distinct. It is described as: "a heavy, strangulating, suffocating experience-far more intense than anything like indigestion, chest wall injuries, pleurisy or spasms of the esophagus that you are familiar with. The pain may seem to start under the breastbone, on the left side of the chest, and sometimes radiates out to other places: throat, neck, jaw, left shoulder and arm and, occasionally, on to the right side.

Angina is an intense, scary episode. But with rest and calm (or by placing nitroglycerin or another kind of nitrate under the tongue), angina attacks usually go away in about 15 minutes or so. If they last longer than that, go to the hospital and have a thorough check up. Long-lasting angina attacks may be the prelude to heart attacks.

I have moved out of the fear that it is a prelude to a heart attack.....I just 'walk myself through it' and I have not had another MI by doing this. I do not do nitrates or any other drugs to help with the pain. I am so proud of myself!!!!!! YEA!!!

Heart Blessings~
Desiree

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