July 23, 2025
Welcome back!
My symptoms are on the agenda today. They seem to be the main focus the last few days. It’s as if my brain and body are playing a game of Survivor... Trying to outwit, outsmart, and outguess each other. Survivor fans will understand.
Today’s “Guess the symptom’s cause” is due to the recent headaches and facial pressure. I’m sure the headache is connected to not wearing my CPAP the last two nights, but it’s been causing nasal stuffiness shortly after putting it on. Taking it off defeats helping the apnea, but I have to take it off so I can actually breathe. Headaches could be due to a number of things: stress in my shoulders and neck from being at the computer quite a bit the last few days, neck damage from whiplash in my 20s due to a car accident (my neck has been deteriorating ever since), or it could be low iron, hormone fluctuations, and more. The list, as usual, is long.
That said, sinus issues and the facial pressure coincide with HaTs flares, so it’s a good chance HaTs it is. However, I question—is the off-balance feeling due to the pressure in my face/sinuses, or is that a deeper issue? I’ll get to that in a second. In case you haven’t guessed where I’m heading, it’s to possible heart issues. If I have to be completely honest, I would say it’s a bit of both.
Just this morning, in one of my many Facebook groups, someone brought up sinus pressure and dizziness they were nervous about. Knowing others are having the same symptoms, selfishly, makes me feel a bit calmer when my symptoms feel overwhelming. These two tend to appear more in the summer and get worse each year.
Moving on, my heart. A couple of years ago, I had an ECG done at Acute Care. This was done before I had my HaTs diagnosis. They noticed something “abnormal” in my ECG, scared the crud out of me, and sent me to the ER for further testing. In the end, I received a blurb on my medical chart stating “probable left atrial enlargement.” No one seemed concerned after that. I had just been through one of the scariest nights of my life, thinking I was about to die or have heart surgery (yes, my brain went to extremes), and they didn’t even think it was worth a discussion with me. I’ve researched LAE and I do, in fact, have the majority of symptoms.
Folks, I need to get off my butt and exercise. I know this. Physically, I’ve been “lazy” while my mind has been partaking in extreme gymnastics. The brain workout keeps me sharp, but my body becomes more fatigued, leading to becoming less and less active. They say there’s no time like the present to start fresh... I am the only one who can change my activity level. It’s time to start.
There it is in a nutshell—the ailments and concerns for today. Time for Tylenol to see if it is strong enough to relieve the head, neck, and shoulder pain. If not, I’ll bust out some Advil. It’s tough knowing Advil will take ALL the aches and pains away, but needing to use it as a last resort due to high blood pressure.
As I learn to navigate this blog, I promise there will be more than just my personal journal. I’m so very glad you stopped by. Feel free to say hello!! Have a wonderful day!!
Until next time,
Nan
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