Christmas With No Presents

Thought-provoking post about what matters (and doesn’t) in this holiday season.

http://www.yesmagazine.org/article.asp?id=3042

Pomegranate Phone

Who needs visions of sugar-plums when you have the Pomegranate Phone instead?  I know what I want in my stocking this Christmas.

[via Daring Fireball]

Fun at the Urgent Treatment Center

So I don’t have to tell the story of my eventful afternoon fifty more times:

Last night, I drank two large cups of coffee on an empty stomach, which is mildly unwise but normally not much of a problem.  I ended up a bit more hyped and jittery than I expected, but didn’t worry about it much, and was able to go to sleep in a reasonable amount of time.  When I woke up this morning, though, I started having symptoms resembling a panic attack (accelerated heartrate, trembling, shortness of breath, chest pain, and lightheadedness), except they persisted for an hour and a half (instead of the typical 10 minutes or so).  I thought it was strange, as I have no history of panic attacks or anxiety, but there’s a first time for everything, right?

I eventually made it to work, and within a few hours the symptoms had disappeared, except for ongoing chest pain.  I was planning to ignore it, but my dear roommate worried and nagged enough that by 3:00, when it still felt weird to breathe, I caved and went to the Urgent Treatment Center.  They listened to my breathing, took my blood pressure, temperature, etc, and I was fine.  So they put little electrodes all over me and did an EKG, and that was fine too.  So they went to draw blood for a couple tests, and that’s where the fun really started.

I don’t much like needles, but I’ve never passed out, and I don’t get queasy easily (as opposed to friends who pass out at the sight of my blood *cough*James*cough*).  However, I have what may quite possibly be the least cooperative veins ever.  You can stick a needle in perfectly, and yet not get a drop of blood.  Or you’ll get half of the blood you need, and then it’ll suddenly stop flowing.  I warned the nurse, who didn’t really believe me until she had to give up and call another nurse in there, who stuck a little tiny needle in (as opposed to a big one) and finally got a little drip after tinkering for several minutes.

I remember us being about halfway done with the blood draw, and then next thing I remember is being completely panicked and confused.  I couldn’t remember who I was, what was happening, or why in the world people were running around in a tizzy.  After what seemed a lifetime of total disorientation, I started putting the pieces together and realized I’d passed out (apparently for a good 20-30 seconds).  Oops.  That was certainly an unpleasant feeling, and one I hope not to repeat anytime soon.

They stuck me on oxygen for 15 minutes, then they took my blood pressure, and it was significantly lower than earlier.  So they kept me on oxygen for another 15 minutes and started muttering about another EKG.  By this time I was feeling just peachy, and explained to the nice worried doctor that my family has low blood pressure, that the only reason it was high before was because I came straight from work, and that I promised I only passed out because they took a gallon of blood from me, and that it wouldn’t happen again as I drove home.

So they decided I was ok after all.  I’m probably just really sensitive to caffeine all of a sudden.  Chest pain would be a result of my heartrate being escalated for a good 12 hours, and as long as I behave myself in the future I shouldn’t have any more problems.  Decaf, here I come.