Down time

After 4 and a quarter hours of exams today, James arrived home looking wrecked.  He has another two exam sessions tomorrow - 2 hours in the morning and similar in the afternoon.  The heat doesn't help either (it topped 28 degrees here today).

He has been practising his guitar this evening and playing me some great songs too - it's a good way for him to de-stress.

As for my trip to the cardiologist... what a waste of bloody time.

My 24 hour ECG results have been 'misplaced' and weren't with my file.
The doctor told me the echocardiogram showed there were no problems with the structure of my heart, so as far as she was concerned there was "nothing up" with my heart.

Red rag to a bloody bull...

"But how can you categorically say there is nothing wrong when you haven't seen my ECG results?  When it appears that the betablockers have significantly reduced my heart rate?  When I continue to experience dizziness on standing, sometimes on walking, sometimes when sitting down?  Surely there could be a problem with the electrical impulses?"

"Well, yes there could but the heart isn't causing your problem"

"BUT HOW DO YOU KNOW THAT?"

There then followed perhaps the most ridiculous suggestion ever.

"You need to make lifestyle changes to reduce the incidences of dizziness"

"Such as?"

"Sitting down more"  (I kid you not)

"But I am a teacher"

"You can teach whilst sitting down"

"No, really, it doesn't work like that"

"Of course it does.  You have computers nowadays - use a PowerPoint presentation"

My head was really close to spinning around when she said the following...

"At least you can sit down for your job.  I treated a hairdresser once because she was experiencing fainting and dizziness because she was standing for long periods of time.  In the end, she had to stop being a hairdresser.  So its lucky that you can sit down and you won't have to change your job"

My tongue is still sore from biting it.

However, she did agree to refer for a tilt test (which is essentially what my own GP requested back in September when she referred me after the trip in an ambulance!).

So, I am none the wiser, I am angry that I didn't say "No, that isn't good enough".  I am angry that I forgot to mention some other symptoms that might be relevant. 

Could be worse though, right?

Yep, it is - still in pain.  Worrying that my GP is going to think I am a royal pain in the arse and that this is all in my head.

Not good.

I have resorted to alcohol (1 glass of very cold Chenin Blanc) this evening.