Before this all started, I was just a regular guy, living life as best we can, great job, great family everything was going pretty well. consultant (team leader) for a large IT solutions company ranked number 2 in Europe. I had a few very high profile clients, who require there systems to be up and running 24/7. I didn't have to cover nights but my team did. With a full head count at times i would be in charge of a team of 40. you can imagine how stressful that was.
My biggest fault was probably overworking just as most of us do. lots of late night at work, which was pretty stressful. I had a bout of flu, in December 2002, nothing to worry about, although as soon as that went, I got a chest infection, then more flu, so by march my body was pretty run down.
So one morning i woke up as normal, started getting ready for work, but really wasn't feeling so great, but as it was only a few days since I was last off sick, I was going to push myself and go into work (why ??). I left home and walked about 100yards, i stopped in my tracks and thought this is not right, I feel awful. I was so tired, like I had not slept for days my chest hurt a little, but i didn't pay attention to that. I went home and made an emergency appointment for my doctor. within minutes my doctor sent me off the A & E. to get checked out, my head started racing....OMG is this a heart attack, I am sure anyone who saw me that day would of said I went white, I felt the life drain out of me. the young doctor I saw had a good poke around, took blood and x-rays, then finally came back and said, its appears to be 'Pleurisy' he gave me 3 weeks worth of antibiotics and said it should be clear quickly. So i went home thinking what the hell is Pleurisy. So I went home and googled it. serious but not too bad.
Well would you believe it, 3 days later I still feel real tired, and now my chest is hurting like crazy, i am now getting real worried, so back to Hospital I go, more tests more poking, as my chest hurt so much they sent me for an ECG. Just to make things worse, the nurse who was looking after me, said she was a little worried, because my ECG was not normal, (scaring me to death). she went off to find a doctor, who quickly came back and explained, that afro Caribbean people had a slightly different ECG result and everything was on not to worry, but they wanted to keep me in for observation.
They kept me for a week, in that time I think every doctor came to see me, they were concerned it may be my heart, but could not find anything as all the tests came back with me being fine. They eventually decided I had "Pericarditis" that was really worrying, because it indicated there was a problem with my heart, well the sack around my heart. But nevertheless my chest still hurt like hell. The pumped me full of meds and sent me home saying it should all clear up in a few weeks. don't worry Mr Taylor, iy odour heart is fine, we just need to reduce the imflamation.
Well as you can probably guess, a few weeks later and my chest was the same, I was visiting my GP every week, for meds. Visiting the consultants every few weeks. Cardiology could not understand while I was still in so much pain, they refered me to rheumatology, but they were just as bad, I would visit, them and all that happened was a change in my medication, which always worked for a little while and then, the pain flared up. I would end up back in hospital with
The doctors looking at me wondering what to do. It was like my chest pains was a real mystery.
Now a lesson I learnt was " don't be afraid to ask questions" it took me a while to work out, that the doctors didn't know what was wrong with me. They would look at me and give me little information about what was wrong. I guess as they didn't know what was wrong, they didn't want to panic me any more than I was. But everyone kept asking me what was wrong! And I would just answer 'not a clue, my chest just hurts'
I have had all the test including, CT, MRI, Ultra Sound, ECG, Bone scan, Angiogram and others.
It took until the angiogram was done, before cardiology finished with me, saying my heart was fine. Leaving me wondering what am I supposed to do now. They referred me back to rheumatology who just poked, and prodded, and gave me more pills. Diagnosis was now, musculoskeletal pain. I think it was a least a year of visiting the hospital, with this problem. I had a few strips to the emergency room, whe the pain flared up really bad, I haD to do this as my symptoms were the same as what you would have if you was having a heart attack.
Still unsure as to what was going on, rheumatology decided to for restpitary physio as I was having problems breathing. This was kinda cool learning to breathe but funny I did actually learn to control my breathing. With this the doctors thought perhaps it was all in my head, they didn't tell me that out right, but refered me to a physiatrist, once again someone who didn't know what was going on. He decided my pain was real and not in my head, but I need help controlling how I deal with this illness, he gave me pills to control the the way I manaage the pain, he was concerned that I was not handling my situation well, because having this condition for so long I should reall be depressed. Not me I don't do depression I keep my mind positive. Although now writing this I am suffering from clinical depression.
Back to rheumatology because this pain was not my heart, but what was the problem, still not sure I had loads of pain, with no real reason. So I was referred to the pain clinc, they were sure they could fix the pain and get me back to work. We tried Acupuncture for 6weeks, that had no effect, tried TENS machine, that was kinda fun, but it did not really control the pain, them the special creme which I rubbed in, where I felt the pain, but that didn't work. So the pain clinic sent me back to rheumatology. Frustrated with this having pain with no real answer. I was given more pills, which seem to help manage the pain. But even with the highest amount of these pills the pain just did not go away. And now I had proper depression as my world was falling apart.
I think I spent a year on the meds, controlling the pain, by resting, and being careful not to over do things as the more I do the more the pain grows. In the end, I used my private medical cover to see a new rheumatologist which wasa really good, I finally found a doctor who explain exactly what was wrong. He touch my chest and found the exact place the pain started from, he did an MRI and X-rays, then he showed me what he saw and he explain I had 'Costochondrits' I went home and looked it up on google... And here I am, suffering with this Chronic disease waiting for it to one day disappear. But until then here I am.
Pleurisy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pleurisy
Pleurisy (also known as pleuritis) is an inflammation of the pleura, the lining of the pleural cavity surrounding the lungs.Pericarditis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pericarditis
Pericarditis is an inflammation of the pericardium (the fibrous sac surrounding the heart). A characteristic chest pain is often present. Costochondritis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costochondritis
Costochondritis is a benign inflammation of the costal cartilage, which is a length of cartilage which connects each rib,
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