Random thing about chest pains.

[CardioClay]

Jamie is here.

Okay, sometimes I'm stupid and wake up late on school days (20 min. till the bus comes, maybe?) and I'm rushing and in that rush, I forget to take my meds. I seem fine on the bus and morning but when it's 11:10 AM and I have to go upstairs for Spanish class, my chest starts to hurt. I pass it by but when I have gym in the afternoon, it hurts more.

I'm thinking that it's part of my HCM symptoms. If I don't take my meds and I do something active (or walking upstairs), it happens. I was bothering me for a few days now so I had to write it down.



Oh and I got a dog!

[Dewayne]

I know what you're saying about forgetting those crazy meds. I have taken some extra in to my office so if I forget them, I have a supply waiting on me in my desk drawer. My wife's idea wouldn't you know!!

Hang in there and congrats on getting a dog!!

[Reenie]

Ask your parents about having the school nurse keep a small supply of your meds on hand for the days you forget to take them at home. That might help. And congrats on the dog! What kind is it? Boy or girl? What's the name? :)

Reenie

[CardioClay]

I do have meds in the nurse's office but when I get to school, I forget about it completely...heh.


My new dog's name is Chipper and he's 4 years old.

[Cynaburst]

Jamie - Could you stash some extra meds in your school backpack so that if you forget to take them in the morning, you can just take them whenever you remember or start to feel bad?

[cimdxb2]

I am convinced there is an enhanced set of symptoms w/HCM'rs when their anxiety level is raised. I can't put my finger on it, but it just simply happens. Example would be going out to lunch w/the boss. He parks his car about 50 yards from the lunch place entrance. Normally I can make a 50 yard walk w/out issues (a little out of breath, but still can make it that far). But w/him next to me, my mind starts to do the "what if's". Next thing I know my anxiety level is raised and my symptoms are more prevelent.

Maybe this is all my imagination, but perception is everything :)

I do agree with the rest of the peeps. Make some stashes wherever possible.

Dave

[met]

Wal-Mart sells a well-designed pill case -- rectangular, fold-over, with 5 separate compartments on one side and one big compartment on the other. Comes in a lot of different colors. I keep a week's worth of meds in it for the "just in case" times (one day per slot, 2 days in the big slot) -- because that way when I forget to refill it after each just-in-case, there's still plenty left. :-)

I keep the pill case in my briefcase, which I always have with me. That way, if I get stuck late at work, or forget the morning meds, I've got backup. It's just like the "stash" that others suggested, but it's always with me instead of stashed around.

Also, when I travel, I don't need to worry about forgetting to pack my meds, since my briefcase is always with me. Of course, that's a "guy" solution. If you always have a pocketbook or backpack with you, same thing.

--Mark

[everlastingbaby]

I always have my pills on me.
my heart pills, both kinds of migrane pills, and my knee meds.
I never know when I am going to spend the night at a friends or be out really late.

I used to always forget my meds and now that i carry them with me at all times I haven't forgotten them at all. I also used to get those same symptoms when I would forget my meds so yeah just start carrying some on you or putting them in your locker where you will see them that way if you get to school and you see them you remember if you forgot to take them.

[Sarah]

I set the alarm in my cell phone to go off when i should take my pills. you may not be allowed to take a cell phone to school but if you have a watch with an alarm or a pda, you could do the same thing.

and yes, chest pains are a symptom of HCM even though some doctors still don't think it is. hah.

[Toogoofy317]

I am horrible at remembering my meds. My PDA just krapped out almost had a meltdown from that. That is my brain and when I was up north it was catastrophic because I never could get to my back pack in the car because we were walking all over the place. Two things saved me I always have to more than one back up Murphy's law always applies to me. The first one our darling Lisa maybe able to help out with. The HCMA keychains that I got in 2002 is in the shape of a heart and when you flip it half of it is a pill case and half of it is a flash lilght! Everyone sees it on my back pack and asks me about it so I get a chance to tell them about hcm. The other is a keychain from wallgreen's that is small but big enough for a few pills and goes unnoticed.

Hope this helps. Think I'm gonna try to do some cpr on my palm pilot and try and revive it.

Mary S.

[FennieMac]

Hey, no fair! Nobody sent me a HCMA pill box. Probably because when I got an account, I was in research mode, not belonging to a group mode. I probably don't have a profile or anything.

I think rules are very important--like if I'd done more than get an account and a password, I might have a cool pill box. However, I follow rules most of the time, but I believe in moderation in all things, including moderation. This philosophy keeps me from doing extreme things most of the time but also allows me to break the rules occasionally, or often, or lots of the time....

my daughter, husband and father-in-law have HCM, so genetically, I'm probably out of the loop but I'm still part of the soup.

FennieMac

[Toogoofy317]

I had to work for my little pill box. Well, it was more fun than work. I got the great pleasure of being with Lisa and Linda at the AHA meeting when it was down here in Orlando. I learned a great deal and got to speak with a lot of the hcm gurus.

I am always one to break rules. If I went by the rules I don't think I'd be here today.

Mary S.

[Linda]

Yes Mary - You more than earned that little pill box. We thank you again - Linda

[FennieMac]

AT LAST!! Someone else who isn't a rule follower! I follow most of the rules most of the time but I just can't keep it up all the time. Especially when doctors don't know about the rare diseases my family has and the schools don't WANT to know how to treat Asperger's Syndrome or dyslexia and they make a kid who has all that and HCM want to die.

On NPR, the other day, an Italian was talking about how the rest of the world sees a red light and they stop. For an Italian, a red light is an opportunity for an internal debate as to whether to stop or not.

We are not alone!