Taking care of YOU (post about women's health) | Go-Go Kim

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Sunday, December 8, 2019

Taking care of YOU (post about women's health)

When is a heart attack not a heart attack? When it is pneumonia 🙌🏻

Why am I posting about this happening? The reason is something that many of we women can relate to, not listening to your body!






What does the embroidery above have to do with my story? It does later into the post, I promise!

I have been feeling unwell for weeks (literally cannot get out of bed) and then Friday morning I had SO MUCH PAIN in my chest! Like A LOT! But, you know, I had things to do! Ain’t nobody got time for this! I had the in house kid to take here and there, groceries to buy, sewing, cleaning, dog walking, and then there is Christmas...OMG! So much to DO!!!!!!

How many times have you "pushed through" that exhaustion, pain or whatever because of what had to be done?

After a few hours, the pain did not go away and it was in my back and neck too. CRAP!

I was working on getting the swap partners out for the SWAPmob #holidayhangover pouch swap with my amazingly awesome friend Natalie Santini and asked, "Can I ask you a medical question?" She knows about stuff like that and I trust her opinion. I told her how tired I was (have been complaining to her for weeks about my exhaustion) and the pain in my chest and she was like “DUDE, go to the ER!”

Me being someone who has WAY too much to do (hand up if this is you too), didn’t like that answer so I told her I would call my Dr. To be clear, I DID value her opinion and KNEW she was right but I was STILL so focused on all of the stuff that apparently had to be done only by ME, I didn't want to listen.

I did listen to her when I told her that I would call my dr in an hour after they opened and she said, THEY OPEN in 15 MINUTES! In 15 minutes, I called. When I told the office what was happening, i was put on hold. The next voice on the phone was my Dr, she left a patient to get on the phone with me to say, “ Go to the ER!” I knew I had to! My Dr is tiny and fierce! ⁣




I called the in house engineer to home from work because I  did put enough thought into if I was having a heart attack that driving was STUPID! 


So off my happy (not really) bum went to the hospital. If you have chest pain, you earn a spot at the head of the line! I was so thankful for that on Friday. They did not treat me as though I was wasting their time (this is one of my biggest fears).

Lots of tests an X-ray and scan revealed that I had "schmutz" on my lung. I missed that day at medical school (all the other days too) but was told that I had pneumonia. The pain was this stuff!

I have autoimmune issues and have a suppressed immunity so I earned an overnight stay with my very own room where I was filled with tons of iv antibiotics had so many visitors throughout the night with nebulizer treatments, vampires and lovely (and I mean that sincerely) nurses that have taken the BEST care of me! ⁣

Back to the original photo, see there really is a tie in ;) When leaving the house, I grabbed my bag that had this happy piece. The in house engineer thought I was crazy but it helped pass the time, was calming. While in the ER, I was able to teach a nurse how to do a blind hem stitch! In my room, this little piece of joy inspired a couple more people to pick embroidery up again💫


⁣I am back home now with even more antibiotics (the count is now to 5) and in my own bed. I also have a fun new toy that is supposed to force me to cough and a couple of souvenir bracelets!







The moral of this story is:


If your body is telling you to STOP 🛑 Please listen! We, as people, NEED to listen to our bodies!

Also, I didn’t have a fever, I was not even coughing. I was in pain and I felt like I could not move nor could I walk upstairs without heavy breathing. Not everyone is the same. Not everyone is textbook 📚



If you don't want to listen to you, ask someone you trust and be willing to ACCEPT what they say!  When your sassy bossy boots friend (looking at you Natalie Santini, my love) tells you to GO NOW! Listen 💕❤️ 


Yes, I look like crap but this is real life!

This is me today and probably for the next 2 weeks. Handing the wheel over to the other people in the house is THE HARDEST THING EVER but has to be done. I am convincing myself that it is not an act of rebellion nor is it selfish. Seeing everything that needs to be done or things I want to do is pure TORTURE! 

My AHA moment in ALL of THIS...Understanding that the voices saying that I CAN do these things if I "just push through" are, in reality, the selfish ones is something I am going to have some time to work on. the idea that *I* am the only one that is capable or knowledgeable enough is pure poppycock!

Love yourself and those around you by taking care of YOU! Personally, I LOVE having you in my life so PLEASE take care of you!

Now that I have surrendered to this place of immobility (say HELLO to NO GO KIM), please leave some ideas of what to do in the comments below to help me get through the next 2-3 weeks.



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15 comments

Robby said...

I saw this on IG and send you healing thoughts and prayers. Been there and it isn't fun, but being a dutiful patient has rewards, like a speedier return to health. Hand sewing as you already know, maybe knitting or crochet (YouTube is your friend if these aren't current skills). Read some of those "for fun" books you've been saying you'd get to. Most of all? While you'll need to move around some, allow yourself to take naps as often as you need so your body can use that time to keep healing you. Have someone help rustle up all the things that make a cozy, comfy space or two for you to just rest in so you rest well instead of "making do". And you know, all the stuff will either be there later or the urgency will have passed after you are better. Which I hope is soon.

PS Expect re-entry to take several days of doing something and then resting and then doing something. It's frustrating, but important, and it shines a light on what really needs to be accomplished.

Go-Go Kim said...

Thank you Robbie!!!! That is a GREAT idea! I need to start a nesting list!!!!!

ikceb said...

Glad to hear you went, didn’t have a heart attack and are taking care of yourself!

My sister had a heart attack, 52 yrs old. New Year’s Day will be the second anniversary. Her pain was not in the chest but in her left shoulder area and very intense. Her cardiologist told her to remember that pain because that is what a heart attack feels like for you. It might be different for you or me. So don’t ignore chest pain or other sorts of pain!

Rest welll!

mpv61 said...

Hi, Kim!

My suggestion for what to do between naps is planning quilts. Not the kind of planning that takes a lot of thought and math, but the kind that requires graph paper and colored pencils. Draw a bunch of possibilities for HSTs or draw a bunch of possibilities for strips. Draw a little landscape that maybe you'd turn into a quilt one day.

Think a bit about the year coming up. Do you want a little daily challenge for yourself? What might the possibilities be for that?

If at any point, it gets too hard, you're thinking too much.

I'm glad it wasn't a heart attack! Wishing you a speedy recovery, and that you will take breaks when you need them! :)

Go-Go Kim said...

@Ikecb,

I am so very sorry for your loss. Great advice! No one is textbook!

Go-Go Kim said...

@Mpv61,

Love the planning idea! Wishing I had a planner to make good use of this time! You are brilliant!

robynsews said...

It's so hard to put aside all the details and focus on just yourself and try to heal. I'm really glad that you are listening to your body and your friends and family. I love the nesting idea. I hope you can "feather" a lovely space for yourself.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery. And a Healthy New You!

Kerry said...

Ooh crikey! Thank goodness for friends! Glad you are on the road to recovery - don't race to the finish line though! But yes, I too do not practice what I preach and just get on with things, trouble is I also have a very high pain threshold which isn't good, because when I feel anything, it's probably really bad!

Gene Black said...

You already know how I feel about this (reference my FB comment-LOL)

I am glad you are doing better and RESTING. I confess that I am not good at resting. I need to make a couple of project bags that I can grab for times when I know I will be "stuck in rest mode."
I suggest catching up on some reading - your choice but make it a guilty pleasure for best results.

For the sake of the comment readers here I will repeat:
Heart attacks in women tend not to express as clearly as in men. It isn't worth the risk to say "Oh, it may be nothing" because it MAY be something that is time sensitive.

Diane Beavers said...

Hi Kim,
Oh my goodness you need lots of hugs and TLC so I’m virtually giving ya some:) Guilty here too thinking it will go away. I appreciate your post about this and being so forthright.
1)Take care of you. Watch Old movies, cry your eyes out.

2) Make your Christmas cards or greeting cards to send here and there. Everyone loves a card in the mail. Fabric scraps can be glued if you can’t figure out how to put your sewing machine on a TV tray lol.
3)Count your blessings. You certainly are a blessing to me.

We’ve got to get you well to continue the Swap Mob duties. Also hope to see you at Mid Atlantic Quilt Festival in Hampton this February:)

bluestarof2(at)yahoo(dot)com

Cool Lizzie said...

KimKimKIM! Thanks for sharing your situation with us - SHEESH. Okay - this happened to me in my late 40s and also turned out to be NOT a heart attack (a pulled chest muscle instead - whew), but yeah - RIGHT to the front of the line in the ER!
SO - I disagree with "DOING" things - I say lay there listening to audio books, drifting in and out of naps ALL.DAY.LONG. Trying to stay Go-Go Kim - NOPE - nopety nopenopeNOPE. It's boring, but only at first - then you adjust and ahhhhhhh. I don't really know you - yet ;) - so this is pretty bossy, considering, but pneumonia is exhausting. Allowing your mind to rest will allow your body to rest and heal. Gigantic, calm hug and virtual bowls of soup from the Wild West! And, thx for getting the swapmob partnering done - your duty is finished! xox

Anja @ Anja Quilts said...

So glad you are okay. Do take it easy.

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