I Thought Sure I Was Dying
By celticeagle
@celticeagle (166976)
Boise, Idaho
December 28, 2023 3:44am CST
I was watching my grandson playing a video game recently. He was in my room on my Roku TV with his Nintendo Switch. I was also bent over my laptop doing some comments on Mylot for the last three hours.
Suddenly my chest started hurting so badly I thought sure it would rip in two. I was in so much pain I thought I was having a heart attack. In between 'the girls' it felt as if someone was hitting me with a stake. (I'm not a vampire, darn it!) My grandson was asking me questions like "What can I do?" I had him get me some ice water. I drank so much cold water I didn't think my body could hold any more. I was even getting my arm tingling and numb feeling down in my fingers. I was dizzy and my head hurt.
More ice-cold water.
It just went on and on and WOULDN'T stop. The pain was enormous. About 10 minutes had gone by. I was just about ready to have him call 911.
Finally, it began to subside. I WAS going to make it through this.
I realized what was going on. It was an attack of pleurisy caused by my hunching over my laptop. Shame on me! I used to have these attacks along with gallbladder attacks. Oh! Those were killers.
So be sure to set it up straight. Girls out, shoulders back!
16 people like this
17 responses
@lazydaizee (6735)
• United Kingdom
28 Dec
I hope you are feeling better now. I have heard that bad posture can cause a lot of health conditions. I try to keep a good posture by walking around with a heavy book on my head for one or two minutes a few times each week. I know this sounds silly , but while I am trying to balance the book, I can feel my body straightening up and keeping everything how it should be. Of course this sort of exercise may not suit everyone depending on what conditions they suffer from.
3 people like this
@celticeagle (166976)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Dec
Yes, I am feeling better. It subsides slowly. Thanks for the input.
@GardenGerty (160665)
• United States
29 Dec
We used to practice walking like that to make us stand straight and tall.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (166976)
• Boise, Idaho
29 Dec
@GardenGerty .......Stretching helps with that.
1 person likes this
@aninditasen (16389)
• Raurkela, India
28 Dec
So it's always better to sit straight with your laptop in a proper position, a little higher, to avoid such pains and attacks.
2 people like this
@celticeagle (166976)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Dec
Not exactly but setting up straight is the ticket.
1 person likes this
@aninditasen (16389)
• Raurkela, India
29 Dec
@celticeagle Yes, but you have to stretch sometimes to avoid the stiffness of the back bone.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (166976)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Dec
I am fine now. Just have to remember to set up straight.
1 person likes this
@much2say (55606)
• Los Angeles, California
29 Dec
@celticeagle I think we all need to remember (so easy to over relax and forget 
).
).1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (89882)
• Arvada, Colorado
28 Dec
Oh my, this is very distressing Celt.
I bet you were quite scared.
I have never had that happen.
I also would have thought it was a heart attack.
Please take care.
I bet your Grandson was very worried.
Well, I had back problems and so on due to sitting in a cheap patio chair for years..
Could not afford to get a chair..
Finally got one this year..in order to sit up straight.
So important.
Would a proper chair fit in your room and help?
I bet your Grandson was very worried.
Well, I had back problems and so on due to sitting in a cheap patio chair for years..
Could not afford to get a chair..
Finally got one this year..in order to sit up straight.
So important.
Would a proper chair fit in your room and help?1 person likes this
@celticeagle (166976)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Dec
It scares me every time. I don't sit in a chair. I am on my bed.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (166976)
• Boise, Idaho
29 Dec
@RebeccasFarm .......My bed should have been trashed long ago. I have one spring that will jab me if I find it.
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (89882)
• Arvada, Colorado
29 Dec
@celticeagle I hope your bed is support enough then. I understand this.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (166976)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Dec
I am okay now. It is a wake-up call telling me to sit up straight.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (166976)
• Boise, Idaho
29 Dec
@LadyDuck ......I should have learned this long ago.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (471500)
• Switzerland
29 Dec
@celticeagle Often we do not realize how a bad position can cause serious problems.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317041)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
28 Dec
I had a pleurisy attack last week. I know exactly what you were going through. It was my first thought about what you described. I hadn't had an attack in a few years. I'm glad you didn't need to call 911. I'm glad you remembered to drink water. I forgot and rode out the pain.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (166976)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Dec
Yeah, you don't know when to expect them. They just come out of nowhere. I bet a lot of writers get them. Sorry, you had to experience one.
1 person likes this
@just4him (317041)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
28 Dec
@celticeagle You're right, they come out of nowhere. Thank you.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (160665)
• United States
29 Dec
I was wondering about that. Did not think of pleurisy but did wonder about maybe a gas bubble from bending over. I am glad you figured it out.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (166976)
• Boise, Idaho
29 Dec
Nope. When I went to the ER the first time it happened the doc diagnosed it as pleurisy.
@BarBaraPrz (47313)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
28 Dec
Drinking too much water in a short period of time can kill you, too, so be careful. Good thing your grandson was there to look after you, but I bet, if you had to get up and get your own water, the pain would have gone away sooner.
Take care of yourself.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (166976)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Dec
I am so thankful to have my grandson around.
Thanks Barb.
1 person likes this
@Tampa_girl7 (50250)
• United States
29 Dec
Thank goodness it wasn’t a heart attack. I’m glad that it eased.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (79858)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
29 Dec
Sorry for the scare you had to go through and glad it was nothing really bad. Thanks for explaining this, I hope all will be all right now. You reminded me that it was my mom who always advised me if I ever suddenly started feeling sick or strange to drink ice cold water.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (166976)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Dec
I've been having these attacks for about 25-30 years. It is a good wake-up call. That I need to set up straight.
1 person likes this
@marguicha (223010)
• Chile
28 Dec
Take care! I hope that you can manage it by yourself but if you can´t, go to see a doctor.
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (79858)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
29 Dec
That sure must have been scary and I am glad you are all right, Thanks for the explanation. It was my mom who always told me if I ever feel suddenly sick or strange to drink ice cold water,
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (178568)
• United States
28 Dec
How scary! I'm glad you know what it was.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (166976)
• Boise, Idaho
28 Dec
Yes, I have been getting them for years but each time is like a whole new experience.
1 person likes this
