Ouch!

So yesterday shortly after lunch I started getting some pain in my chest, and more specifically behind my heart.  It was a tightness feeling that hurt when I took a deep breath, straightened my back, coughed, or stretched out my left arm.  I initially thought it was a little gas bubble, but as the problem continued with NO relief I started wondering.

This morning I called the OB to see what they thought.  To much surprise they urged me to go to the ER right away.  The ER with my twins?  Huh?  Thankfully my sister was at home and up for watching them.  When I got to the ER they rushed me in right away and three nurses and the EKG man followed me.  Talk about scary!  Within 10 minutes or so I was checked-in, vitals done, as well as the EKG.  The doctor came in and said my EKG was okay, not perfect, but acceptable.  He said he heard a pretty substantial heart murmur.  I had been told I had a mild one off and on throughout my life, but this doctor said it was VERY noticeable and that sometimes pregnancy can make it worse.  They did blood work to rule out a heart attack, uhhh talk about scare me half to death.  Baby H was kicking away and probably was enjoying some down time.

The ticker seems to be okay, although the ER doc would like me to follow up with a cardiologist for an echo cardio gram sometime in the near future for the murmur.  Turns out my rib bones have shifted and are irritating the cartilage in my chest wall bone which is causing the pain.  It is a condition called costochondritis.  Usually is lasts 1 - 2 weeks, but who knows in this case.  Unfortunately I can only take Tylenol for the pain and try to avoid doing the things that irritate it.  I decided to rest when the boys rested today, so here I am cuddled up on my couch hoping to make this crazy thing go away.

I am VERY thankful that is all it was and it makes sense because the little dude is pushing on my rib bones.  Had I not been pregnant I guess this also comes on related to stress, but since I am pregnant the doctor assumes it is from the baby pushing on my ribs.  Either way I am planning to take it easy as I can with two 22 month olds.  Yup, bugs turned 22 months yesterday!  Their speaking and interacting with each other is totally mind boggling lately.