Hi everyone,
Right now I'm shivering in a hospital gown as I recover from an angiogram.
I have moderate emphysema spiced often with quite severe, but intermittent chest pain. Typically this pain occurs when I'm under external stress (e.g. making a presentation to a public body, 40 mins + of sedentary IT work, having a row with my Spaniel), rather than with physical exertion.. It manifests itself has a dull and heavy pressure upon the centre of my chest and has the force to become debilitating.
Initial results from the angiogram suggests my arteries are clear and it's therefore unlikely to be the angina that was first suspected. I really don't believe it is psychosomatic either. Emphysema not withstanding, I'm solvent, happily married and very grateful to be retired . Together this ought to make me as stress free as this whacked out world allows.
Does anyone have any knowledge of how chronic emphysema affects the heart? Would anyone care to hazard a new diagnosis born of this knowledge? I have no time whatever for co-morbidity and would much prefer my deeply dysfunctional relationship with Emphysema, to be my only health concern.