The Health Chronicles of Mark Part Uno

Monday, November 12th, 2018 started out like any other Monday. I arrived at work and began making final preparations to go to Boise, Idaho for a quick business trip lasting a day and a half. I was going to fly out the following morning. I had just spoken to my supervisor about my presentations for the following day and made it back to my desk. That was all I remember about that morning in the office. 

I quietly and gradually awoke with a rush of something hitting me in the chest; this wasn’t an external rush, but an internal one. I also heard a few people talk about administering something called “Adenosine”, and if this didn’t work, they were going to have to pull out “the paddles”. As my heart rate lowered to a more normal rhythm and cadence, I became more and more aware of my surroundings. I was lying on a bed in the emergency room of a hospital.

I was told I had a seizure at work at got rushed to the hospital. My heart rate had been 150 beats per minute as I was lying on the hospital table. I was unresponsive and needed the Adenosine to slow my heart down, as I was experiencing supraventricular tachycardia. What followed was a long list of tests as I had never had a seizure before and no reason to necessarily be in the hospital. I had an electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) on my heart, a computed tomography (CT) scan of my brain, an Xray on my chest and blood work performed. 

Airin visiting and more chest hair than you ever wanted to see

The hospital I was at did not have a cardiology department, so after I stabilized a little, they transported me to another hospital to see a cardiologist. At this point I don't think they knew exactly why I had my seizure.

I bit down so hard on my tongue during my seizure that it was bruised for a few weeks

I met the new cardiologist and underwent more tests. I had an electroencephalogram (EEG) on my brain and what seemed like drawing blood every four hours. New people would come and poke/prod me often. I remember lying in the hospital bed in my gown quietly wondering what on earth happened to me and how I ended up there. It was a very surreal moment. 

I never felt more like Medusa with all these cords coming off my head. Also, Ursula, for some reason

Possible Causes

I mentioned all those tests I had earlier. The CT scan of my brain came back clear with no concerns (thank the Good Lord!). Everything looked normal in my X-ray. The EEG on my brain revealed I had no epileptic tendencies. My blood tests showed elevated levels of a few things, but overall, things were relatively normal. What could have caused the seizure?

Although I had no issues with my EEG, the neurologist who visited with me had some concern for me possibly having obstructive sleep apnea. Due to my weight and how much I snored at night, it was a real possibility. Airin had noticed times when I would stop breathing while I was sleeping. Because of the obstruction of tissue in my throat, I did not get enough oxygen nor rest while I slept. And while the doctors never told me what the reason for the seizure was, my uneducated and arm-chair-physician conclusion is obstructive sleep apnea. 

Sleep Study

I ended up going to have a sleep study a month later, also known as a polysomnography. A sleep study is certainly a little inconvenient. I was a bit nervous and started joking with the sleep study attendant that his job seemed like a perfect fit for Sting as there are a bunch of monitors on your body (almost from head to toe) and cameras in the room. I am sure he got that all the time, ha. 

Paying someone to watch me sleep while being chained to my bed

After a crappy night of sleep and a few weeks later, it was confirmed that I had obstructive sleep apnea. I got a Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) machine. Although it is a little uncomfortable, it has been incredibly beneficial in my life. I would much rather feel like a jet-fighter pilot and wake up more refreshed than sleep without one and wake up more tired than I was when I went to bed and have tension headaches all day. 

If you made it all the way here and have any symptoms, I highly recommend going to see a doctor about diagnosing sleep apnea. It is a serious condition and affects so many parts of your health. 

I am thankful for all the doctors and nurses and hospital staff that took care of me during my two-night stay in the hospital. I am thankful for family who have supported me and have  listened to my health chronicles. I am very blessed to still be here on earth.  

My sister and brother-in-law visited me!

I will probably be following up with other elements of my recovery with another part of my health journey soon. I definitely glossed over a lot of little details from both before and after my stay in the hospital.