When NOT to speak “Minnesotan”!
When reading the description of the pain I was having, I had written: "discomfort".
ACKKKKKKKK!
Not right! I actually thought I could be having a heart attack.
And it appeared to me that very likely I was going to die.
And then I realized I wasn’t afraid of dying. It was the piercing pain streaking through my chest that caused me to be unable to breathe normally that made me wonder how long I could stand it.
It started...
It began after 9 p.m. when I had taken the dogs I was “babysitting” outside to do their “business”.... (“Minnesotan” for - you know what.)
The temperature was way below zero.
I didn’t dress as warmly as I do when feeding horses.
This task should be quicker.
But apparently not quick enough.
Later...
When I came back inside I noticed “discomfort” in my chest.
It got worse and I decided maybe the cold air had affected my body. So I went to bed with a heating pad.
When it kept getting worse I decided to make some notes as to my condition. I also considered that I might not get better and when someone would find me I wanted them to know what had happened.
What happens when people
die with their pets?
Then I had a flashback to a speaker I had heard: a medical examiner who explained what happened when bodies of folks who had pets were not found for several days.
It appears that the pets started eating their owners. Dogs went for fatty butts and little “Fluffy” the cat went for the face. Or the other way around. Or so I remembered.
I decided that the dogs I was taking care of were so big that there wouldn’t be much left of me.
I decided to make more notes.
But in the notes I didn’t explain the sharp stabbing pains that left me wondering if I would get enough air in to stay alive!
You see I’ve been raised “Minnesotan”!
And the pain didn’t reflect all the symptoms I had heard about heart attacks.
So I decided I would wait and see what happened.
I remember hearing local EMT’s warn that folks did not call them as soon as they should.
Guess we were all raised “Minnesotan”.
Later on...
After a few hours, the pain had subsided so I could breathe through my mouth a little better.
It was in the morning that I finally contacted a friend to talk over the situation. We decided to go to the hospital and get some tests run.
I avoid doctors as much as I can... except for being good friends. I’ve found that although they may be good at their craft, I’ve had many incorrect diagnoses over the years that left me struggling. But who knows how many times I spoke “Minnesotan” and they didn’t understand!
But this time we worked together and the test results relieved me.
Back home...
So I’m back doing chores on the farm.
Although I’ve been sleeping on the couch with the Christmas tree lights on instead of going to my own bed and reliving the pain.
So my wish for you this New Year is that you find peace and love and health!
It means the same when you're speaking “Minnesotan”!
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