When Your Vagus Nerve Decides to Go Rogue (Again)

⚠️ Please read with care: This blog shares personal, sometimes painful experiences. My intention is to support and speak honestly not to harm. I’m not a professional, just someone who understands how hard it can get. If you're struggling, you're not alone please reach out for professional help.

So here we are, Wednesday afternoon, reflecting on the last week and yeah, it’s been a bloody rough one.

I ended up at the doctor yesterday. Now I’ve got to wait a week for blood tests and a week-long ECG strapped to me like some kind of cyborg pensioner. Apparently my heart rhythm decided to join the circus right at the peak of Saturday night’s vagus-nerve meltdown. Typical.

I can honestly say hand on what’s left of my sanity that was the worst attack I’ve had in my entire life. Absolutely mind-bending. Proper frightening. I thought I’d moved past these big episodes with diet changes, lifestyle tweaks, and all the other nonsense we tell ourselves to stay optimistic… but no. My body looked at my efforts and said, “Cute. Watch this.”

So now I’m stepping into a new chapter where my vagus nerve has gone totally rogue. The doctors are muttering about AF, but let’s be real that was likely just my blood pressure falling through the floor when the vagus nerve threw its tantrum. Still, they’re taking it seriously, so off to cardiology I go. Beta blockers and blood thinners were mentioned. We’ll see.

This throat issue? I’ve had it for over forty years. Ambulance out about seven times in the last decade. The major attack always lasts 30–40 minutes of pure hell, and then the “come-down” hits like the aftermath of a grand mal — shaking, drained, disoriented, wondering what the hell just happened to your own body.

It’s been a few days and I’m only just starting to level out. The strangulation feeling in the throat has eased a bit. The burning at the back of my throat is still there annoying the crap out of me but survivable.

That’s it for today’s blog. A bit raw, a bit sideways, but it’s all I’ve got.

Have fun, world.