Peter: Before the heart transplant team would consider Peter for transplant, they wanted some tests done. For one of them, he had to lie still underneath a scanning machine for forty minutes.
During the test, Peter felt his chest tighten. There was no pain. But it was hard to breathe in. His hands trembled and perspired. Within a few short minutes, Peter was terrified. "Could this be a heart attack?" he thought. "Am I dying?" He got up from the table. It had seemed like an eternity while he was lying there. But it was only fifteen minutes. Soon after he stood up, Peter felt better.
The doctor who assessed Peter looked worried. She admitted him to hospital right away and ordered several tests. The symptoms did not recur and the tests showed nothing new. He was discharged home two days later.
One-week later, similar symptoms occurred while Peter was showering. He felt like the small room was closing in on him. Nobody else was home. "What is going to happen to me?" he thought. Peter couldn't jump out of the shower fast enough. When he did, the discomfort eased off. Again, the doctor found nothing wrong.
Peter began to worry that these episodes might happen again. "What if they had not ordered the correct tests? Maybe I am sick. Nothing like this has ever happened before. Something must be causing it." He thought, "What if it happens again and I can t get to help in time? I am going to have to be careful. I can avoid the shower. But they will expect me to repeat the heart scan. What if it happens again?"