Weird.

So I finished up and submitted two assignments for school the other day (yay!) and starting printing out the next module.
Like normal, I have my reading material out of my textbooks to do, and I have reading material that I needed to print off (like normal). Then I see another assignment and a self-test. Again - totally normal.
Then I read that I have a Midterm Exam.

And then I read a note attached to the Midterm Exam that I have to write the exam on campus and that I have to give my prof minimum 1 week notice as to when I'm going to write the exam.

All of a sudden, I was having a hard time breathing.
And I thought I was going to throw up.
And my hands and feet went numb.
I couldn't shake the dread and anxiety that had suddenly engulfed me.

Take the test on campus???? What were they... nuts? Or were they just trying to kill me with stress??

And then it wasn't playing around anymore.... I REALLY couldn't breathe.
Like. Really. Could Not. Catch. My. Breath.

So what do I do?
Of course I Google "panic attack".

"Symptoms of a panic attack can include the following:

• Palpitations, or accelerated heart rate - Check.
  
• Sweating - Check.
  
• Trembling or shaking
• Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering - Check.
  
• Feeling of choking - Check.
  
• Palpitations, or accelerated heart rate - Didn't notice, but it wouldn't surprise me.
  
• Chest pain or discomfort - Check.
  
• Nausea or abdominal distress -Check.
  
• Feeling dizzy, unsteady, lightheaded, or faint -I def. felt unsteady.
  
• De-realization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself)
• Fear of losing control or going insane
• Sense of impending death
• Paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations) -Check.
  
• Chills or hot flashes -Annnnnnd, check.

So out of 14 physical manifestations of a panic attack, I had 9. NINE.
All over having to write a midterm on CAMPUS!!!

Fortunately, I was able to get a hold of one of my most favorite people on the whole entire planet, and she was able to chat me through it via Skype while she was working.

I ended up having the panic attack at 1:25 pm and I had to be at my daughter's classroom at 2 pm, AND I still had to eat something for my lunch.
Talk about stressful.

So, in hindsight, I had a panic attack in November when I was touring the Library on campus for my final assignment for my previous class (although I thought I was just hypernervous about the whole process at the time...). These are the first panic attacks I've had in over 11 years. I wonder why I've just started getting them back now, of all times.

Weird.

Hubby was very thoughtful and understanding about it, and he was extra kind to me that night. (And yes, I was STILL shaky from the adrenaline dump from earlier in the day)
It's times like this that I wish a teensy bit that I wasn't so phobic about seeing a psychologist, just so I could talk about it and get more ideas about the triggers and how to handle it better.