Oh you sound so much like me when I suffered PAs. I'm the strong one and couldn't believe this is what was happening. The mind can be so strange at times though. I've just been talking about them today funnily enough, how I was relieved to find out what they were. Before that I thought I was dying, that's exactly how you feel
There's a really good Panic website, think it's called No panic? I'll have a search to see if I can find it?