tests AGAIN

Tests Freak me OUT!  I try to remain calm and pretend to not have anxiety.  Honestly, though, when I hit the door of the hospital and smell that particular smell of hospitals, I feel a little wave of nausea in anticipation of the fun ahead.  So... I try to avoid tests if at all possible.
Lately, I've been having chest pain with exertion.  It radiates down my left arm and travels up into my jaw, when I lay down it gets better.  So... I waited a few months, tried to will it away, just take it easy, surely, not cardiac related, although it really sounds like it.  I'm probably making it up.  I'm probably just freaking out about nothing.  If you were telling me this story, I would say, "Shut Up!!! and Go to the Hospital!!!"  Yes, but I have a history of being a medical person, so my denial is Bigger than yours.  So...I went to the Primary care doctor who of course sent me to cardiologist.  The cardiologist I was sure would sign me up for a stress test or some new labs.  My EKG was unchanged and she signed me up for a heart cath a few days later!  I tried to change my story and she laughed and said it was too late (and besides because of my memory problems I had conveniently written it all down for her so I could get my story straight).  Darn my organization.  Anyway, folks with a history of Cushing's they don't die of Cushing's in remission but rather the aftermath such as heart disease.  So...I supported her decision and caution and had a heart cath.  The heart cath was fine and the drugs were pretty good.  So now, having ruled out the scary stuff, there are more tests ahead to decide why the chest pain?  GI is likely because the same nerves innervate the heart and GI so the feeling is actually the same.  The heart doesn't have it's own set of nerves, which I think is fascinating. I am so relieved that I'm not going to die any minute (well I guess I might, but not from a heart attack) that I'm hesitant to go through the testing but I will, just slowly so I don't have to go to the hospital too often. 

So... what I want to say to you is don't be as stubborn a patient as me and do the important stuff right away.  You do have choices in your care but remember your care providers really are looking out for your best interest.  Give them the best information you can to make the best decisions with you.