Heart Awareness Redux

[YoungWilliam]

Long ago and far away (well, it was actually just about a year ago), I had some "cardio funkiness" going on that I posted about over here --> http://www.medhelp.org/posts/show/529818  ;(note that it was/is in the Heart Disease section and not this Heart Rhythm section)

At the time, my GP had theorized that it was probably just some minor "around the ribs or under the pectoral muscle" infection, since running me through a few of the basic tests (simple prone EKG, the detailed fasting cholesterol blood-work, checking my blood pressure at home a few times a day) turned up nothing out of the ordinary. The other weekend I realized, "Ok, it's been a year now. If it's so minor of an infection, why has it been sticking around for twelve months?" And since then, I had the offending gallbladder removed, yet that (nor the sitting around the house like a lump for a few weeks post-op) doesn't seem to have curbed either the feeling like my heart is laboring to beat, nor the occasional gear-grinding feeling in there (which I've also compared to when someone is walking in high heels and stumbles a bit now and again) that usually happens in the midst of the minutes/hours/days of the overt awareness of the basic heartbeat. As such, I set up an appointment (for tomorrow!) to see if I can plead my case with a touch more vehemence in order to get a bit more testing in.

What I'm -hoping- for is her to give me a thumbs-up on getting a heart-based ultrasound echocardiogram (and maybe scoping things out around the heart while they have me on the table) and taking the treadmill-running stress-test EKG. In experimenting around, I'm starting to believe that it wasn't a case of the above oddness happening more often when I'm lying down and/or when nervous, but instead that it might happen on a regular basis but I'm not as distracted from noticing it when I'm up and doing things.

The actual pains of the gear-grinding heart-beat aren't all that bad on their own; I've often said that if it were happening on the right side of my chest, I'd chalk it up to some lingering cold symptom. The horrible part for me is just how odd it all is. I mean, if the heart isn't beating any harder than a normal heart does (as evidenced by the prone EKG) and if the pipes in and out aren't any narrower than they ought to be (as the cholesterol test suggests), all I can imagine is something rather evil constricting things in there. Which, quite frankly, doesn't lead to the best ease of mind. It also obviously leads to every little weird thing above my navel and to the left of my sternum making me think, "Is that related, too?!" (EG: sudden inexplicable thirst now and again, the hollow of my left collarbone feeling a bit tender now and again, a feeling of pressure on the left side of my neck now and again, it feeling like my shirt is tangled up around my left shoulder now and again, even when I'm not wearing a shirt, et cetera)

If I manage to sell my GP onto the ideas of having me get the echocardiogram and the treadmill EKG, -and- if both of those also seem to hint at everything being hunky-dory (except for the fact that it feels like something's going seriously wrong in there every so often), any suggestions on what I should/could push for next for future tests (that aren't absurd for someone who passed the earlier ones with flying colors. A full-chest CT or MRI scan would just be lovely, but I'm sure it'd be an uphill battle to get that prescribed for someone whose symptoms are no worse than 'annoying') that could help support or negate any of the possible suspects?

[YoungWilliam]

At the time, the reasoning for not having the more detailed echocardiogram and all before was that if it were some simple minor infection thing, it'd be a bit of overkill (like having an MRI of your foot when you've just stubbed your toe). And the fact that the rather common EKG and all were superb (a cardiology-focused nurse that I know took a look at the results of my cholesterol blood-work and said, "Whatever you're doing? Keep doing it!") also made it seem a bit odd.  I agreed then and I still would agree now, if these little things weren't lasting so persistently.

I haven't suggested the push-button EKG before, but that's generally because any pains or grinds or other direct heart oddness never lasts more than a single beat. I generally don't even have time to say, "Ow" before it's gone away, much less to start recording something. I'm hoping my theory about it not -just- being triggered by emotional stress (...or Mt.Dew...), and instead triggered by most anything taxing, but it's eclipsed by my doing laborious things (so it seems like it's just stress-based) is true, since then it would show up on the treadmill test.

I almost want to say it's worse to feel like something is wrong, although it isn't caught in any medical tests, than it would be to have medical tests say something is wrong although one feels healthy as a horse.

[heartfluttersflyawayplz]

lol hum sounds like you like test. you go. not sure why they would not give you a stress/nuclear test  thats run on treadmill get pictures of heart and a ecko. they like giving they get money so not sure why they not , after that if alls ok than i would stop because i think the next step is a heart cath and i not want one thoses not sure if you do . but if all thoses comes out good i say your heart is good. have you worn a 30 day heart montor , they are great push button when you feel it and hook up to your phone call it in they can see what your heart doing right than. ive worn 2 of them and i feel safe and good when i have it . i hope you get a good report on what ever you do and am pulling for you to get the test you want. have a great night