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It's AMAZING how many other disorders present like heart attacks, people! Gall bladder disorders, anxiety, pulmonary embolism, hiatal hernia, etc.

Some conditions that present with these symptoms are not life-threatening, and that's what trips many MI victims up. They think it's probably indigestion, their gallbladder acting up, or that they are just upright.

Let me tell you the three most commonly-said final words of a heart attack victim: "IT'S PROBABLY NOTHING."

Here's a word of advice to all of you wonderful people: of you have to tell yourself that it's probably nothing, then chances are that it probably IS something and you'd better take care of it pronto.

So what if you're not sure it's a heart attack? If you are right, you at least get a cardiac workup for future reference and your primary provider will know a lot more about you. You still win in the end.

But what if you're wrong?

Here is the bottom line, dear reader: "When in doubt, come on out." That's why we're here!

It's AMAZING how many other disorders present like heart attacks, people! Gall bladder disorders, anxiety, pulmonary embolism, hiatal hernia, etc.

You can add abscessed teeth to your list.

Several years ago, I told my doctor about pain radiating down my left arm. He ordered a battery of tests, including a heart catheterization. Nothing was found.

A few days later, I woke up with the worst toothache ever. After the dentist treated the tooth, the pain in my arm and neck went away.

2 1/2 years ago my wife and I were mowing the lawn at the church and I had "digestive discomfort" and a terrible crushing pain in my lower jaw but not chest pain are in the arm so I would rest and then continue mowing.

Now the divine intervention happened on the way home. We were listening to local radio and a promo came on about our Cardiac center here at St Joseph hospital in Eureka. It was a friend of mine who had bypass surgery and he was praising the doctor, staff and hospital. He went on to talk about his symptoms and described the excruciating jaw pain he had that lead him to a stress test and surgery.

I called my doctor and a few days later I had a angiogram and later a stress test. I had a 3 way bypass but had to go to UCSF because of a birth defect that required a little more than St Jo offered...

I have a heart condition which I take medication for and a couple years ago I had chest pain that continued for several days. I was experiencing unusual family stress and I called my cardiologist and he asked me to go the emergency room. Although I felt it probably was not necessary, I followed my doctors advice.

I was treated terribly once I was taken back to see a doctor. He made me feel so bad, that I almost left in the middle of his evaluation and treatment. I told him I had been a lot of stress and that I felt that my chest pain was probably nothing. I had never been to an emergency room before. However, he implied that I was a overacting and probably a hypochrondiac. I told him that the only reason I was there was because my heart doctor told me to come there. He gave me a slight sedative and sent me home. The bottom line is that now I feel that no matter what happens I will not go to an emergency room because of that doctor.