Return of the Chest Pain

Last summer, I had a heart catheter that determined I had some abnormalities in my heart that could possibility be causing my chest pain. Then I subsequently had the procedure to fix the abnormalities. I had some relief for a short while but the chest pain came back. And now I'm afraid my poor doctor doesn't know what to do with me.

We've already tried different blood pressure medications (to regulate the internal blood pressure in my heart) and now I'm on the last vasodilator that is available to help expand my vessels and create better blood flow. And it still hurts. I can place my hand over the exact place on my chest where it hurts. Sometimes it even radiates up my neck, wraps around my back or down my left arm.

And the crazy thing is, I felt perfectly fine until they went in and "fixed" it.

I keep trying to tell myself it's better than having another stroke. But the worst stroke I had was on the operating table, not the first minor stroke I had that led to the discovery of my heart defect. But then again, is there really such thing as a minor stroke? See why I get so frustrated? I go round and round about this. One moment regretting the decision to have the ASD repair, the next thinking that maybe it was worth it.

Fast forward four and a half years, and I'm still having chest pain (which only started after the heart surgery). I've had numerous tests, one exploratory procedure, my coiling procedure and all for what? To still be in pain. To still be short of breath. To still tired out easily.

My doctor has warned me that he has done just about everything he can do for me. It might be time to move on to see the specialist that did my coiling procedure full time. I really don't want to do that. Not only is the specialist down town (which is a pain in the ass), I love Dr. Morris. We have a great rapport. The nurses at his office are friendly and knowledgeable. I don't want to leave him. His next, but hopefully not final, suggestion is to do a nuclear stress test.

I've done a stress test before, but this time I get to be hooked up to an IV and pumped full of radioactive dye. Too bad I haven't gotten superpowers from all the radiation I've been exposed to. That would definitely be a happy ending to this story. As it stands now, the results determine which doctor I will go see next; the one I have grown to trust and know and love or the one that has seen my groin up close and personal.