I generally tough things out, but women's heart attacks are so weird and sneaky, and worrying about it just made the symptoms that correlate to women's heart attacks worse. I'm glad I called, even though I hate the "nervous woman overreacting" appearance.

I figure it balances out all the times I underreacted to gall bladder attacks and broken bones.

I feel much better...but I switched from finishing my single cup of joe per day to water, and ate some cereal.

Strix, I'm glad everything is okay! And it's not foolish to check when symptoms like that happen. I went to the ER 8 or 9 years ago when something similar happened. The attending physician happened to be a friend of mine from high school, so I didn't even need to explain my dad's history of heart attacks. He just said "Oh, yeah. You don't look like someone having an MI, but I want to run the tests to be sure." And he reassured me that I did the right thing by coming in.

You definitely did the right thing, too.

It is good that you called, Strix. Grateful that they found you in good health, as I am sure the EMS folks were.

Glad it turned out okay, Strix!

Personally, I think I'd pretty much have to be dead before going to the ER. It's just too damn expensive with my current insurance.

I think I'm reaching that awkward spot in my job when there are times I want to ask a higher up how to handle a particular problem and there aren't any higher ups.

Strix, I'm so glad you're okay AND you went and got things checked out.

ION, the more I learn about my company's data collection services to our customers, the more creeped out I am.

I did not go to the ER. I called an ambulance because if you are not transported anywhere, they don't charge you. If I had been having a heart attack I would have gone with them to the hospital, but I didn't trust myself to drive and if you tell a clinic or a doctor you think you're having a heart attack, they tell you "NOOOOPE call 911!!" anyway.

I'd only go to the ER if I was *convinced* I was dying or if I was bleeding copiously. We have $5k deductible.

I laid down for a short nap. But I still feel off, though the sternum pain has gone away.

I've had sternum pain periodically since I passed out in 2016. Despite losing the summer to all sorts of tests that year and being told my risks of a cardiac event in the next decade are effectively nil, it still freaks me the fuck out. I wonder if, in our older age, we're more sensitive to bra pressure or something. (I mean, there were other things that didn't help mine, but I know bras are worse than before I passed out in terms of comfort.)