How that expression is so not applicable in Austin during the Summer. Bobcat Goldthwait said it pretty well on the radio, the city of Austin should hand out jars of Gold Bond to all arrivals at the airport.
Anyway, the point is I’m alright contrary to what some may have thought according to FaceBook. I didn’t intend to get such a worried reaction about my health from a couple friends.
Since our vacation back in July, I have been having intermittent chest pain, mainly around the heart region. Stress brings it on and I’m sure caffeine doesn’t help. However, I wasn’t too concerned because I wasn’t collapsing, experiencing a shortness of breath or sweating profusely after any exertion. The pain spreading through my left arm did lead to a little panic. Yesterday, there was a very sharp spike of this while proctoring a class. At the suggestion of a co-worker and Somara, I got in a low-level emergency visit with Austin Regional Clinic (the same place which charged $180 to confirm what I already knew with my cold in June).
After Somara and me had permission to take the remainder of Friday off from work, we made it a bit early for my appointment. I invited Somara along in case it was serious; then she could start making the phone calls to set up arrangements, etc. Being punctual didn’t matter much, I practically had a short nap waiting the 30 extra minutes to see the doctor. In her defense, it was predominantly good news. She agreed it wasn’t a cardiac issue or disease. Based upon my exercising, lack of flop sweat, scaling back the marbled meat (beef. lamb and pork) and no signs of fluid in my lungs, I most likely am duking it out with a bout of costochondritis (aka Tietze’s syndrome).
The remedy? Some over-the-counter pain medication and occasionally puffing up my chest like the on villain from Big Trouble in Little China. It better work, otherwise I’ll be entertaining my co-workers imitating a rooster.