And the medical advice says...

So, I saw a doctor today about my chest pain. They did an EKG and she said it looks pretty normal, and she is going to have the cardiologist review it. The little EKG stickers pulled off my self tanner so now I have white squares on my arms, legs, and chest. Cute.

My favorite part: being told to 'just relax' after being hooked up to a zillion wires

She thought she heard a slight heart murmur, but she thinks it's harmless, but scheduled a cardio echo just to be sure. I'll go back for that next week. She kept saying, "it's probably nothing" even though I assured her I wasn't freaking out.

cardio echo

No lumps/cysts - so the verdict is - she thinks it's muscular. She said I shouldn't lift weights or do strenuous upper body work for a while. Not sure how I feel about that, because I really like lifting weights and I really like yoga (especially arm balances). *super sad face*

So I was sent home with some lidocaine pain patches. At least she didn't tell me to stop running. We would have had words if it came to that.

I ran 8 miles this morning. Finally got up and went early. Not quite early enough - the goal was 10 - but I ran out of time. I'll squeeze in 2 more later today.

I was entertaining the idea of running a 4th of July 5K tomorrow - because I am never one to miss an opportunity to wear a red, white, and blue running outfit - but I may not. Perhaps I'll just wear my outfit anyway for my 4 miles recovery run.

To seek medical advice or not, this is the question...

So, I've been having some bizarre pain since May. I will preface this to say that I go to the doctor maybe once or twice a year, so I am not one to run out and see one every time I have an ache, pain, or sniffles.

On Mother's Day, I went to the gym with my sister while I was in Mississippi. I got on a treadmill to run, and within the first quarter mile, I felt a sharp pain on the far left side of my chest. Not like a heart palpitation - but more in my chest wall (pretty close to my armpit, in the area where the strap of a bra would meet the cup). I kept running, and I think I ran about 7 miles that day on the treadmill.

It hurts right here. 

For weeks after, it still hurt. Not in an excruciating way, but in way where I definitely notice it. I notice it while running, I really noticed it when I tried to strength train my upper body. It also bothered me if I was trying to sleep in certain positions.

Then I took my accidental run sabbatical for the first 3 weeks of June. And I can't say I noticed it then. I finally got back to running and going to the gym last week. I did a good strength session on Thursday - bench press, rows, flyes, overhead tricep press, nosebreakers, bicep curls. And the next day, bam, the pain came right back. , just as bad as it was on day one.

As I type this right now I can feel it. It's really annoying and I can't understand what it might be. Strained chest muscle? Some sort of tendon/connective tissue issue? (ha, that rhymed) Or something worse? I will also add I can feel it on inhale and exhale (more so on exhale).

I just don't even really know how to describe it to a doctor, and I feel like they are just going to tell me take ibuprofen and not workout, which isn't really an answer to me.

Any ideas?

Update: I schedule an appointment to see my primary care physician next week. I still feel silly about it, but I guess I wanted to be smart. I am not optimistic she will be of much help - she is very nice, but has doled out some rather antiquated advice to me before (like telling me I need to drink 3 glasses of milk a day).