something to think about

findcate

Just had my first health scare. I’m 35. Before I went to artschool I was a lifelong competitive swimmer, and I’ve always gone back and forth between being healthy & some badness, but I’ve always felt strong. Anyway, the other day I was jogging ( I have a knee injury so I just jog, I don’t run) and I had really sharp chest pains. Anyway, I am totally fine. But I have this weird thing called costochronditis, it’s an inflammation of the cartilage where the ribs join the sternum. It creates pain that feels like a heart attack, and it can be recurring over time.

Apparently 30% of people who go to the er for a heart attack have this, it’s idiomatic and quite harmless, usually resolves itself with some extra rest & mild anti-inflammatories and extra stretching. I'm a designer and prone to spending 6 hours in front of the screen without moving much, which I guess makes it worse. I had it over the last few months, but just sporadically and I was quite afraid to admit it to anyone or see a doctor about it (looking back I think it started with a bad cough) and I was so afraid of it I kept denying yet getting more worried...I had a few nights of lying awake obsessing about the past abuses that led to this, totally berating myself, before I called my doc who told me to come in the next am. They did an ekg and said my heart is quite perfect. Anyway, it’s good to get stuff checked out and was such a huge relief. I was imagining the worst.

I just thought it was worth mentioning here, even though it's not slope related, because it’s so common yet most people have never heard of it until they experience it...I had never heard of it. If anyone has chest pain get it checked out please.

anonymous

My husband had that (also a designer) and when he dumped his Aeron chair the symptoms went away.

findcate

that's interesting, i know aeron's whole thing is that they're ergonomically smart. what kind chair did he replace the aeron with?