I had a series of tests performed on my heart at the recommendation of chest doctors because

1. they were unable to explain what they heard with their stethoscopes
2. I suffer bizarre warm/cold sensations around my heart area

To-do list:

Chest x-rays. This operation was ordered to determine whether or not my lymph nodes were swollen, since swollen lymph nodes could account for the pains I feel. My lymph nodes were found to be in fine working order.

EKG. This is the deal where they put electrodes all over your chest and attach alligator clips and monitor the electrical activity. Nothing abnormal on my chart.

Echocardiogram. Essentially an ultrasound of the heart, complete with 3D color video and sound. I can imagine cardiologists trading video/audio echocardiogram files of their patients amongst each other via peer-to-peer networks with file names like “left ventricle impedes venous doppler flow!! [12MB, full color spectrum]”.

A segment of my echocardiogram report:

Left Atrium/Pulmonary Veins: Left atrium normal in size measuring 13.1 cm2 in area. Pulmonary venous doppler flow unremarkable.

Aortic valve/LVOT/Aorta: Three-cusp aortic valve is present with flow velocities through the valve normal at 1.3 m/s.

Tricuspid Valve: Trace tricuspid insufficiency.

Impression: Normal echocardiogram.

The doctors ended up explaining all the noises they heard with their stethoscopes by saying it was due to the fact that my heart is very close to my chest wall, so there isn’t much muffling action. I quite like living with this occasional pain. As long as I know it isn’t a threat to my health, I’d rather have it than not.