Healthcare Headaches

A few weeks ago, while at an out-of-state wedding reception, I began having chest pain that didn't immediately go away with rest and antacids. Although it was unlikely to be an early symptom of a heart attack (I'm relatively young, have good cholesterol levels, and have no relatives with early heart disease), I felt uncomfortable enough to want another physician to confirm that it was only a bad episode of heartburn. But with my family doctor's office hundreds of miles away, the only medical option seemed to be the nearest hospital emergency room. And like most people, I avoid emergency rooms unless I have a broken bone or life-threatening medical emergency.

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