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the only time i felt i was going to die was in 1998; i was 20 and in the isolated e.r. at 4 AM. my breathing was rapid, as was my heartbeat; skin covered with a mildly chilled sweat; unable to swallow; pain in my neck, left shoulder, left arm. at the very least, i figured i was having a heart attack.
after being observed for 7 hours and having the standard tests performed, it was determined i had costochondritis, a musculo-skeletal condition that affects cartilage. it most commonly strikes the cartilage near the rib cage, and so it was in my case. a "flare-up" frequently mimics a heart attack and is scary as hell if you aren't aware you have costo. actually, pretty scary even if you do know.
couple bouts with alcohol poisoning when i was a teen...nothing else.
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