[jchebert1979]

Mike,

The other symptoms that I am referring to are constant extreme lightheadedness, nausea, dizziness, confusion, disorientation, and tinitus. This is in addition to the searing pain that comes from my neck into my upper back, around to my chest, and down my left arm. Basically I feel like I am having a constant stroke or heart attack every day.

No doctor has confirmed this for me either, but I have spent the last 20 months going across the country to countless different doctors. Cardiologists, gastroenterologists, nuerologists, nuerosurgeons, and the Mayo Clinic. No one has given me a clear diagnosis much less any type of treatment that reduces my suffering to "not wanting to die" levels. I can no longer get up for more than a few minutes at a time.

I was 25 when I bought my first house, all by myself. These symptoms started about a month after my 28th birthday. I have since had to sell my house. Move in with a friend in a lower income apartment (not that there is anything wrong with low income places). I can no longer work through this, so I am about to lose my job, vehicle (company vehicle), and insurance. That great 401k that I have maxed out since I was 24 will probably soon be gone to if I have no income. All of this and not one doctor is even willing to try and look past the symptoms and try to find out what is wrong.

Sorry about this long rant, it was a really rough day today so I'm blues-ing out pretty bad. I guess I just wanted to say that I haven't had much luck from doctors either, so I am putting all of my chips on the table with this surgery.

Good luck with yours