I wish I could describe the left arm pain with precise details. The best I can tell you is what it is NOT. It is not like a sore muscle. It is not like a muscle spasm. It is different and there was no question in my mind as to what was happening. The arm pain issue had been more like a tingle, months earlier, only when I was walking up a steep hill and I thought it was the angle of my neck as I have a bulging cervical disk. But the night before I went to the ER, when walking up stairs I developed arm pain that took about a half hour to subside while lying in bed. The next morning I was doing some very normal things and found the left arm pain was back and strong. I called my cardio and the triage nurse told me to get to the ER. In retrospect, I should have gone the night before.

I did not experience any chest pain or sweating.

So my advice to anyone who experiences an unfamiliar left arm pain is to simply go to the ER immediately and let them tell you it isn't your heart.

My cardio says if you are having chest pain and think it is gastro related, take two tums and if the pain is still there 10 minutes later, call 911. Again, better to let the experts tell us it isn't heart related.

I wish you good luck and good health.