On 29 Jul 99, at 1:19, Patrica Young wrote:

> Radiating pain in L arm is considered cardiac until ruled
> otherwise. Could be muscular.  Could be referred pain from gall
> bladder.  Needs to go back to GP or internist.  Have to look past
> the fact that she is a new mom who is BF and blaming it on the
> breast.  Sincerely, Pat in SNJ
>

I'm glad Pat said this.  I am not a medical professional of any sort
(I just watch the actors who play them on TV <g>), but my eyes
bugged out when I saw the description of the nature of this
mother's pain (constant, not connected to the act of breastfeeding,
only on the left side, and radiating out to the left arm) and the
absence of any notation as to whether heart problems had been
properly ruled out.

A recent study showed that women with heart disease waited
longer to get a diagnosis, received less aggressive treatment and
died at twice the rate of men, and that this difference was more
pronounced in younger women.  I hope that this study will be a
wake up call to the medical professional to start taking potentially
cardiac symptoms in women of any age more seriously.

Rachael Hamlet
Breastfeeding busybody

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