Stressed over stress test

I am not looking forward to Monday. Per doctor's orders I am not to have any coffee or chocolate (or anything with caffeine, including decaf) from Sunday afternoon until Monday night. The reason for this deprivation is that I am scheduled to have a cardiac stress test on Monday afternoon. Worrisome, and looks like no fun at all. Can't remember the last time I was on a treadmill, and certainly wasn't decked out like this!

Sometime over the holidays, I was just sitting there as close to relaxed as I ever get, and I started having pretty strong chest pressure that extended to the arms and hands. It was a constant feeling that lasted 10-15 minutes, and then I was fine. I know it wasn't heartburn or indigestion because, believe me, I know what those are like.

I decided to see a cardiologist, because so many people on my father's side died from heart disease. He himself died of a heart attack at 44, and this was after having a normal EKG the same day. No medical person has ever shown much concern over my heart risk factors before. My blood pressure and cholesterol levels are enviable (thanking being vegetarian for the lack of cholesterol worries), and was not overweight until this year. Stress, anxiety, nerves, working too long hours at the keyboard and other (medical) factors have now pushed me just a smidgeon or two over the "ideal" level. A couple of years ago, a doctor tried to prescribe a drug that was not recommended for people with a family history of heart disease. They actually poo-pooed that lonely little risk factor of family history as insignificant. I refused to take the drug, not only for that reason, but one of the other possible side effects was "death", so I decided it was not worth it. Good grief! Who's the doctor here? Me? The drug was not even designed for my particular ailment! Anyway, back to the present situation. The cardiologist said it was possible that the latest episode was angina, so here I go. Let the testing begin.