hey acidman.
i am a nervous wreck just like you. i'm a 37 year old male (i'm typing in the dark, so forgive the lack of capitalization!).
the symptoms you are describing are pretty normal to those suffering from GERD. i've had it for about 12-13 years now and it doesn't want to go away.
the feeling of a lump in your throat can be a normal symptom. some websites describe a "globus" feeling in the throat - like a lump. like something caught that doesn't come up from coughing. i've got that. i've had multiple CT scans on my neck and all were negative. i've been all over the net - i see this "globus" thing described sometimes, but it is often left out. not sure why.
the food getting stuck is also very normal for those suffering with GERD. happens all the time to me. drives me nuts. espohogeal stricture, or dysphagia, they call it. when i'm eating and it happens, i just sit there wrapping my chest like i'm knocking on a door until the food finally goes down.
i also have chest pain and lots of it. started piling up ER visits like they were going out of style at about 25 years of age. was also always rushing to doctor's offices in a frenzy thinking i was having a heart attack - i feel like i'm having one right now which is why i'm on the 'net now at 12 midnight and i have work early tomorrow! just searching the net for anything new that may help me understand a pounding heart beat with this chest pain and pain in my left arm (the only reason i'm not at the ER now for the millionth time is i was just at the doctor, and we did an EKG and everything - for the millionth time - is OK). i also get periods of time when i have palpitations. my heart flutters like crazy. doctors have told me this can happen from GERD as well. i wore a holter monitor (everything fine), had stress tests (all fine), thalium stress tests (fine), chest x-rays, CT scans, sonograms on my heart, etc. all fine. i have pain in my back - between my shoulder blades, mainly. also thought about esophogeal cancer, pancreatic cancer and/or liver cancer. i've been through at least two CT scans on my upper abdominal area. the reason i'm telling you this is i'm coming to understand and believe that all this pain, fear, and anxiety, and all those tests, ER visits and doctors office visits can be attributed to GERD. it is crazy.
i take 40 mg nexium twice a day and it seems to help (when i remember to take it). i also take pepcid AC as needed throughout the day and keep a bottle of mylanta at my bedside table. usually go through a big bottle every one or two months. stupidly, i do nothing with my diet. i eat lousy (my fiance is trying to fix that to no avail). i drink lots of beer and soda and coffee. lay down on the sofa right after eating. eat spicy stuff. fatty stuff. etc. you can't fix stupid (maybe some day i'll learn), but at least you can realize that there are some things you can do to feel better (physically and emotionally) and for me, knowing there were people out there who are in the same boat - knowing i wasn't alone or simply crazy - was very comforting. one thing i have done is raised the head of my bed (so that i'm sleeping on a low grade slant) - this way, the acid doesn't crawl back up your esophogus as it can when you are lying flat (or worse, with your head lower than your feet). this has been pretty good for me.
be persistent in getting your doctors to run the tests necessary to rule out all the real bad stuff. that's all i can tell you. i think i've done that, but the peace of mind only lasts so long with me. hopefully, it will last longer for you.
take care.