Medical got deferred due to my stupidity, now what?

In OPs situation, the FAA didn’t dictate anything. They leave it up to the AME’s discretion, this AME deferred a decision to the PCP, and the PCP just turfed the Airman to the specialist. Result = waste of time and $$$. If OPs AME had finished the exam, sent him home and said to come back tomorrow and when he did found his pulse normal, the AME would have had the authority to issue. I am ASSUMING the rest of the cardiac exam was normal and there was nothing in the history to suggest other problems. No Hx of heart murmur, chest pain, palpitations, etc. Sometimes there is more to the story and people posting on Forums leave out details (on purpose or because they don’t realize it’s importance). The FAA DOES dictate the workup in “disqualifying” conditions, like after a heart attack or a new diagnosis of sleep apnea. Sometimes they will ask for a current detailed report and “whatever testing your doctor feels necessary.” That’s one of the hold ups in OKC, Airman gets deferred, the FAA sends a letter asking for more information, and spells out a list of exactly what they need to make a determination, and the Airman submits 75% of what they requested. Or doesn’t submit it in a timely fashion. That generates another letter and another 60 days. A good AME will help the pilot gather the records and review everything before it gets sent in to make sure it’s appropriate. If OPs description of what happened is accurate, the AME could have handled this a lot differently. Like others have said, find an AME who’s an advocate for pilots (not someone who just “signs you off” after a tap and a cough).