Stress Test

[mtlieb]

Hi All,

Okay so i've had a stress test scheduled for over a week now and haven't really given it much thought. Now that it's just a day away i decided to sit down and read the instructions the nurse gave me, and to be honest, it sounds kinda nasty! LOL. It says there will be trained personnel on hand in case i have a heart attack? Excuse me?

Just how far are these guys going to push my heart guys? What can i expect here?

Thanks a bunch,

Jim

[Reenie]

Jim,

You don't need to get so worked up. They'll take good care of you. If you feel you're doing too much and are too tired, can't go on, just tell them. They will be asking you every little bit how you feel anyway. You'll do fine. If it makes you feel better, I'm getting a stress test on Friday myself. I've never had one either, but I have watched my husband have 2. Relax, it'll go fine.

Reenie

[Dolly W]

Hi Jim,

Are you talking about a regular, get on the treadmill stress test, or a thallium stress test? I've done both. The thallium is when they inject medicine to simulate exercise. They monitor with EKG and maybe ECHO (I've had so many, I may be crossing them up). Treadmill stress, they put all kinds of lovely gadgets on you - B/P cuff, oxygen monitor, a headband (don't remember what for) and you must breathe trough your mouth into a tube (they pinch off your nose) to measure CO2 output? Maybe Sarah, Lisa, Linda or Reenie can elaborate for you. You start out slow, and every so many minutes they increase the speed or the incline. They show you a chart and ask you to rate the level of difficulty. If you need to stop, there's a signal for that (I think a thumbs down). You only go as far as you can go. If I can do it, you can!

You'll do fine.

Blessings

[Sarah]

fine print

Dear Jim,

They have to cover their *** with fine print in cases like this. Many people have posted their stress test experiences here and I only recall 1 person having a problem and he had just passed out (passing out is bad, yes, but better than a cardiac arrest).

However, the bottom line is that YOU decide how far you go. If you want to stop, you can stop --any time.

It will be mildly uncomfortable with the pads and the monitors and tubes, etc, but if you zone out and just jog (or pedal) as long as you can, that is all that is to be done. You go until they say stop or you feel any pain or that you just can't go any more. The point is NOT to push yourself, but to see what you can do.

You'll be fine.

let us know how it goes,

S

[Lisa Salberg]

push yourself to where you feel safe...trust me the docs are not attempting to kill you...then we would really have a malpractice problem in the USA!
Do your best and let them see what you can do...then they can treat you best.
Lisa

[mtlieb]

Well i had the stress test this morning. Woo hoo! All in all i guess it went okay. I'll get the results back tomorrow. They kept an IV in the whole time and injected various things (thallium was one of them) throughout the test and took two different scans of my heart, one before the treadmill and one after.

The treadmill was kind of funny (in my own warped sense of humor kind of way). They must have asked me a half dozen times if i wanted to stop and i kept telling them that everything was perfectly normal for me. My heartrate strated out at 93 resting and shot up to 144 pretty quick (it's a lot of fun watching the monitors while you're up there). Then my chest got a little tight and i got that nagging little pain near my left shoulder, and i told them it was fine. Short of breath, heart pounding, head buzzing, you guys know the drill. But when i got real dizzy and felt like i could pass out if i pushed it much harder, they didn't give me a choice, and told me to get off

The treadmill part took a total of six and a half minutes from start to dizziness LOL i'm not sure if that's good or bad. We'll see. You folks were right though, all in all it wasn't that bad. The worst part for me, as always, was the IV. You'd think after cancer, having my kidney yanked out, and lots of poking and prodding over the last two years, i'd be used to needles by now. Yikes!

Thanks (again) for listening to my ramblings!

Jim

[Sarah]

you men!

Dear Jim,

Men! All macho on the treadmill. jeeez. (*grin*)

Glad you didn't pass out, that's for sure!

Let us know what the report says when you get the results. I'm sure it will be full of mumbo jumbo to decipher.

You never get used to the needles. Ever. I shiver just thinking about it. Blech.

take care,

S

[Lisa R.]

hey I may be overdue posting this, but I have had a thallium done as well as just being on a treadmill with ekg, neither were bad, they wanted me to go longer, but what they got was enough, you seem to be in good shape so you will do fine. I am not in shape so I didn't do well in that manner, but the tests were fine for what they were checking.
Good Luck
Lisa R.

[Reenie]

Lisa,

Hi. I have been thinking of you the last couple of days wondering how you're getting along. How are you?

Reenie

[mtlieb]

Hi Lisa

Hi Lisa!

How did your birthday celebration go? I hope you had a great time! And don't worry, turning 21 years old can be traumatic, but i'm sure you got through it just fine

(Aren't i just the smooth operator here?)

I'm assuming those few drinks you wanted to have didn't hurt you any, and glad to see you're still enjoying the things you like, even if you did have to drink three gallons of water beforehand! I like to call it 'pre-hydrating'

Happy Birthday,

Jim

[Lisa R.]

re birthday

hey guys,
I am doing great, thanks for asking.
My birthday was a wonderful celebration, I had a wonderful dinner with my oldest brother Ken, sister in law Kristy and husband Brad, we did have some drinks, and I was well hydrated before hand, I am learning guys.
21, well thanks, too bad I am 30!!!!!!!!!!!
I do have to say it feels no different from 21.
We gathered at my home after dinner, with lots of friends and neighbors, stayed up till about 3, Kristy and I ended up singing karaokee and dancing, while Brad and Ken laughed at us, she and I always know how to end a great evening.
I love life, and love this site, what great friends I have in all of you.
Hope you are all great.....
Lisa R.

[Lisa Salberg]

I hope you had a great B-day... 30..wow didnt that use to be old...now it is so YOUNG..what happened?

Sounds like a great time, you earned it!

Have a great 30th year and start planning the 31st party..never too early!

Lisa

[Karen P]

it wasn't just old........it was ancient!! I turned 30 fourteen years ago......how could that be!?!?

Happy birthday Lisa! Sounds like a great night.

Pre-hydrating is a very interesting thought Jim!