Stress Echo

[jbeany]

I've had both kinds.  My transplant center tends to order the drug induced one for every transplant patient automatically.  So I went in for the first one, got hooked to an IV drug that sped up my heart while I lay on the table and got sweaty from the chemical rush.

The local doc scheduled a regular one by accident the next time and I had to scramble around to call my transplant team to find out if there was a problem.  They said if I was capable of running, to go for it.  I did that one on that odd stair climber/treadmill thing.

The worst part of the traditional one is they won't let you wear a bra because of where they need to use the wand. - but they still expect you to run!   I'm sooooooo not built for that.

[Cordelia]

Wand?    What do you mean?

Sullidog, I'm going to make sure I have a BM before that test!     

[jbeany]

They look at your heart during the test once the heart rate is up to speed.  They press an ultrasound wand into your ribs (until I bruised!) in order to see the heart and take pics at several different angles.  You have to jump off the treadmill, lay down on the exam table on your side, and they smear gel on you so they can look while your heart is still beating fast.

[olivia]

I had a shot through an iv of some drug , waited a bit, ran tread mill, waited a bit, lay on table as they took pics. It did take all morning. Had a snack in between. I was really out of breath after tread mill, but was told it was cause I was anemic. Wasnt painful though. Just time consuming.

My Mom who is 85 years old has to lay on the table for her stress test.

[Cordelia]

Wow. My living donor had a treadmill stress test and he never had to get off the machine to lay down on anything.   

[Cordelia]

So here we go, tomorrow morning is my stress test.......         I hope I live to tell the tale about it! LOL!     

Anyways, I'll be so glad when it's over. Everyone whom I've talked to at home about this test says it's not very pleasant. I'm sure if I have to have another one within 10 years, it'll be too damn soon! LOL!   

Well, I've got a sense of humor about it, so I guess if I have that, it'll get me through anything!   

[MooseMom]

So here we go, tomorrow morning is my stress test.......         I hope I live to tell the tale about it! LOL!     

Anyways, I'll be so glad when it's over. Everyone whom I've talked to at home about this test says it's not very pleasant. I'm sure if I have to have another one within 10 years, it'll be too damn soon! LOL!   

Well, I've got a sense of humor about it, so I guess if I have that, it'll get me through anything!   

You'll be fine.  I'd be more concerned if you had a real heart problem, but this test is just to make sure you don't have some hidden heart issue that would make transplant surgery questionable.

It wasn't the most fun I've ever had, that's for sure, but it was faaaaaaaaaar from the worst day I've ever had.  But if you want to stay on the list, you'll have to have one every year.  I have to have mine very soon, and I'm not looking forward to it, but I'm not nearly as nervous about it as I was last year now that I know what to expect.

[Cordelia]

Thanks, MM     

I hope your echo goes okay too, thanks so much for your best wishes!     

[paris]

Find a calm, quiet spot in your mind during the nuclear stess test.  It will feel weird, but just keep breathing and thinking of good things.  I've had both types, and MM is right, you will have one every year to stay active on the list.   I could do the treadmill the first couple of years.  Good luck and keep remembering why you are doing this.   Transplant is the goal   

[Cordelia]

Thank you, Paris, for your kind words too       Yup, when it comes right down to it, I have to think of the big prize, what I'll get in the end  .......that will help get me through, you are so right     

Thank you so much for your best wishes     

[MooseMom]

Let us know how it goes, OK?  When you feel like it, post about your experience (once you get over your grumpiness   ).

[Cordelia]

LOL Okay, Moosemom, I will ...I'll check in later today. It's the final countdown now, 3 hrs to go LOL     

[MooseMom]

I've been thinking about you this morning and am hoping that right at this very moment, you are thinking, "Oh, this isn't so bad.  I'm bored, tired, hungry and grumpy just like MooseMom said I'd be.  She is the smartest lady in the whole world, and I will listen to her every word from now on because she is NEVER wrong!!

[Cordelia]

MM, you are so sweet.        Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts      I was thinking of you this morning too   

The "actual" test went okay where my heart beat was pumping fast wasn't too bad...... but unfortunatley I suffered some nasty side effects for hours afterwards from having a shot of Atropine. They couldn't get my heart rate up high enough with the debutomine alone so they gave me a shot of Atropine and it just did not sit will with me.

I got a severely dry mouth afterwards, I couldn't even eat after the test even though I was hungry........I had a headache and my eyes were super sensitive to the sunglight today. UGH! You can say I was a classic grump! LOL!

It was awful, God, if another year comes and I have to do this test again, it will be too damn soon, I swear. Plus, I just felt super drained.

The position I had to ly in bothered my back, the blood pressure on the same arm that I had my IV in, hurt like the dickens too. I just felt drained for hours afterwards, I'm so glad it's all over now. They got my heart up past 155 ......they found a thickening of a valve I think so I have to switch my BP meds, which sucks. Doc wants to see me back in a month and I guess I'll go from there I guess. Right now I'm just upset about other things regarding this prospective transplant and that's another whole story for another thread someday.        

Well, the test is good for a year. I sure hope I don't have to go through it again. 10 years will be too soon, quite frankly.     

[Lindia]

Be careful with the "thalium one"  - I was concerned about hubby having diabetes, kidney failure, and high blood pressure.   They did the radioactive test as they were concerned about doing a full up procedure that uses iodione.     Told us his heart looked good.  One year later, he had one sharp chest pain after some strenous activity.   

Mentioned the one pain to his diabetic doctor, they did the full up iodine, and the next day he had by-pass surgery -   SEVEN bypasses !    We were so lucky he didn't just drop dead of a heart attack.  I asked his doctors, why the heck this wasn't picked up earlier --  the answer we got, was that his heart was "equally bad"  on both sides,  so it didn't show up as a problem.....      WHAT !!!       

[monrein]

So sorry that the day was hard...glad it's over.  I'll be looking for (but not forward to) your thread about the "other" things regarding transplant and hope that all will work itself out.   

[MooseMom]

Oh Cordelia, I am so very sorry it was so all so sucky.  You know, I was thinking about this all day long and was reflecting on the different responses posted, and it made me realize that different centers require different tests, and I wasn't sure which one you were being required to take.  My center sent me a script last year with "adenosine" stress test and echo ticked off, but I remember seeing "dobutamine" on there, too.  I had adenosine, and I have to admit that I am not sure what the difference is between the two drugs.  I just now looked them up, and I still don't know.  And I don't know why you would have dobutamine and I would have adenosine...

Also, did you have the IV in your arm as opposed to in the back of your hand?  I'm assuming so because you mentioned how the bp cuff hurt.  When I balked at having the IV in the vein in my hand, they said I could have it in my arm if I wanted but that in the hand was more comfortable overall, so I went ahead and took their advice.  Despite the needle prick hurting more, once the needle was in and taped, it was OK and I didn't have any more pain associated with it.  Now I see why they made this recommendation.

Like monrein said, I'll be looking for more info that you alluded to re transplant.  It sounds like it was overall a pretty lousy day, and I am so so sorry about that.  But at least the day is over, and I hope you can find something pleasant to do this weekend.  I also am hoping that the other transplant stuff will be resolved to your liking.

Thanks very much for coming back and reporting on the suckiness of your day.  And I hope you will soon feel like having something lovely to eat.

[Cordelia]

Hi Lindia, I'm so sorry about your husband.     OMG, that must have been such a shock!? You know, my cardiologist told me last time I was there when I had just the echo, that my heart was "perfect" Now, after having had this 'other' test, and finding out this other issue, I am very nervous. I didn't "think" to ask all the questions about this 'thiickening issue" until after I had left. I was just not in the right 'state' to ask him more questions having been drugged with the drugs from the test and quite frankly, and upset now I didn't have the chance nor the 'brain power' to think yesterday and ask the much-needed questions. First and foremost,  I want to know A) Am I gonna have a freakin' heart attack someday because of this thickening?      I am scared now and don't have a warm fuzzy about this. *sigh.

Monrein,   Thanks so much for your best wishes      You are so sweet. I'll be back sometime soon with that other thread. Oh boy I sure need a venting session! LOL!   

MM, thank you to you too, you are so sweet also     You are so right, there are different knds of chemicals used. I don't know why they would have chosen that chemical, either. First, I was told the Atropine would be used only to bring my heart rate up. Once they told me it was going in the IV, I had a hunch I was going to be doomed. God, when they flicked the freakin' lights on at the end of my test (they had the room dimmed in dark) I wanted to scream at them for turning the lights back on. My MIL when I got home, she flicked on her chandelier on and thank God I had my sunglasses with me cuz boy oh boy I had to put them on right away-yes, sunglasses, in the house!!!!

I was just plain downright miserable yesterday, the atropine made me so jittery and restless. I had no attention span at all for hours afterwards, it was crazy. I finally started feeling like my old self after supper, so that was good. I even felt I had a little energy to go and do some shopping with my family. I was so drained before but got my perk up after I ate some pizza! LOL!   

Omg, the IV needle hurt, they put it in my wrist, in that vein that runs along the bone. Ouch, I've had IV needles there and quite frankly they hurt like hell there. I had a hunching feeling that was where she was going to put it. She had no luck with my right arm. I told her, you can't put the BP cuff in my right arm, I have shoulder issues on that side. She told me that if she were to put the cuff in my left arm, the IV needle couldn't be up any higher than the wrist. It still hurt though, omg, my arm hurt so much.

I'm just so glad this test is over, trust me, like I said, 10 years from now would be even too soon for this test again. I sure hope to God I get my transplant before the 12 months is up.