The Day of Medical Drama

     First let me make it clear, the drama was not mine. When I got to the medical group, I walked in the door at the same time as another woman. She walked past the desk, right to the elevators. I stopped at the desk, to say "Hi" to Pam, the very friendly receptionist.


    When I got upstairs, the other woman had already finished at that desk, and gone in to the other waiting room. I got held up at the desk, so I got there after her. By the time I got in there, she had already been called for her IV line to be put in. So I had to wait again. She went first for the special photographs thing, then it was my turn. When I came out after my photographic session, she was already in on the treadmill. In fact, when I walked by the treadmill room, she was laying on the stretcher in that room.


    They gave us IV's because they inject us with radioactive stuff so they can see the blood flow through the heart better. I was wondering if I would glow in the dark...


    Listening to the nurse and nuclear tech talk, this woman was having chest pains while on the treadmill. Apparently she had had a heart attack only a month ago. The nurses were concerned, her chest pains weren't going away with rest. They even gave her nitroglycerin, and that didn't help. They ended up calling an ambulance for her, to take her to the ER. Across the street. I am not kidding.


    So I had to sit there in the waiting room for the ambulance to come, and take her away. I was wondering as I waited, couldn't they have moved her to another room, say, the waiting room, so the rest of us could get on with our testing? In the long run, it didn't matter, I really wasn't in any hurry.


    I finally got to get on the treadmill. That poor woman's experience made me really determined to do my best. Unfortunately I only lasted two minutes. The good news is that in that short time, I actually hit my target heart rate! So it wasn't necessary for me to get back on the thing. I sort of suspected that it wouldn't take much to get my heart rate up, as I have been told that my heart works harder than normal because of my lung issues.


   All in all, I think I was gone from home about 6 hours. I left at 11 a.m., which was early, because I had a few things to do on the way. I needed to get a sandwich so I stopped at Cranberry's, then I had to get some gas. As I was leaving the gas station, I realized I had forgotten my sweater. I was reminded to bring one because it can get "really cold" in the waiting room. I decided to drive back home and get it, as I still had plenty of time. I arrived just at my appointment time of 12 p.m. I arrived back home at about 5 p.m.


    It was a long day, but well worth it. Next Tuesday I have a follow up visit with the cardiologist to go over the test results. And I didn't glow in the dark!

And Now For Something Completely Different!

    Sometime last month, I saw my pulmonologist. He ordered a CT scan of my chest. A week later, I got a phone call from his nurse, telling me the Dr. wants me to go visit my cardiologist. She doesn't say why. I have no idea if they saw something on the CT scan... or what.


    So I make an appointment, I am lucky I don't have to wait three weeks. He can see me the next week. Then I get a call, the Dr. is sick, next week he's on vacation, and the week after that, he has hospital duty. So that pushes it back three weeks anyway!


   I finally got to see him last week. I asked him the reason the other Dr. asked for the consult. He told me they want to rule out any other possible cause for the increased shortness of breath. During that visit, I had the sonogram of the heart, I forget the fancy name for it. I also had an EKG. Tomorrow I get to do a Nuclear Stress Test. They are going to inject me with some radioactive substance, make me sit for a long time, then take special pictures of my heart. Then I get on the treadmill, to get my heart rate up, and take more pictures.


   Sounds like fun, doesn't it? But with my lung issues, the treadmill part should be interesting. The Dr. asked me more than once if I could do it. I told him I would do the best I could. He did say that if I can't do it for too long, it will still be useful information.


    The worst part, for me, is the radioactive stuff. After that IV, I can't be around little kids for 24 - 48 hours. That means I can't babysit Tuesday because of the test, and Wednesday because of the radioactive stuff. I told Miss Malia's mom that it's entirely up to her, whether I come Wednesday or not. She found someone else for that day. I can't even go hang at the karate school Wednesday evening either. That sucks.


   I guess it's all good. Better to find out now if there is a problem, right? Hubs is concerned about the test itself, he's worried it may wear me out too much to even drive home. I promised him that if I am too tired, or if anything at all is bothering me, I would call him, and he can come get me.


    Then on Thursday, I get to celebrate my birthday with my good friend Kim, and her Cherub, who are coming over to swim after Hubs goes to work. And they will be bearing gifts! Does it get any better than that? I think not!