Nobody told me....

[cathy]

How much a stress echo cardiogram SUCKS!!!

I had one yesterday for pre-op clearance and such. It was not fun at all!!! I don't know if this is standard procedure and everyone went thru it to - - but here is my experience!

It started out great. Appt was at 3 and amazingly, I went back and started at 3! WOW I thought.

I take off my top and bra and put on this smashingly fashionable "cape". It was a pretty nifty cape, even though it didn't stand much of a chance of keeping the "girls" covered when I laid on my side!

The first part was fine - just an ultrasound - the thingie with the goop going under the left boob, around the left boob, and somewhere in the near vicinity of the left boob!

Then the fun begins! Treadmill bound with wires here and wires there! Ok, it isn't bad at first - pretty nice actually. Then they crank it up a bit. Hey, no sweat - I can do this.....although my legs are starting to burn a little. I'm going strong.

Then I hear - "Hold on, it will be speeding up". ARG! Hello? Fat, out-of-shape woman here! I can't go this fast - at least not for long!!! Target heart rate "at least 161". I am sucking wind so hard there was no need for the ceiling fan! And my heart! OMG it was about to EXPLODE!

Finally - 30 seconds left - the lonnnngest 30 seconds of my life. Then it is hurry back and lay down for the ultrasound of the heart before it explodes!

So I'm laying there - huffing, puffing, panting, sucking air. The lady has the thingie with the goop meeting up with the left boob again. Then she goes "Take a deep breath and hold it"

SAY WHAT?!?!? HOLD IT?!?!? Are you kidding me? I tried - I really did - I may even have held my breath for a nanosecond! Then she says "OK, breath normally!"

And I never once hit her.......................

Man - hope the endoscopy is this much fun

[tattooedsuess]

Holy smokes that would suck! I remember having something similar to that done with them pressing around on my ribs when I had pericarditis. Thank God I didn't have to go through it like you did though. I think I would've dropped dead!

[Kathy]

And you never once hit her?! You are a better woman than me. That sounds terrible! I had an EKG but not the stress one. Whew!

["Just Jess"]

Yeh, I did not have the stress EKG either... Not to rub it in, but I just had to lay on a table with sticky things stuck to me all over.

Just be glad it's done!!! You'll be joining me in bandland, before you know it!!!!!!!!! :)

[503-250]

I didn't have to do the stress test, but I did have to lay down with like 40 sticky pads with electrodes stuck to them for the EKG. Appearently the cardiologist has never had a fat heart patient (I guess he gets a lot of sick skinny people) and had no cape to cover my massive pile of attractiveness...or my prized posessions. So I am laying there in my boxers and socks as the 57th nurse comes in and checks all the leads. Finally after laying there about 30 minutes, I got up and walked into the hallway and yelled, OK has anyone not seen the naked fat guy in exam 2? If you have all gotten a good look perhaps someone would like to turn this friggin machine on so we can get this done and I can have my pants back.

Within two minutes they came in and started the test. Afterwards I met with the Cardiologist and asked if the part with me sitting there naked was a stress test, he laughed and said no, but appearently the comedy was nice for the rest of my patients. The next time I went back I offered to strip in the waiting room to save time. No waiting that day.

[bmcmo]

LOL; they do my chemical stress test on the table, ALSO NO FUN; That is no treadmill but drugs that make you think you're dying because your skin is crawling and your heart is thumping wildly. I have to take another in a couple of weeks :( I've got my whole church praying for me. I want to make sure I'm prayed up good when I do this thing again!

[Stitchy]

Hey! BMCMO! I see this is your first post! Welcome to B2G!!

["Just Jess"]

LOL; they do my chemical stress test on the table, ALSO NO FUN; That is no treadmill but drugs that make you think you're dying because your skin is crawling and your heart is thumping wildly. I have to take another in a couple of weeks :( I've got my whole church praying for me. I want to make sure I'm prayed up good when I do this thing again!

:welcome:,BMCMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Neal R.]

And I never once hit her.......................

Such great personal restraint! :)

[Diva]

If I haven't told you lately 503 (Bear) I think you are fabulous!!! Good for you, these tests can be such a pain in more way than one. That's telling them.

Cathy, I had that test. Not to get the band, for a possible heart attack (it wasn't). They had this ridiculous painting of a park that you were supposed to look at like you were jogging ha ha ha. Sorry you had to go through this. I haven't hear of many banders having to have a stress test. But the good part is, its over!!!!

Welcome bmcmo!!!

[tattooedsuess]

Welcome to B2G bmcmo!

[debi]

I failed my first stress test/eccho and then had to have the induced one like bmcmo. I hated both of them. Welcome, bmcmo! My primary care physician is a maniac about being cautious. When she gave the okay for surgery, I knew I was okay.

[Momotrips]

Sorry you had to do that. I had one for my arrhythmia (it's benign, thank God), but not for banding. When I had it they did the "left boob ultasound", then the stress test with Thalium. After the treadmill and rest, they sit you in this chair contraption that has special x-ray cameras and it circles around you taking 3D motion pictures while your arms are resting on a ledge above your head. They do this before and after the stress test. It was odd.

[503-250]

If you were topless during this Momotrips, I think it was just for the docs stalker wall.

Welcome to the forum BMCMO, I hope all goes well with the stress test, keep us up to date.