Well, that didn't happen or sorta did. (Echocardiogram)

[Liberal Veteran]

I went in for a stress echo today and after initial echo, instead of getting on the treadmill, I got rescheduled to do nuclear stress test.

Apparently, they didn't get good imaging from the initial echo. Or so they said.

Needless to say, I am more stressed now.

[redwitch]

1. I had to have do overs for two tests this year for same reason.

Mammogram and Pap test for cervical cancer. Very stressed but all is well and I don’t have cancer. Sometimes it is just a glitch. Try not to worry.

[Liberal Veteran]

2. Thanks for that.

Nobody seemed overly worried or anything.

I'm sure if their was something to be concerned about, there would have been more drama involved.

Even so, I'm very disappointed that have to go back and do a different test. I'm just way too orderly about life to like it when things don't go according to plan.

[drray23]

3. First time it was done on me

They tell me I might need a triple bypass because I had a catastrophic blockage. They reschedule for a week later to run further tests and tell me, everything is good, sorry it was a shadow on the echo the first time around. ...

[DFW]

4. I have a very healthy respect for those things. My first one saved my life.

Since both my dad's parents died of heart attacks before they were 70, I knew they were genetically "inclined," and therefore, so was I. I read up on symptoms so I could recognize them early if I ever had any.

Therefore, back in 2004, when I noticed what I thought could have been warning signs, I sought out a cardiologist right away. I called up one in my town, and they said they had an appointment opening in two months. Long the first-and-second-class German health care system. I said I was visiting from the USA (true at the time) and would pay cash upon getting the bill. Oh, in THAT case, I could come in that afternoon.

I went in that same day and they did an EKG. The cardiologist said there was indeed "something there," and asked me to come in 2 days later for a stress echo cardiogram. I did, and he looked and said, OK, in my office, NOW. He told me to get my ass up to the heart clinic in Essen (less than half an hour away by car), and he would call up there so they knew I was on the way. I asked if I could put it off a couple of days, and he said NEIN!!

So my wife drove me up there, and the next day, the top professor looked at my chart and said to clear everything, I was to come down to the OR at noon.

Long and short of it--I got two stents put in, and he said I had two arteries 99% blocked, and I was the luckiest guy in Europe that day. He said I was a massive (maybe fatal) heart attack hours away from happening.

Wait for them to do their thing. Don't stress until after the procedure and see if they're STILL worried. Even then, if you need stents put in, that's a piece of cake. A bypass operation is a big deal, but they won't put you through that unless they can't get stents in where you have blockage.

[Coventina]

9. Dang! That is one scary story! Glad you were on top of it.

Mine is far less dramatic, but similar to yours.

My dad's family has been dropping from massive heart attacks for generations. Fortunately, my dad has been careful and so far has only had 2 smaller heart attacks and a triple bypass.

So, when in my forties, I started getting mysteriously out of breath and just "feeling weird" in the chest area, I was suspicious.

My docs all agreed that normally, at my age and gender they wouldn't be concerned, but due to family history....

Long story short, I went in (somewhat reluctantly) for an echo. Nothing jumped out, I guess, but it was suspicious enough for a stress test, which led to an angiogram. Sure enough, I had 98% blockage in one of my major arteries. I was told the coronary was a few months away, not hours like you. 2 stents put in, months of cardiac rehab, and blood thinners for probably my life, and I'm in better shape than I've been my whole adult life.

Modern medicine can be quite miraculous.

[DFW]

11. I lucked out, no rehab at all.

They called my wife in, told her the "new rules" about my diet, told me no stressful work for two weeks, blood thinners for life for me too (I'll get to that in a moment), and let me go in two in a half days.

Being over 50, I also get a colonoscopy every 5 years. The first time was before my stents. The third time included a notice that "if you are on blood thinners, stop taking them 10 days before the procedure." So I did. Right after I got out, I started feeling dizzy, had chest pain, and was close to losing consciousness. This was in Dallas, so my friends drove me to the emergency room at Presbyterian Hospital. A cardiologist was called, blood was taken, and he was confused. He was positive I was having a heart attack, but a certain enzyme count that always goes up when you have a heart attack just refused to go up. He said he was going to keep poking me until it went up. Normal is 300+. Finally, after about ten hours (and arms that now looked like those of a junkie), my count went up to 1300 or so. Alarmed at the increase, I asked how bad I looked. He laughed and said I was barely on the radar. He said a serious heart attack raised the count to about 10,000.

One angioplasty later, and some angry words from cardiology to the colonoscopy people (NEVER go off blood thinners for ten days!), and I was deemed repaired. The bad white blood cells that clog arteries need about ten days to regenerate to the point where they clog an artery completely. Sure enough, for my next colonoscopy, the instructions now said FIVE days before.

I can't say I'm in better shape than I've ever been. You can't keep up this "a different country every day" routine for over 40 years and come out looking like a male model. Even James Bond and Jason Bourne took breaks in between films. But I do go in for a thorough cardiac checkup every 6 months and a physical once a year. Mother Nature had me scheduled to do a quick fade out in April of 2004, and I'm still here. Maybe "it's not nice to fool Mother Nature," but it beats the alternative.

[Karadeniz]

5. I just had a nuclear stress test. Piece of cake! Easy as pie! Don't give it another thought!❤

[smirkymonkey]

6. I have a stress echo in the morning. I am dreading it for some reason.

I have a feeling they are not going to get good imaging either. I'm not sure why, but for some reason, these things never go smoothly for me. I am very stressed out about it and don't want to go, so that will probably have some effect on the outcome.

Anyway, good luck w/ your nuclear test. I hope it's easier than the stress echo. I wish there was an easier way to figure things out. It's all such a bother!

[Grasswire2]

8. I truly understand that.

I have to tell myself when it is my turn that the test is better than being surprised by an adverse event because I didn't get a test.

[smirkymonkey]

10. You are right. It actually wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

We have such great healthcare here in Boston and I was in and out right away, the techs were very nice and professional and competent. I couldn't quite make it to the end of the 3rd leg of the test w/ the speed and incline. I can walk forever on flat ground at a steady pace, but I was getting lightheaded toward the end.

We should have the results by Tuesday, but from what they could tell there was nothing they could see that was alarming. My doctors will check on me next week. Thanks!

[Laffy Kat]

7. I work in a radiology department that does nuc. stress tests.

It is very common to have a nuclear stress test following an echo. It's probably nothing; they probably want more information. Do not spend your weekend worrying about it.