Proactive Medical Attitude

[dennysfishroom]

Just to let you know. I was in to see the doctor 3 weeks ago. He wanted me to take a stress test. I just got the test today, but if I hadn't been hounding them, who knows when I would have gotten it. After telling the doctor I couldn't do a treadmill test, they called me to make an appointment for last Tuesday. I asked Gail if she had confirmed it would not be a treadmill test - she hadn't. To make a long story short, it took till yesterday to get everyone to understand I wasn't going to take a treadmill test. They made the appointment for today, and the first thing the technician asked was I ready for a treadmill test. Just because I could walk, she thought I could run on the treadmill for 6 minutes. I told her that wasn't going to happen, and that they were going to have to give the the chemical stress test. Then she blew through my vein when she was putting the IV in, and she couldn't get the BP monitor to work. She had to leave because she was all "stressed", and other technicians had to come in to get me set up. After all that, the test was a piece of cake. Just be sure you're proactive if you have to deal with medical people. Denny

[mewickham]

It sounds like they stressed the heck out of you! I never heard of a chemical stress test.

[dennysfishroom]

It makes the heart beat faster without actually exercising. I forget the name of the drug. It's for people who are unable to exercise. I can exercise, just not on a treadmill or anything that's going to put pressure on my Achilles tendon. I wasn't stressed, but apparently I caused some stress. Denny

[Jackielee]

My stress test stressed me more in anticipation than in the actual test. Just glad to have it done. Mine came back pretty good but not perfect so I am still on my heart meds. They kept telling me the treadmill always wins. I made it through the time and felt pretty good about that. My ejection fraction under stress was just too low to kick the meds. I tried!