The Line Up

Alrighty yall, I have finally got off my lazy butt and scheduled the other testing that DVR requested, so here’s the line up….lol

 

Blood Work – Done

Psych Eval – Done

Echocardiogram w/Doppler – 1:30 p.m. on 5/9/08

Glucose Test – 7 a.m. on 5/10/08

Chest X-Ray – 9:30 a.m. on 5/10/08 (Walk-In)

Upper GI Series – 8:30 a.m. on 5/16/08

Pulmonary Function Test – 1:00 p.m. on 5/16/08

Arterial Blood Gas – 2:00 p.m. on 5/16/08

 

I’m so worried about the Arterial Blood Gas but it’s just something I have to do.  It may hurt for the moment but it’s something I have to do.  With my last appointment on May 16^th, this will complete all my testing that DVR wanted and results from all these tests should be to their office by next visit which is May 27, 2008.

 

Teri

YOU GO, HONEY!!!  So.................which surgery?  You know my opinion, for what it's worth, and Heather's, too, for that matter!! Hey, what time is your appt. on 5/27?  Maybe I'll ask for that date, too.  Oh, and we can wear matching shirts!!!  LOL!!! And...........CUT....................IT.......................OUT about the ABG!!!!!  I'm glad you'e sayng that you realize it's something you gotta do.  It is.  Get over it and suck it up. SWAK! Tia

Hey Tia!  Honestly, I was really putting off the tests because of the ABG.  I'm really nervous about that test.  Anything to do with needs freaks me out...lol  As for which surgery, I'm still sooooooooooo undecided.  As for my appointment on the 27th, its a 9 a.m.  Its a quick appointment she said.  Maybe if you can get in at the same time, we could do breakfast after....Let me know! T

what is a arterial blood gas for? just curious. and you will do great. good luck!

Thanks Nicole!  As for the ABG, here is what I found...lol

An arterial blood gas (ABG) test measures the acidity (pH) and the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. This test is used to check how well your lungs are able to move oxygen into the blood and remove carbon dioxide from the blood.

As blood passes through your lungs, oxygen moves into the blood while carbon dioxide moves out of the blood into the lungs. An ABG test uses blood drawn from an artery, where the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels can be measured before they enter body tissues. An ABG measures:

• Partial pressure of oxygen (PaO2). This measures the pressure of oxygen dissolved in the blood and how well oxygen is able to move from the airspace of the lungs into the blood.
• Partial pressure of carbon dioxide (PaCO2). This measures how much carbon dioxide is dissolved in the blood and how well carbon dioxide is able to move out of the body.
• pH. The pH measures hydrogen ions (H+) in blood. The pH of blood is usually between 7.35 and 7.45. A pH of less than 7.35 is called acid and a pH greater than 7.45 is called basic (alkaline).
• Bicarbonate (HCO3). Bicarbonate is a chemical that keeps the pH of blood from becoming too acid. If the pH level drops, HCO3 is absorbed by the kidneys and returned to the blood instead of passing out of the body in the urine.
• Oxygen content (O2CT) and oxygen saturation (O2Sat) values. O2 content measures the amount of oxygen in the blood. Oxygen saturation measures how much of the hemoglobin in the red blood cells is carrying oxygen (O2).

Blood for an ABG test is taken from an artery. Most other blood tests are done on a sample of blood taken from a vein, after the blood has already passed through the body's tissues where the oxygen is used up and carbon dioxide is produced.

Why It Is Done

An arterial blood gas (ABG) test is done to:

• Check for severe breathing problems and lung diseases, such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
• See how well treatment for lung diseases is working.
• Find out if you need extra oxygen or help with breathing (mechanical ventilation).
• Find out if you are receiving the right amount of oxygen when you are using oxygen in the hospital.
• Measure the acid-base level in the blood of people who have heart failure, kidney failure, uncontrolled diabetes, sleep disorders, severe infections, or after a drug overdose.

You can so totally do this!  Once it's over, you'll wonder why you ever worried.   Just keep picturing yourself wearing something totally awesome that you never thought you would...and feeling GREAT doing it.

Gosh, I really hope your right!  I just can imagine the pain and that freaks me out!  But, I have no choice and no way around it, so I'm just going to do it, and get it over with.  Thanks for the encouragement !!! 

I would be willing to have a thousand ABGs before I ever had an Upper GI again.  It will be fine!  Less than 5 seconds.  Don't worry about it at all!

Urghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, the Upper GI is painful too?  Please describe the procedure.  Thanks, T

Oh no, it is not painful at all.  You just have to drink this stuff that is nasty.  Then you lay on a table and they take pictures of your insides.  No pain whatsoever.  I am just not good with drinking icky stuff.