Nessa And Brian's List of Tests and Meetings

I figure everyone is gonna ask anyway... and i need a place to keep track.  Since you guys are supportive here we go:

AFAIK all our tests are now scheduled.

Green: Together
Blue: Brian
Pink: Nessa

February 18, 2009  Information Seminar Both--DONE
March 9, 2009 Initial Consult with DVR Both --DONE
March 19, 2009  Psych Eval with Ranessa 10 am 11 am.
March 17, 2009 Venous Doppler of Lower Extrem. (and chest xray) Brian 10:00
March 26, 2009 Pulmonary Function Test for Brian 10 am
March 26, 2009 Exercise Saturation Test for Nessa 10:45
March 26, 2009  Arterial Blood Gases for both
April 6, 2009,  Fasting Blood work and Upper GI Series Brian 10 am
April 10, 2009 Sleep Study  8:30 pm Brian
April 1, 2009  Fasting Blood Work and Upper GI Series for Nessa 9 am
April 1, 2009  Cardio Consults Both 11 am.



AND YET I feel like i'm missing something.....

Wow!!  Look at you!!  All organized and color-coded even!!!  But that's good, because it can seriously make you crazy if you don't somehow track it all.

I can't really see that you're missing anything - of course, within, I think, a week or so of your surgery, you'll have to be cleared for surgery by your PCP (at least I did), so that may mean another appointment or two.  There are some tests, etc., that "expire," so they'll need to be done closer to the surgery date.

Brian knows not to expect ANY sleep at the study, right????

Ever had arterial blood gasses drawn before?

Tia

Hello to all I am not being nosy just curious. What is arterial blood gases and how is  that done? Also what is exercise saturation test and how is that done? I have never heard of these tests? Thanks, Julie

Hey Julie -

Here's www.webmd.com's definition for the arterial blood gas test.  I don't know about the exercise saturation test.

I will tell you, and Nessa, too, that this test HURTS.  There's no way around it - they put a needle deep into your wrist to the artery (of course).  It's quick, but like I said, it HURTS.  Yet another necessary evil.

Arterial Blood Gases

 

An arterial blood gas (ABG) test measures the acidity (pH) and the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood from an artery. 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 7.0 is called acid and a pH greater than 7.0 is called basic (alkaline). So blood is slightly basic.
• Bicarbonate (HCO3). Bicarbonate is a chemical (buffer) that keeps the pH of blood from becoming too acidic or too basic.
• 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 (COPD).
• 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.

How To Prepare

Tell your doctor if you:

• Have had bleeding problems or take blood thinners, such as aspirin or warfarin (Coumadin).
• Are taking any medicines.
• Are allergic to any medicines, such as those used to numb the skin (anesthetics).

If you are on oxygen therapy, the oxygen may be turned off for 20 minutes before the blood test. This is called a "room air" test. If you cannot breathe without the oxygen, the oxygen will not be turned off.

I don't know what they are, but I did not have either of them - and surgery is on Wednesday!

Good Luck on Wednesday!

Thanks Heather!
Starting to feel a bit of nerves now...  LOL

Wow, I don't remember doing that much before my surgery. I remember going to my PCP. He wrote me up for a chest X-ray and blood work, which I got done in the same evening, woohoo. And, I ahd 3 sessions with a therapist (mental health professional, if you may).

But, the again, I went through 3 insurance denials and writing a personal 5 page letter to them over 4-5 month period so maybe I am forgetting something.

You seem like you are on top of things though :-)

NONE of these are for insurance.

ALL of this is from DVR!

DVR?