Cardiac Stress Test

I called the doctors office yesterday to check and see if they had all the paperwork.  You know, somehow I assumed MY doctors office wouldnt be like everyone else's doctor----not sending EVERYthing they asked for.  No, no--not MY doctors office.  I even made a copy of the letter telling them exactly what to send...... Yeah well, dream on sweetheart---your doctors office IS just like everyone elses!  They are missing this, that and the other thing.  Oh---and by the way, we forgot to tell you that you need a Cardiac Stress Test. Has anyone done one of those?  I know why they are doing it.  My father had his first heart attack at age 30......  So, of course it is smart of them.  I am quite nervous----a friends mother actually died during one at a local hospital.  Of course, she already had heart problems.... Just wondering what it was like for anyone that needed one. Michelle

Hello Michelle,

    I've had 2 of them. One was the traditional treadmill method and my last one was 'medically-induced' as I was recovering from spine surgery and couldn't do the treadmill.  They were really not very scary, to me.  There are lots of leads to be attached and an tiny IV if you need to have the meds to induce the faster heart-rate.  Otrherwise, it was pretty straight-forward.  They get you to the point of breathing hard but it doesn't last for long.  Best of luck - Treading

Just thought I would tell you that I did my stress test on Monday and it all went perfectly fine.  NO NEEDLES!  Just some wires hooked up and some pretty darn fast walking.  They had to get my heart rate up over 155 and sustained and then up as high as possible because then they QUICKLY made me lie down to do an echo-ultrasound of my heart at a high rate.   Funny enough it wasnt the heart or the breathing that were hard for me at all----my HIPS and KNEES were not happy after....my knee (which I already have issues with) is still bothering me.... But it is over and done with and they said it all looks good.  Thank God, my Dad had his first heart attack at age 30 --- I think that is why I was so darn nervous. Friday is weigh in----God, please let me have lost those ten lbs.  I have really been trying and have changed my eating a great deal and I am up to 15 minutes a day on the recumbent bike---something has got to give!  That is the LAST thing and then I should be able to meet with the surgeon.....so, fingers crossed.... Michelle