stress test question

This is one of the things on my Brader "to do" list.

I'd asked for a morning test. Got a call saying I have a 6:30AM test.   I was thinking more like 8-9AM. lol  Anyway, I needed to reschedule to a day later. When I called, I asked how long the test takes - scheduler says 3 hours??  Can someone tell me if that sounds right? And if it does, what do you do that takes so long?  I have to swing by my PCP's office to pick up info ........ so that may tell me. I guess I was just hoping someone here could shed some light. I just know they will be in for a rude awakening if they think I'll last long on the treadmill. :)

 No way do they expect you to last that long on the treadmill.  They do imaging in between, I think two or three times and you sit in between I believe.  Hope this helps.  Take a good book.

Haha no, you won't be on the treadmill that long!  Sounds like an Echo/Stress Test combo.  For me, it went kinda like this (I may not be remembering all the stuff in the right order)...  And it had to be fasting.

Went in, had imaging done of my heart, was then injected with contrast dye, had to sit for 45 minutes to allow the dye to perfuse.  Had more imaging done of my heart with the dye.  Got on the treadmill with the monitors all over me.  Got off the treadmill sat for 20 minutes, had more imaging done of my heart.   Basically took right at 3 hours.

Painless, except for the treadmill exhaustion because I was embarassingly WAY out of shape ;-).

Hope this helps!
Karen

George,

I was on the treadmill 6 minutes.  They will tell you to walk as long as you can, but my prior treadmill test done 14 months earlier, I walked 6 minutes, so they based the timing at 6 minutes.  Hope this makes sense - lol - good luck, you'll do just fine!

thanks folks!!

by the way ........ I'm Dave

I had one and like Karen said, they will inject you with dye and then you just have to wait. Good luck!

HIJACK....  love the new avi!  You look MAHHHVELOUS!

Karen

yep - everyone else is right....it's a whole lot of sitting and waiting and imaging and injecting and all that fun stuff.

Good luck!

I Just had an excercise stress test
first they put an IV in your arm then they inject you with dye and you have to wait about 20 - 30 minutes for the dye to be absorbed then they take photos of your heart and that takes about 20 -30 minutes then you walk the treadmill until your heart rate gets to where it is suppossed to be then they inject you again then you wait again  and then they take more pictures and then you are finished . i can't stand to wait and hang out there but it really goes by fast its not bad
Good Luck
Susan

Hi,

There is also a thallium stress test if for any reason you are not able to use the tread mill which is done pretty much the same way except when you would have walked the treadmill they connect you t o a heart monitor and inject you with something that makes your body simulate exertion. Takes approx 3 hours. no getting around that one so go prepared with a book. 

Best of luck !!!