10 October 2012

My appointment yesterday went extremely well.

The class, a further education about transplant, meds, the psychology of it, etc was great information; although, with all the studying I have done, there weren't any points brought up that I did not already know about. I also had to sign more paperwork--mostly policies and understandings--which was no big deal. I also got to a brief meet with Mayra, my Transplant coordinator.

I had to leave the class part a bit early because of the scheduled Thallium Cardiac Stress test. Having never been through one of these I did not know what exactly to expect. The cardiac nurses however, made the experience quite comfortable and extremely informative.

To start--well, after the usual insurance stuff--I was taken to an exam room where all the vitals were taken and an IV was placed in my R forearm. A bit of nuclear isotopes were injected through the IV and I was taken to an imaging room and placed on a new scanner that better images the heart with improved thoroughness 360 degrees. I had to hold still for seventeen minutes.

Once completed, I was asked to change into shorts (no shirt) and was hooked up to a 12-Lead ECG. They took a look on this--which, by the way, looked great! My QRS and P-Wave look awesome!-- then placed me on a slow treadmill for three minutes.

After one minute I was injected with a vasodilator that impacts the muscles, as well. My legs suddenly got very heavy, and my breathing was labored. This lasted the remaining two minutes of treadmill time. (All this while I was still hooked up to the ECG 12-Lead).
Once the treadmill was completed, the 12-Leads were removed (All except three), and I was given about ten minutes to recover from the test. The vasodilator was short-acting, and I was given the choice of several drinks and snacks to help my body recover.

Next, I was given another small dose of isotopes and then placed back of the imager I had laid on earlier. This time I was on it for fourteen minutes. Once done, I got dressed and was escorted to another exam room to wait for a cardiologist to talk to me about the results.

When he came in, the cardiologist explained what the test entailed, what they were looking for, etc. He told me, "For a man of your age, your heart is in GREAT shape." There is no plaque buildup anywhere on or in the vessels of the heart, the electrical conduction system of my heart is in excellent shape, and I have zero issues with any of the valves. So, I got a very clean bill of health from the cardiologist! (EXCELLENT news!!!)

Then this afternoon, I received a call from Mayra, and she stated that because my heart looks so good, the Transplant Physician Director, a Dr. Stimson, said that would need "no further cardiac tests of any kind."

So, a great day of news! I now have only two more requisites to do, plus the double nephrectomy, and I will be ready for transplant! Woo-Hoo!!!  :o)

(I will let you know about the other requisites as I get them finished!)

Good Health to All!

ScottW