![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
Today was the visit to the Chest pain clinic, my appointment was at 2:15pm, this is a quite irritating time for getting to the hospital by bus. The bus trip is just a smidgen over an hour and it is a half hourly service. It was a choice of being 40 minutes early or risking being late if the next bus was screwed up. Me being me and fussy about time keeping chose to be 40 mins early.
So, 12:20 saw me at the bus stop in town. In my bag I had my running kit as I wouldn't have liked to do an exercise tolerance test (ETT) in normal trousers. The bus was on time (yay!), mind you the route to the hospital feels like it goes halfway round the county. Found the clinic reception and reported in. I'd barely got sat down before I was called through for an ECG. Off came my top and bra and yet again a topless Alice is before a medical professional. as this was a proper full ECG there were sensors on wrists and ankles as well as on my chest and shoulders. As I'd had to take my tights off, I took the opportunity to change into running kit ready for the ETT.
Eventually, just gone 2:15 I was called by one of the sisters for a chat about medical history etc., this included height and weight checks. then it was back to the waiting area. eventually I was called through for the ETT. So it was off with my top again for yet another set of sensors. Thence onto the treadmill, the purpose is to monitor the heart over a range of stress levels. From a slow walk on a level surface through to a fast walk on a reasonable incline. As well as heart rate and ECG measurements periodic blood pressure measurements are done.
My initial BP was 120/80 and this peaked at maximum effort at 182/91.
They like to get as close to maximum predicted heart rate as they can (the consent form I had to sign listed all the risks faced in doing this), there is always the option of stopping the test at any point of course. For me using the usual formula 220-age this is a max of 171. By the time we were into the final phase of the test some 10 minutes from the start, and the most strenuous part of the test, I was still chatting to the techs, predominantly about horses, even though my heart rate was up around 174bpm.
The treadmill part of the test ends after 11minutes, and is followed by 5 minutes of monitoring during recovery, and after 2 minutes my HR was under 100bpm. Once they'd finished the recovery monitoring I was told that that was it for the day and I could go home. First stop was the loo to get changed - I was a bit damp with sweat - and then for the first caffeine of the day, a banana, and a bag of Cajun Squirrel crisps.
The trip back was uneventful, and is the same length, from getting on the bus to unlocking my front door, as the instrumental version of Nightwish - A Dark Passion Play.
Next week I'll find out if there is anything of concern. So, back to being in limbo.
Alice.
So, 12:20 saw me at the bus stop in town. In my bag I had my running kit as I wouldn't have liked to do an exercise tolerance test (ETT) in normal trousers. The bus was on time (yay!), mind you the route to the hospital feels like it goes halfway round the county. Found the clinic reception and reported in. I'd barely got sat down before I was called through for an ECG. Off came my top and bra and yet again a topless Alice is before a medical professional. as this was a proper full ECG there were sensors on wrists and ankles as well as on my chest and shoulders. As I'd had to take my tights off, I took the opportunity to change into running kit ready for the ETT.
Eventually, just gone 2:15 I was called by one of the sisters for a chat about medical history etc., this included height and weight checks. then it was back to the waiting area. eventually I was called through for the ETT. So it was off with my top again for yet another set of sensors. Thence onto the treadmill, the purpose is to monitor the heart over a range of stress levels. From a slow walk on a level surface through to a fast walk on a reasonable incline. As well as heart rate and ECG measurements periodic blood pressure measurements are done.
My initial BP was 120/80 and this peaked at maximum effort at 182/91.
They like to get as close to maximum predicted heart rate as they can (the consent form I had to sign listed all the risks faced in doing this), there is always the option of stopping the test at any point of course. For me using the usual formula 220-age this is a max of 171. By the time we were into the final phase of the test some 10 minutes from the start, and the most strenuous part of the test, I was still chatting to the techs, predominantly about horses, even though my heart rate was up around 174bpm.
The treadmill part of the test ends after 11minutes, and is followed by 5 minutes of monitoring during recovery, and after 2 minutes my HR was under 100bpm. Once they'd finished the recovery monitoring I was told that that was it for the day and I could go home. First stop was the loo to get changed - I was a bit damp with sweat - and then for the first caffeine of the day, a banana, and a bag of Cajun Squirrel crisps.
The trip back was uneventful, and is the same length, from getting on the bus to unlocking my front door, as the instrumental version of Nightwish - A Dark Passion Play.
Next week I'll find out if there is anything of concern. So, back to being in limbo.
Alice.
Tags:
no subject
I hope the results don't reveal anything serious *hugs* xx
no subject
We'll see what the cardiologist has to say when he's looked at the test results. It's the first time I've had anything like this and hopefully it's just a one off.