Not How I Expected My Week To Go

[przed]

For the past few months I've been going through a number of medical tests as various doctors try to figure out what the heck to do with the horrible acid reflux I've been having that's been immune to all drugs. My GP decided he was going to run some cardiac tests just to make sure there wasn't anything going on with my heart. Which led to me having a stress test on Monday.

This did not go how I expected. I expected that I'd pass it no problem. What actually happened was that I failed, the cardiologist stopped the test early and scheduled me for an angiogram the next day on the assumption that I had at least one blocked artery. He also gave me cholesterol and high blood pressure meds to start on right away.

This freaked me out. Because while I've always had low blood pressure, entirely normal cholesterol and am in pretty good shape, my mom's side of the family has made a habit of dying of massive heart attacks before 50, which is what I'm turning this year.

So I go for the angiogram. Which first entails sitting in the waiting room for four hours. (Fortunately, I'd brought the last Sharpe novel, which I'd been saving for the right occasion.) Then there's the test, which involves them slicing open an artery in my leg, putting a catheter through it to my heart, and injecting dye so they can x-ray the arteries.

The good news is there weren't any blocked arteries. Though the cardiologist had no good theories for why my heart freaked out during the stress test.

The bad news is I'm allergic to the dye. Which meant they then had to push benadryl into me through the IV and I spent most of yesterday looped.

Also, I've now had to take two extra days off work to let the artery heal. And I've spent most of the last day and a half feeling like I've been beaten up.

It seems entirely unfair that I will have lost three days to get a negative result. Though I would have lost a heck of a lot more if I'd had a positive one.

Comments

[nakeisha.livejournal.com]

Golly, what an experience.

I am glad to hear you haven't got any blocked arteries.

And what a way to find our you're allergic to dye :-(

I can understand you feeling it's all unfair to have lost three days for a negative result. I'm just glad it is negative.

[moonlightmead.livejournal.com]

Oh god, what a nightmare! Not quite sure what 'looped' means, but am guessed at either zonked out or slightly manic, and I can't imagine either are great fun.

Agree entirely on the unfairness. I am well familiar with 'if I have a scan, it had better show up something'! And I presume it still leaves you waiting for answers about the reflux - bummer :(

Hope you shake the rest of the effects off soon.

[heliophile-oxon.livejournal.com]

Bloody hell, that sounds like fun .... you know, as in the diametric opposite of fun :-(
Allergy to this dye must be very rare? I presume they wouldn't inject it without checking, otherwise! At least I hope they wouldn't.
Hope you are feeling OK now!

[bluespirit-star.livejournal.com]

Hope you feel better soon.
It's a pain about going through all of that but at least it's a 'good' result (you know what I mean.)
*hugs*

[moth2fic.livejournal.com]

EEEEEK! Poor you! And presumably they're no nearer the acid reflux diagnosis? That's what I had when they decided I had a hiatus hernia but then a lot of people do, with no symptoms. After loads of tests for everything ranging from cancer to mere indigestion they started meds for the hernia. Nobody ever mentioned heart. Then it all got worse and I ended up with a massive gall bladder infection and the consequent op. What I really really couldn't understand was why they hadn't done gall bladder checks right at the start because I know about a dozen people who had the same symptoms and the same eventual outcome and nobody ever looked at the gall bladder straight away. I'm really glad it wasn't your heart - but the stress of all that must have driven you almost to a heart attack anyway!!!

[gilda-elise.livejournal.com]

I certainly hope they discover what's wrong soon. Unfortunately, it's been my experience that, with some things, they never do really know. Or, because they can't make an absolute link, they're reluctant to state that a certain illness is causing the problem. Do you know what tests they're planning next?

[draycevixen.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry you had to go through all this petal but I'm glad to hear about the negative result. ♥

I'm sure your doctor has already considered the more commonly associated things else he wouldn't have sent you for the stress test. On my mother's side the acid reflux has always heralded gall bladder problems and my MIL's family tend to have a narrow oesophagus which starts to give them problems in their 50s. They usually end up doing swallow tests and then having their oesophagus stretched.

[dawnebeth.livejournal.com]

Oh, my dear! Hugs. I'm so glad it was negative, though.

[sarren.livejournal.com]

Yikes, scary! Glad the test was negative and hope they figure out what it is soon, and that it is easily sorted.

[jawanderer.livejournal.com]

Oof! Glad to hear that it's not your heart, but what a way to find out! And it sucks like nobody's business not only to go through all that to find out nothing much (other than a new allergy, oh yay), but to still not know what's causing the heartburn (or the stress test failure).

Best wishes and hope you feel better soon (and figure out what's up).

Marian

[shooting2kill.livejournal.com]

What a horrible episode in your life, so unexpected and worrying, I had no idea that acid reflux could suggest heart trouble. But thank goodness the results were good and I hope you're feeling much better now.

[sc-fossil.livejournal.com]

OMG! You poor wubbie! I'm sorry to hear that you had to go through this but it's good the test is negative. I'm hoping this means your okay!

[dine.livejournal.com]

wow! while I'm glad you got a negative result, going through that process sure doesn't sound like fun - and still no answer as to you failed the stress test isn't helpful. I sure hope the next few weeks are completely uneventful!

[norfolkdumpling.livejournal.com]

Blimey - how scary for you! *hugs* I'm glad the result with your heart was negative and am crossing everything that they can find out what is up with the acid reflux thing and get it fixed quickly and easily.

[shayheyred.livejournal.com]

Angiograms are not a joy. Though I'm not allergic to the dye, I still was loopy all day. Well, glad all the parts are in order. Who knows what happened?! They'll probably retest you and see the results.

[loyseofverlaine.livejournal.com]

Oh, goodness! You poor thing. Sending lots of positive vibes your way. Hope you'll be on the mend soon.

[halotolerant.livejournal.com]

Oh god, what a pile of horrible :( I'm so glad that the angiogram was negative, but utterly understand the weird extra frustration of waiting forever for something painful (and in your case, anaphylactic-y) that ends up having not produced anything concrete. And you still don't know about the heartburn (although I see from lower comments that that's in hand)

*hugshugshugs*

[snailbones.livejournal.com]

Oh, you poor love! What a horrid experience - though yay for not getting bad news. But still... you kind of want to find out what's wrong, how to fix it, and move on, dammit! I hope you're feeling tons better now, and whatever it is gets sorted out quickly... by the time they find out what's wrong, it'll probably have fixed itself! ♥

[rosie55.livejournal.com]

My OH had something similar some years ago, which was very miserable, complete with emergency dashes to hospital because the medics thought he was having heart problems. His was eventually diagnosed as oesophagitis, for which he is now prescribed Lansoprazole (called Zoton in the USA/Canada, he thinks) which solved the problem for him. This inhibits the production of gastric acid. He has no side effects from this though he has been taking it for over ten years. Another friend had similar problems and was also prescribed this which sorted him out, too. May be worth you mentioning to your medics.
Hope you feel fully recovered now!

[miwahni.livejournal.com]

That must have been a scary experience but I'm glad the result was negative. Bummer about the allergy though! There always has to be some complication, doesn't there.