I had my stress test - and all is well! My heart looked great, and there isn't any abnormality or disease to be making the palpitations happen. Yay!
I tell you what, I knew I was worried about this, but I didn't quite realize how worried I was until the worry left. I feel so relieved now!
So now I'm preparing for my interview, but I think it may be just the way I figured - the stress test went well, and I'm so happy and relieved that I'm not at all worried about the interview. I think I'm prepared for it. If I get it, great, if I don't, it's not a big deal - I'm happy enough where I am. It's not my dream job, but the other job isn't either. So I'm fine either way.
It's nice to be able to go into the interview being all zen about it. :)
Really I just want my vacation to start now! I want to go home, hug Jim and celebrate being healthy. Yay! No heart disease!
Showing posts with label stress test. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stress test. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Monday, December 13, 2010
Heart Monitor Results Are...Sort of In?
I called my doctor's office a few minutes ago, to see if they had the results from the heart monitor thing yet. I didn't talk to the doctor herself - I think the woman on the phone was a nurse? I'm not sure. Maybe not, since she didn't know what some of the words in the report meant. Anyway, she said that they did get the results, and they're scheduling me for a stress test next week.
Okay, I don't really know what any of this means, big picture wise, but here is what she said. My heart is in sinus rhythm, which is good. My average heart rate was 85, which for me is about normal, I think (it's almost always in the 80s when I take it, even years ago when I was younger and much thinner). But there were "frequent PVCs," and they want me to take a stress test, I think to find out if there is a cardiac disease looming, or if the PVCs are just a normal thing that happen sometimes.
And here is where I admit that I totally had to look up the term PVC, and it stands for Premature Ventricular Contraction. Basically, it's exactly what it felt like - my heart sometimes just beats a second time sooner than it should.
It's funny - I wasn't really worried about this at all before. I even forgot to call on Friday to see if they had my results. But now? I'm kind of worried. This isn't fun.
So that's where we are. I have to be at the hospital on Tuesday at 6:45 a.m., which is pretty torturous, since it means I'll have to be up at around 5:00. And I have to walk on a treadmill while electrodes are stuck to my skin. But we'll see what it says. I haven't worked out in a couple of weeks (the gym has been closed because the trainer had surgery, and I've been bad and haven't worked out at home), but when I was still going, my heart never felt weird when working out at all. It doesn't even flutter there, usually. So we'll see.
Oh, and it's only fluttered maybe 1-4 times a day for the last four days. It's been nice, having the flutters slow down and thinking that they may be going away. Now here's hoping that it really is all nothing, and that the stress test will prove that. Because while the web page I read to find out about PVCs said in most cases they meant nothing, it also used the term "sudden death" a few times, and I don't like that term at all. So we're hoping for nothing being wrong, obviously.
Okay, I don't really know what any of this means, big picture wise, but here is what she said. My heart is in sinus rhythm, which is good. My average heart rate was 85, which for me is about normal, I think (it's almost always in the 80s when I take it, even years ago when I was younger and much thinner). But there were "frequent PVCs," and they want me to take a stress test, I think to find out if there is a cardiac disease looming, or if the PVCs are just a normal thing that happen sometimes.
And here is where I admit that I totally had to look up the term PVC, and it stands for Premature Ventricular Contraction. Basically, it's exactly what it felt like - my heart sometimes just beats a second time sooner than it should.
It's funny - I wasn't really worried about this at all before. I even forgot to call on Friday to see if they had my results. But now? I'm kind of worried. This isn't fun.
So that's where we are. I have to be at the hospital on Tuesday at 6:45 a.m., which is pretty torturous, since it means I'll have to be up at around 5:00. And I have to walk on a treadmill while electrodes are stuck to my skin. But we'll see what it says. I haven't worked out in a couple of weeks (the gym has been closed because the trainer had surgery, and I've been bad and haven't worked out at home), but when I was still going, my heart never felt weird when working out at all. It doesn't even flutter there, usually. So we'll see.
Oh, and it's only fluttered maybe 1-4 times a day for the last four days. It's been nice, having the flutters slow down and thinking that they may be going away. Now here's hoping that it really is all nothing, and that the stress test will prove that. Because while the web page I read to find out about PVCs said in most cases they meant nothing, it also used the term "sudden death" a few times, and I don't like that term at all. So we're hoping for nothing being wrong, obviously.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
I Survived!
I survived! Well of course, you all knew I would. I knew I would, too, really, but that doesn't mean I was looking forward to the experience.
So I left work just before 4:00 and drove across campus to the Wellness Center. I walked in, feeling that lazy, scared part of my brain yelling to "run away! Danger, danger, run!" But I ignored it. I went in and met the trainer, then went into the locker room (very clean - I was impressed) and changed into my workout clothes. And then the fun began.
We started with a weight and height (I'm still 5'3", and my weight was 230 so yeah, all that junk food I've been eating has given me the expected weight gain). Then he took me over to this nifty little machine that I had to stand on barefooted, and it gave my body fat percentage somehow. I have no idea how it works, but it was cool. I was expecting calipers and fat pinching, but this was much less mortifying. The number was as horrible as I'd feared, though - my body is currently 44% fat. Eek! Wow, it's a good thing I'm starting this program.
Then he took measurements - biceps, waist, hips, thighs and calves. I don't know what the numbers were, so I think I'll take my own measurements and use those for this record. After that we went to the area where the treadmill is that is used for the stress test. I had to take off my shirt (I was wearing a sports bra, though, so didn't feel at all naked), and he attached electrodes to me. He took my blood pressure. He monitored my heart at a resting rate. And then I stood on the treadmill and he gave me this apparatus that I had to put in my mouth, so that the machines could monitor my breathing and gases and all that. (That thing sucks, by the way.) And then the fun began! The treadmill started at a nice walk, and went up from there. I made it to the middle of the third stage and then I had to have him stop it. I am so out of shape! It's really scary. (And another good reason to be grateful I'm starting this program.)
After I had gotten my heart rate down to normal and sat drinking some water and cooling off for a few minutes, he unhooked me from all the electrodes, and I was able to put my shirt back on, and we went to test my strength.
I have no upper body strength. I knew that, though. My legs, though, are pretty strong! At least, since I don't work out, I was happy with how they performed. I was able to do 10 of one kind of exercise, 12 of another (with the weights set at 115), and on the machine that works your thighs and butt, I was able to lift 290 pounds six times. At least part of me is strong!
Once the strength tests were over, he tested my flexibility (I'm not very flexible), and I was done. Woo!
He had three of those orientations to do yesterday, so he said he would have my workout plan for me on Friday, and I could spend some time studying it and start working out on Monday. I have to admit - I was a little relieved to have the rest of the week off, instead of having to start working out today. :)
So that was it! Whew! Thanks for giving me encouragement in the comments - I feel like those of you who read and comment will help me keep going when all of this exercising gets underway and I get tired of doing it. So, thanks. :)
Edited because: I had the trainer send me the measurements he took of me last night, and I just got them in my e-mail. I'll post them in the sidebar. I figured that was easier than trying to take my own.
So I left work just before 4:00 and drove across campus to the Wellness Center. I walked in, feeling that lazy, scared part of my brain yelling to "run away! Danger, danger, run!" But I ignored it. I went in and met the trainer, then went into the locker room (very clean - I was impressed) and changed into my workout clothes. And then the fun began.
We started with a weight and height (I'm still 5'3", and my weight was 230 so yeah, all that junk food I've been eating has given me the expected weight gain). Then he took me over to this nifty little machine that I had to stand on barefooted, and it gave my body fat percentage somehow. I have no idea how it works, but it was cool. I was expecting calipers and fat pinching, but this was much less mortifying. The number was as horrible as I'd feared, though - my body is currently 44% fat. Eek! Wow, it's a good thing I'm starting this program.
Then he took measurements - biceps, waist, hips, thighs and calves. I don't know what the numbers were, so I think I'll take my own measurements and use those for this record. After that we went to the area where the treadmill is that is used for the stress test. I had to take off my shirt (I was wearing a sports bra, though, so didn't feel at all naked), and he attached electrodes to me. He took my blood pressure. He monitored my heart at a resting rate. And then I stood on the treadmill and he gave me this apparatus that I had to put in my mouth, so that the machines could monitor my breathing and gases and all that. (That thing sucks, by the way.) And then the fun began! The treadmill started at a nice walk, and went up from there. I made it to the middle of the third stage and then I had to have him stop it. I am so out of shape! It's really scary. (And another good reason to be grateful I'm starting this program.)
After I had gotten my heart rate down to normal and sat drinking some water and cooling off for a few minutes, he unhooked me from all the electrodes, and I was able to put my shirt back on, and we went to test my strength.
I have no upper body strength. I knew that, though. My legs, though, are pretty strong! At least, since I don't work out, I was happy with how they performed. I was able to do 10 of one kind of exercise, 12 of another (with the weights set at 115), and on the machine that works your thighs and butt, I was able to lift 290 pounds six times. At least part of me is strong!
Once the strength tests were over, he tested my flexibility (I'm not very flexible), and I was done. Woo!
He had three of those orientations to do yesterday, so he said he would have my workout plan for me on Friday, and I could spend some time studying it and start working out on Monday. I have to admit - I was a little relieved to have the rest of the week off, instead of having to start working out today. :)
So that was it! Whew! Thanks for giving me encouragement in the comments - I feel like those of you who read and comment will help me keep going when all of this exercising gets underway and I get tired of doing it. So, thanks. :)
Edited because: I had the trainer send me the measurements he took of me last night, and I just got them in my e-mail. I'll post them in the sidebar. I figured that was easier than trying to take my own.
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