Masters Running

1

I wimped out. Not a RR (Read 148 times)

lswife


    This morning's stress test is over, and I wimped out. But one thing I think is interesting - if I go through airport security during the next three days, my body will set off the alarms. Cool, I think. I won't glow in the dark, though. We changed doctors, and this new one said she needed this test just to "see." More correctly, the test is a "cardiac infusion" procedure. I went in at 7:30, had a "port" put in my arm and an injection of some kind of radioactive medication. An hour later (after a Bob Evans' breakfast), I returned for a 16-minute gamma ray picture of the blood flow in my heart. This part was so easy that I actually dozed off (too many late nights watching Olympic coverage). Next came the treadmill. "I'm going to impress these nurses to death by going 30-45 minutes on the treadmill," is what I thought. Well, I wimped out at only 7 minutes plus. First came an EKG standing on the still treadmill before it was turned on; I was also instructed to keep my hands on the handle - hmmmm. "How much is the incline - 1%?" I asked the nurse/technician since I hadn't heard correctly. She replied that it began at a 10% incline and at 3mph. Every three minutes it increased. All the wires hooked onto me read everything I was doing, and I could see my heart rate going up as it responded to the incline/speed. The "85% of 220 minus age" guideline was used, so it was 136 for me (I think). I knew I'd reach that pretty quickly since the home/Y's treadmills show my heart rate when running at 150-160 or so . . . and I've never had any problem. ANYway, the incline and speed kept going up in not-small increments; no wonder I had to hold on! After seven minutes, my heart rate was close to max, and the nurse kept telling me to tell her when I couldn't go anymore. Huffing and puffing didn't bother me at first, then it did, and that's when I began feeling light-headed. At the 15% incline, I felt that I was at the top of Mt. Everest. When I told her I had pretty much had it, more medication went into my arm port and I had to walk/run for 60 more seconds. You better believe my eyes were glued to the timer!! Then I stopped, sat on the table to rest, and that was it. My BP had been taken every few minutes, and I concerned that the #s kept getting higher and higher, but the nurse said if the BP #s did NOT go up, that showed a problem. I rested for 30 minutes in the lobby, watching the Olympics, then another gamma ray picture, and it was over. So, three hours total from start to leaving which even included an hour out for breakfast. The hardest part was doing without caffeine (coffee, tea, chocolate, even decaffeinated beverages) for at least twenty-four hours. The test results are sent to big-city cardiologists; they'll let my doctor know; she'll/her nurse will then call me - I'm thinking early next week or so. When the two nurses/technicians found out that I ran, one was surprised I had started running "late" in life. I told her that when I was in school, girls could be only cheerleaders; and when we played basketball, there were 6 girls on the team, three for each half of the court, dribbling was limited to 3 steps, and we couldn't go past half court. Sounds like the Dark Ages, I know, but that was Illinois back in the 60s. So a year and half ago and with DD's encouragement, I began running (C25K program) and enjoy it. Both said they used to run but the increase in runners' hip/knee problems made them stop. That was when I "gently" told them of the study posted just yesterday on msnbc.com about the long-range study of 50+ year olds who runner, and there was no increase in the rate of injury or knee/hip joint problems. I don't think they believed me.


    Marathon Maniac #957

      Very interesting reading. I've always wondered about how this sort of test really went, from the perspective of the patient. (Similarly I've been reading with fascination about SR's experiences.) The 24 hours without caffeine - not even decaffeinated! This would be a problem for me. Does herbal tea count? That would be okay then. Was this just a routine test, or did you have some symptoms that made it necessary?

      Life is a headlong rush into the unknown. We can hunker down and hope nothing hits us or we can stand tall, lean into the wind and say, "Bring it on, darlin', and don't be stingy with the jalapenos."

        wow - i dont think you wimped out at all!! i can't believe the test starts at a 10% incline - that would do me in right from the start!! oh and the 24 hours without caffeine -- i would definitely be in withdrawals!! lol hope all your results come out great!!

        denise