It's been a year

As people say. And it's only April 8. I've been looking for more info and images of the stress echo (cardio) test I took late last month but I haven't found any yet, unlike the plethora (great word) of info I found on the January tests. After two consecutive "atypical" ECGs from St. Mike's hospital in November and negative/positive test results from the five-hour cardiac perfusion and treadmill tests in late January (at a clinic that my cardiologist says has ancient and unreliable equipment, though I'm sure they use fresh radio-isotopes), and a further ECG in the cardiologist's office a few weeks ago, I was told that the angiogram is the "gold standard" for determining heart function. As a post-menopausal diabetic (aged mumblemumble-two) the typical tests aren't very informative. The angiogram has a "tiny" (one in 500 is tiny??) risk of injury. So I picked the stress echo. (Pardon me a moment while I donate some more money in appreciation to TEGH for their great efficiency. OK, done.)

On the morning of, I skipped my coffee and ate a light breakfast as ordered, wore jeans and runners, walked to the hospital (about 20 minutes), arrived about 15 minutes early and got admitted immediately. I undressed from the waist up. I got sticky sensors all over the place. About three techs at a time. The tech did my echo cardiogram in about 1o minutes. Then I got on the treadmill and marched increasingly uphill for about 10 minutes until I said I wanted off. Then I was flung back on the gurney for the second echo while my heart rate and blood pressure were still high. My cardio was there the whole time and I got results by 9:05 am. I was having fresh coffee (but not from the hospital's cafeteria, blech) five minutes later. I found out I should have bused or cabbed to the hospital, but what does one do when transit takes just about as long as it took to walk? And as a diabetic, I need all the exercise I can get?

Anyways, immediate test results: the chances are 80 percent that I DON'T have cardiomyopathy. Yet (I'm too young?). Cardio advised daily low-dose aspirin. I've been doing that for about 4 years now. Also statins. The scariest part. I said let's wait until we see my next cholesterol levels. I don't have to see him for a year now. I'll try to stop eating cookies for lunch and dinner.

The Colon Diaries -- farewell (sob, sniff)

Dear Diary: Arrived at TEGH (Toronto East General Hospital, to whom I think I might donate a few bucks) at 9:05 am for a 9:25 appointment. I was checked in, gowned up, interviewed, and bedded down with a tube up my nether place by 9:30 am. I was walking out to breakfast by 10 am. Hallelujah! I was cleansed. It took a 37.5 hour fast and a whole lot of laxatives and fluids. Ingrid, my CT tech, stayed with me the whole time and took me step by step through the whole thing. When she came in to turn me over for the second part of the scan, she told me it was going so well other people were coming in to look...

This is just like the machine I was in, except I went in feet first and my CT tech was blonde. And the techs leave the room. Not as comfortable as the colonoscopy (I was under general anaesthetic) or as horribly invasive and uncomfortable and MESSY as the barium enema (don't let ANYONE try to talk you into having that instead of a colonoscopy)---somewhere in between. I might get results in a couple of weeks.

Next: my car passed the drive-clean test! Hallelujah again. Now it's off to get my plate sticker and new driver's license photo. Unfortunately I can't drive there because I might get a ticket for having an expired sticker.