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Heart Scan shows that I have one!
By mhobach | July 27, 2006
Those of you close to me heard that I was going in for a heart scan yesterday.
Here is an update and some background information…
My daughter works in the radiology department at a local hospital and they have recently installed a new high-tech piece of equipment from GE. This is one of those ‘ultimate imaging’ machines where the doctors can just about see your heart as if there were holding it in their hand. I’ve read a little bit about this machine and have really been impressed with it’s capabilities.
My daughter called me a couple of weeks ago and said that they had this new ‘tool’ and that they were going to be doing a week’s worth of major training – she of course is one of those being trained – and the hospital was looking for volunteers to get a free scan, and also to be a guenia pig. I reluctantly said that I would do it. I’m sure that she really wanted to know that her Dad was Ok.
Anyway, I went to the hospital yesterday and they went through the process and scanned my heart. I still need to pick up my ‘pictures’ or whatever the machine outputs and get them to my personal doctor – I haven’t done that yet… give me another week.
During the scan the control room was full of people – both from GE and the hospital. I was told by my daughter that the verbally reported no plaque, obstructions or anything that would create an issue for someone my age. Hmmm – my age! I never thought that I would get to a point in my life where someone would say that to me!
So at this point I am a happy man, knowing that my heart shouldn’t be an issue as I move into my second half a decade of life. That also means that I will be around to spoil my grand children – hint hint kids!!
There is a couple of issues that I had to deal with as a result of threir proceedure…
- First – they had to lower my heart rate to below 60 beets per minutes. They have drugs for that you know. This wasn’t a problem.
- Second – They needed to start an IV and the nurse turned my arm into a pin cushin. They need to get the IV in at the elbow so that the machine can pump the dye into your artery – I guess this isn’t the normal place and some nurces have trouble with this. My arm is black & Blue.
- Third – as they get you setup to travel through the dounut they give you a capsule of nitro-glycerin. It turns out that on those of us who are somewhat normal, this causes an almost un-bearable headache within an hour of taking it. One of the worst headaches I have ever had. They are going to figure a better way.
- Fourth – as they start to scan, the machine pumped this iodine dye into me. By the end of the test I started to break out in a rash like you wouldn’t believe! Benidral helps with the itching, but it doesn’t kill it completely.
Other than these few things, there were no issues.
So now I know that I am allergic to Iodine.
More later…
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