(Cardiac) Stress Test

March 27, 2023

I finished my rather long (cardiac) stress test here at the hospital this afternoon. It took almost four hours to complete: 11:20 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. I am awaiting my results.

The procedure: injection of radioactive liquid, wait, 2 EKGs, wait, 30 minutes of pictures of my heart, wait, injection to speed up my heart, monitoring of my heart and blood pressure, injection of "antidote" to slow my heart, wait 40 minutes, 20 minutes of pictures of my heart. (I am at the hospital for something unrelated, so they used my intravenous port for the injections.)

I had another EKG earlier in the morning, and I am expecting to have an echocardiogram later this afternoon.

Initially, my wife drove me to the Emergency Room during the evening of March 25, 2023. I had shortness of breath/difficulty breathing and severe, painful muscle spasms bouncing around my body like the ball in a pinball machine. I also thought that I may have been experiencing painful gall bladder spasms due to gall stones. The spasms were most likely due to an overdose of Albuterol, an inhaled breathing medication.

An Emergency Room doctor noticed that I have cellulitis (an infection) in my right leg due to a diabetic ulcer. It required an infusion of intravenous antibiotic, followed by a regimen of oral antibiotic. I have been dealing with many cellulitis infections in both of my legs in recent years due to ulcers. There was mention that I may have had pneumonia, but testing proved otherwise.

By the way, yesterday's tests were a chest X-ray; ultrasounds of my kidneys, my liver, and my right leg; a CT angio scan of chest and heart with iodine contrast; and multiple blood tests.

Last year, I endured three surgeries: quadruple coronary artery bypass surgery in March 2022, and two reconstructive chest surgeries in May 2022. Sometime during that time period, I was informed that I have gallstones.

Results: My cardiologist told me that my bypasses look good, but I have congestion, so he is prescribing a stronger diurectic. I didn't have the echo on this day.

Also, my podiatrist was here. He took a culture of my right foot, rebandaged both of my feet, ordered three X-rays each of both of my feet, which I just had, and an MRI of my right foot.

A pulmonologist told me this morning that he wants to put me on different asthma medications and take me off supplemental oxygen.