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Journey through Cardiology plus Pandemic News
A thread
http://covid19thegiftthatneverquits.com/2020/10/18/journey-through-cardiology-plus-pandemic-news/
A thread
http://covid19thegiftthatneverquits.com/2020/10/18/journey-through-cardiology-plus-pandemic-news/
Beginning September 21 my COVID long haul journey took a turn into the realm of cardiology. A telephone consult with my ARNP sent me to the ER to make sure I was not having a heart attack or have blood clots.
I spent 5 hours there...no heart attack or clot and was told to follow up with primary which I did the next day and was referred to a cardiologist. If I would agree to see an ARNP I could get in within 3 days...Yes I agree let's get moving.
She ordered a stress test and echocardiogram. Both she and my primary ARNP state they are seeing a high number of patients who post-COVID are developing cardiac issues.
A few days later I reported to the hospital radiology department for a stress test. To say it was stressful would be an understatement.
Surely they understand that, however the room I went in for the initial assessment and the actual test on the treadmill had a name plate entitled "Stress Room." The nurse introduced herself by name and the title "stress nurse".
I think they could use some assistance in their verbage.
The nurse explained the process well, had me change into a gown, started an IV, took blood pressure and attached the ECG patches. Then the nuclear medicine tech came in and injected dye. I was then escorted to the "women's" waiting area.
This obviously was where most women were waiting for a mammogram. I could definitely offer some suggestions in this area as it was not a comforting space. Here we all sat in gowns feeling exposed with our masks on, but there was not enough space to socially distance.
There was a TV blaring and you could cut the anxiety in the area with a knife. Paulie (my service dog) added a little levity to the atmosphere as he was trying to get comfortable and audibly groaned.
Most everyone laughed and one woman said he was just verbalizing what we all felt.
The time in that room felt like an eternity, little did I know how long the next minutes would feel. I was taken into a different room which had a contraption similar to an MRI. The tech did a great job trying to made me comfortable.
I had to lay on my back with my hands above my head, ECG leads hooked up and he adjusted this camera that looked like a satellite from outer space as close as he could get it so it could move around me without touching me. I have PTSD, I do not like being trapped.
He told me that it would take 10 minutes. I could not see or touch Paulie. A couple of minutes in I realized if I turned my head slightly I could see the clock on the computer screen counting down the time. I tried to focus on that and my breathing, but it seemed like hours.
My brain wandered to horrible places.
Next it was time for the treadmill. Hooked back up to the ECG leads. They had levels I had to get heartrate to and exercise level at and if I could not do that they would inject a dye to make my heartrate elevate....no thanks.
The treadmill started out slow and a light elevation, 3 minutes in the rate and incline increased...shortly into this section I hit the HR needed and the nurse said she would like me to try to make it at least one minute into the next section.
I think in this time of pandemic you should get some kind of extra credit for doing all this with a mask on. They ask if you are short of breath....I do not believe in stupid questions, but that was stupid. Dye was injected one more time near the finish.
Then to wait more in an empty room not being used.
Once more I was escorted to the room with the camera for more pictures.
He said it would be shorter...ha the original set was about 10 seconds shorter, then had to do a series that took the table into the tube part and back out, then I had to lay on my stomach for yet another series of pictures. That was the absolute worst.
I could see nothing, not even the timer. I think this one was between 6-7 minutes. Finally it was done and I was free to walk out the door, not sure if I had any answers or just more questions.
I am grateful that the echo that was originally not scheduled until November happened this week. It was not quite as stressful, but involved about 40 minutes laying on my left side staring at the ceiling in silence. My mind raced all over the place.
I practiced breathing as it felt as if my heart was racing out my chest, I counted ceiling tiles, I tried to just think calming thoughts...such hard work. Next week I will go to the cardiologist and discuss the results.
Testing is always hard and stressful, but now in this time of pandemic each person must face it on their own. Even if I had someone to go with me, they could not as they limit people to the patient.
My heart breaks for the thousands who have died alone and their families who never got to see them during the struggle.
The pandemic is not going away. In fact according to the COVID tracking project from The Atlantic:
The pandemic is not going away. In fact according to the COVID tracking project from The Atlantic:
"After a month of warning signs, this week’s data make it clear: The third surge of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States is under way.
Outbreaks have been worsening in many states for more than a month, and new COVID-19 cases jumped 18 percent this week, bringing the seven-day average to more than 51,000 cases a day.
Though testing rose by 8 percent nationally, that’s not enough of an increase to explain the steep rise in cases. Meanwhile, COVID-19 hospitalizations, which had previously been creeping upward slowly, jumped more than 14 percent from a week earlier." https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2020/10/coronavirus-third-surge/616750/
The US has made an attempt to return to normality as schools and universities are back in session. Just this week a local high school was shut down due to an out break of the virus. https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/coronavirus/2020/10/14/fletcher-high-school-closing-campus-citing-multiple-covid-19-cases/3654884001/
The college president at a university in NY has resigned after 700 students tested positive https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/15/nyregion/oneonta-college-coronavirus-president.html
College football is trying to limp through a season, yet coaches and players continue to test positive, games are postponed or cancelled. The same for the NFL. Fans want to see games, players and coaches want to play.
The question has been thrown around as to how many fans to let into games. Coaches and teams have been fined for not adhering to precautions set in place.
We all want things to return to how they were. We all want some sense of normalcy, but at what cost? Can we put a price on 219K deaths in the US? or 8.14 million cases in the US...some of those who will suffer life long illness and affects?
or 1.1 million deaths in the world and 39.8 million cases in the world?
I do not claim to know the answers, just navigating this journey and trying to offer information. Please be informed, be safe and go vote!
I do not claim to know the answers, just navigating this journey and trying to offer information. Please be informed, be safe and go vote!
This thread can be read here: http://covid19thegiftthatneverquits.com/2020/10/18/journey-through-cardiology-plus-pandemic-news/
