I confess, I was very stressed about my echocardiogram stress test. Scheduled for 2/21, I spent 2/20 engulfed with anxiety, a chronic condition of mine, but the morning of the test my blood pressure was a pristine 120/71–perfect! As the sweet young tech hooked me up with electrodes, she convinced me that the test would be more accurate with contrast, so I agreed that an IV should be started. As the gal was starting the IV, my blood pressure shot up to 171/90, not good, but she almost blew the vein and it hurt.
She did the pre-test echocardiogram, and then we moved to the treadmill, where she instructed me that the incline and speeds would be increased every three minutes until we achieved a target heart rate of 127. The doctor arrived, and off we went. I do not do well uphill and though the pace wasn’t excessive, that incline was more than I expected. My heart rate went up to 136 after about two minutes, and just before the three-minute mark, my blood pressure blew up to 250/150… I said, Oh, my god! and the tech said, wow, that can’t be right, and came over and started fiddling with my blood pressure cuff, just as the treadmill was changing to an increased speed and incline. I felt no chest pain, but my legs were tired. The doctor told me we’d achieved our target rate and stopped the test. I then hustled over to the bed for a post-stress echo.
Well. In a couple of hours, the doctor had interpreted the results. My heart is fine, no blockages, good ejection fraction, no enlargement, rhythms had remained normal. The blood pressure thing, though, needs to be followed up.
Over 70% of Americans over 65 have hypertension, though many of them don’t know it. I had suspected that my blood pressure was increasing, but I started taking meds for cholesterol and had hoped its effect would also lower my b/p numbers. I’ve been checking my b/p at home and it appears I do have hypertension. I don’t know how they got that 120/70 number, but I’d like to see it again. I have an appointment with my NP March 4, so I suppose we’ll start some meds then.
I’m just lucky I’ve gone this long without significant health problems. Sometimes I feel guilty about it, as I have certainly abused my body and seem to have “gotten away with it”. Age always catches up with you, but genes are co-piloting. Celebrating my 71st birthday with Captain Morgan could be considered risky behavior, but I like that kind of excitement — it’s in my genes.
I’m just trying to Age Like Wine…
Old timer, old timer
Todd Snider –
Too late to die young now
Old timer, five-and-dimer
Tryin’ to find a way to age like wine somehow
I’m meeting up with Lana at the Yellow Tavern in New Harmony tomorrow for the last of this year’s galas. It’s been a good week – I think I’ll do it again next year. Be there.
Peace
The News from Sonnystone Acres 