Hello again.

I have come to the end of the first (and only?) batch of tests, which the
cardologist ordered upon my release from the hospital.

I freaked out about the Adenosine stress test, when, at the bottom of the
page for preparation for the test it said "the radioactive isotope used in
this test need to be prepared especially for you..."  WHAT? Radioactive?
Oh, by the way, we are going to shoot plutonium into your blood.  I called
the cardiologist and the rheumatologist telling them "I don't want
radioactive material in my body!" I'm a NO-NUKE-er...what do they expect up
here in Northern California? I am well aware that I just could have said NO
and have that be the end of it.  The alternative was hospitalization and
cardiac catheterization, and I know that is quite an invasive procedure.

By the end of the day they had talked me into the test, though they gave me
the impression that I could somehow bypass the radiation by getting my heart
to the proper level by using a treadmill.  So I told them I wanted the
treadmill.

I had the adenosine/cardiolye test yesterday (Friday 10/3), and they shot me
with the stuff that's gonna make my pee glow anyway.  They put me on the
treadmill, and I am so glad they did!  It was good to see myself in action,
and to see that I really had to work hard to get my heart rate up to 145.
So why was it up to 170 the other day?  But I came away with the feeling
that my heart is not this fragile thing that I thought it was.

And I got a test result in the mail for my echocardiogram.  It was
essentially normal with "possibility of mildly impaired left ventricular
diastolic function."  So I have nothing to write home about yet.

Actually, you guys are my home.

Janers, didn't you have a cardiac cath a while back?  I would love to hear
what you have to say....

Doin' okay

Mair