So now the doctors want to run MORE tests...

[propita]

My blood pressure has been high--mostly due to weight and the stress of studying for the Bar. The Bar is over. The excess weight is still here.

So I had an EKG and was sent to a cardiologist--my family history is not horrendous, but not great (Dad had high blood pressure and blocked arteries). The EKG there was also "normal" and the echocardiogram was also "normal." But he wants to do a stress test--which I likely would not do well on as I'm on a med to keep my heart rate down. So I will not be surprised if that causes a complication, as in my heart not really wanting to beat faster than the med is forcing it down.

Hubby went with me; he said I looked a bit panicked. I thought it didn't show. He says do the stress test but then don't worry about it unless blockage is shown--that my problem was/is the stress and my weight, not much more than that.

I joked that Hubby should make sure the life insurance is current. But it's still kinda scary. The cardiologist is talking threat of diabetes and something called "metabolism syndrome," that my body shape indicates a problem. Hubby says not to worry--I've never had a trace od diabetes (fasting blood sugar was 86 last year) and "body shape" in my family is short and fat, so that's not something to worry about.

 

[Mallory]

I hate stress tests, I'll never do another one except at gunpoint. Good luck to you though propita.

 

[propita]

]I hate stress tests, I'll never do another one except at gunpoint. Good luck to you though propita.

Okay, you've scared me.

 

[Trekker4747]

Stress tests aren't that bad until Dr. House marches in the control room and cranks up the speed on the treadmill just to dick with you and his fellows but then it turns out that his insanity caused something to happen the helps the next step in his diagnostic process.

 

[Mallory]

]I hate stress tests, I'll never do another one except at gunpoint. Good luck to you though propita.

Okay, you've scared me.

Didn't mean to, so sorry about that. I'm in my 50s with crappy knees, so I tend to shy away from treadmills. They weren't painful or anything, but my legs were sore for days. Being younger, I'd expect you to do much better with it than I do at my age.

 

[propita]

]I hate stress tests, I'll never do another one except at gunpoint. Good luck to you though propita.

Okay, you've scared me.

Didn't mean to, so sorry about that. I'm in my 50s with crappy knees, so I tend to shy away from treadmills. They weren't painful or anything, but my legs were sore for days. Being younger, I'd expect you to do much better with it than I do at my age.

Thanks. I'm 46 and was told I shouldn't be having this problem at my age. But I'm Jewish and we tend to worry--and my profs said that I was the most anxiety-ridden law student they had ever seen.

When I've gone to the gym recently, going over 2.5 mph caused chest pain. Hubby said, "Well, of course it hurt. You're raising your heart rate while on a med fighting to keep it down. Something's gonna hurt if you do that."

 

[RJDiogenes]

The "most anxiety ridden" part may have something to do with it. Good luck with all the testing. Hopefully they will rule out anything serious and track down an easy way to keep that BP under control.

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

Don't worry about the stress test, I've had three. Does you doctor know about the medication your on? I just ask because on the second test I took the doc wanted me to not take it for about two days before hand. The third one I took was kind of on the spot so I guess they can do it even on the meds. I think they'll probably want to get your heart up to 140 bpm. The only drawback was it completely wiped me out for 5 minutes afterward.

I know everybody in the world probably says this to you, but losing weight really is the most important thing you can do. And I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but I'd recommend a low carb diet especially if diabetes and metabolism syndrome are possibilities. My girlfriend and I are both obese and we started low carbing recently. It has really helped my blood sugar(I am diabetic) and my girlfriend is amazed how food doesn't control her life anymore. Good luck on the tests and keep us informed on your progress.

 

[propita]

Thanks, all.

Hubby says he'll go with, to make sure I'm okay.

Diabetes is not really a concern, unless today's fasting blood sugar is way higher than last year's 86. And since I couldn't get a decent definition of metabolism syndrome from the doctor--and my family tends to short (5' to 5' 4" for the shorties) and heavy, yet live relatively healthily to their 80s and beyond, I'm not worrying about that.

But I can tell that my subconscious is worrying a lot, because I can feel the discomfort.