My two doctor’s appointments are done for the week and I feel a sense of relief. Yesterday was my appointment with the general practitioner. Today I spent my afternoon getting an ECHO.
My GP appointment consisted of talking through my medication list and my upcoming tests. Because my new insurance doesn’t pay for many of my prescriptions, I had to explain that to her. This helped her to see why she now was having to do physician authorizations for some of my medications. Then, she made sure my vaccinations and other tests were scheduled. The only new one she scheduled for me was a Bone Density test in April.
As we discussed my low white blood count, she told me to wait and see before the vaccinations. Since I already was tested two years ago and found to have Osteopenia, it was time to re-test. I’m hoping that my bones aren’t even more thin.
The ECHO (echocardiogram) test is an easy test. I had one about five years ago, and remember that it is only a sonogram of the heart. It turned out to be very painful, though. Laying on my left side is very painful because of the sciatica. Thankfully, it didn’t last too long.
Although I was told that it might be a few days before my results were ready, the online health report was sent to me just a few hours after I returned home. Everything looked normal, and my valve is working great! I was so happy that there were no problems to report. Now, I just need to follow up with the cardiologist in a few weeks.
They’ve already told me that if my ECHO was normal, the next step would be a Stress Test. The Mayo Clinic website says that there are two types: Exercise Stress Test and Nuclear Stress Test. I imagine that I will have an Exercise Stress Test.
The test consists of exercise while wearing electrodes on your chest. The electrodes record the heart’s rhythm, while the doctor watches. The Nuclear Stress Test also includes radioactive dye that shows the blood flow to the heart.
Appointments aren’t fun and take much time, money, and energy. I dread them because I never know what I’ll find out. So many of my appointments have resulted in my getting a new diagnosis; something else to worry about. I’m so tired of having to worry about my health.
At least today there was no bad news.
@2019, copyright Lisa Ehrman
Disclaimer: I’m not a medical expert. My post only describes my personal experience and doesn’t contain medical advice. If you have a medical concern, please consult your personal physician.