Worried about Stress test
Thank you all for sharing your stories. I am going to hope to do the treadmill since most of you even prefered that over the chemical one. I just wondered how long they make you walk on it, or is it up to how much you can do? I am going to try the treadmill first and hope I can do well on it.
Good shoes and comfortable shoes will be important too.
Thanks again to all of you for taking the time to respond.
Mary G
Good shoes and comfortable shoes will be important too.
Thanks again to all of you for taking the time to respond.
Mary G
Mary
I am on my way. What a ride it has been.
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/Sharing
I am on my way. What a ride it has been.
http://www.obesityhelp.com/group/Sharing
It's okay Mary. I was worried too. Tell them you have a bad hip and they will stop if it becomes too much for you. They do want you to get up to a certain percentage of your target heart rate, but if you can't you can't. It's really okay. They will be kind to you and considerate of your limitations. Blessings to you.
Walking with you on this journey, Mary
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Mary
This is not a test you have to "do well" at. You must tell them you are very nervous about it and tell them about your hip, otherwise your nervousness and apprehension could skew the results. Just like when you're nervous your blood pressure goes up. They are trying to get a true picture of your heart function when it is stressed. If you do the treadmill they will start you out very slowly and on a level surface, then they gradually increase the speed and incline and you wal****il you can't walk anymore. They have a big STOP button right in front of you that you can push any time you want. You may be able to walk 2 minutes or 10 minutes but if you can't walk long enough to get your heart rate up to a certain level then the test doesn't tell them what they need to know. The last few times I had a stress test, I had the nuclear stress test where they inject you with medication to get your heart rate up so they can see if there are any problems. I think it's called a thallium stress test. They hook you up like when you have an ekg and monitor you for a while while you sit in a nice comfy recliner, then they inject the medication. The medication makes you get really hot and you feel some pressure in your throat and chest, it lasts about 10-20 seconds and it's over. It's an uncomfortable sensation but it does not hurt and if you know what to expect it won't be so scary.
It's no big deal to tell them you have a bad hip and can't walk too long. You'll be fine as long as they know what to expect from you.
This is not a test you have to "do well" at. You must tell them you are very nervous about it and tell them about your hip, otherwise your nervousness and apprehension could skew the results. Just like when you're nervous your blood pressure goes up. They are trying to get a true picture of your heart function when it is stressed. If you do the treadmill they will start you out very slowly and on a level surface, then they gradually increase the speed and incline and you wal****il you can't walk anymore. They have a big STOP button right in front of you that you can push any time you want. You may be able to walk 2 minutes or 10 minutes but if you can't walk long enough to get your heart rate up to a certain level then the test doesn't tell them what they need to know. The last few times I had a stress test, I had the nuclear stress test where they inject you with medication to get your heart rate up so they can see if there are any problems. I think it's called a thallium stress test. They hook you up like when you have an ekg and monitor you for a while while you sit in a nice comfy recliner, then they inject the medication. The medication makes you get really hot and you feel some pressure in your throat and chest, it lasts about 10-20 seconds and it's over. It's an uncomfortable sensation but it does not hurt and if you know what to expect it won't be so scary.
It's no big deal to tell them you have a bad hip and can't walk too long. You'll be fine as long as they know what to expect from you.
Barbara D.
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