Ectocardiogram?

[KnottedYet]

I've had a resting EKG, but not the test where you're on the bike. Yet. We've got rampant heart disease in my family, suppose I get to look forward to sweating topless in front of a bunch of strangers...

(note to future self: remember Bron's mention of a sports bra )

[CycleChic06]

I've had a resting EKG and ECG. Though I thought the ECG is when they do an ultrasound on your heart...which is what i had done. It was so cool. You could see everything, the valves the chambers, and from every angle. You could even see the direction of the blood flowing through it, colored in red or blue. It was so amazing to see that! I'm totally fascinated but that stuff and wasn't scared of the test, just scared of what they'd find. But being interested in it was a way to keep my mind from worrying about everything.

I kinda know what your going through lph, I just went through the same ordeal, kinda scary. They didn't find anything wrong with my heart after all these tests AND I got dropped off my doctor's radar, so I'm kinda stuck about what to do next about my symptoms. Just remember, if they do find something, it's better to know now and be able to treat it, then to not find out at all.

Take care and keep us updated.

Emily

[seychelle]

I've had a resting EKG, but not the test where you're on the bike. Yet. We've got rampant heart disease in my family, suppose I get to look forward to sweating topless in front of a bunch of strangers...
(note to future self: remember Bron's mention of a sports bra )

and you won't even be making any money at it !

[maillotpois]

I think you mean echocardiogram? ("Ectocardiogram" sounds like something they'd use in Ghostbusters.)

I have had 2 since my pulmonary embolism diagnosis - both resting, not stress. I think the procedure is similar in terms of what they're looking at. It hurts a little when they jab the ultrasound device under your rib cage to get a look at your heart from the other side. (At least the Teutonic titwillow that did mine hurt....)

It's good either way - whether they find something or not, because then at least you know what's in there. If that makes sense. I'm hoping they give me another in a month or so. For me, it is helping to measure my pulmonary hypertension, caused by the blood clots in my lungs, and a decrease shows that the clots are getting smaller. Which is a good thing! It's about the best way they can measure the clots without another full body CT scan with contrast dye. Which has its own risks.

Let us know how it goes!!

[lph]

Now that's what I call truly useful answers

I'll be biking down to the medical centre anyway, and now I'll be sure to wear reasonably clean shorts and a sports bra (my usual commuting clothes aren't really fit for close encounters) , and bring an lightweight Capilene top in case the sports one is too much. And a camera so I can snap photos and publish them on the 'net for money...

Ultrasound? Cool. I thought you couldn't see the bloodstream unless you had an angiography, and for that you have a contrast dye injected. My father had one of those, after taking an exercise ECG (EKG?) first which showed that his heart was having trouble under stress. The angiography showed that despite very mild symptoms he had 5 almost blocked arteries He had a successful bypass operation 3 weeks later.

(Hence my reason for getting an ECG even though I have no symptoms, father with symptomless heart trouble and a brother who just dropped dead.)


PS. Electrocardiogram. Electrocardiogram. Electrocardiogram. Echocardiogram is the ultrasound one. Ectocardiogram is to check for phantom pain, I guess. ;-)

[SJCzar]

I had a stress echo last fall. My heart beats a bit unusually and makes for an abnormal looking EKG, so my family doc had me go in for one. We also have a family history of early heart disease.

Mine was on a treadmill not cycling. After they hooked me up they had me practice going from the treadmill into the bed quickly so they could get the ultrasound picture while the heart was still beating rapidly. After a few practice runs they started up the treadmill. Every 3 minutes they speeded it up again. The techs said it was fun to have someone who exercised regularly because they had to get me to a full out run before my heart rate was high enough for the ultrasound. All that cycling really does pay off. The cardiologist determined that while my heartbeat was a bit different then most people, my heart was working just great.

[doc]

Ultrasound? Cool. I thought you couldn't see the bloodstream unless you had an angiography, and for that you have a contrast dye injected. My father had one of those, after taking an exercise ECG (EKG?) first which showed that his heart was having trouble under stress. The angiography showed that despite very mild symptoms he had 5 almost blocked arteries He had a successful bypass operation 3 weeks later.


PS. Electrocardiogram. Electrocardiogram. Electrocardiogram. Echocardiogram is the ultrasound one. Ectocardiogram is to check for phantom pain, I guess. ;-)

Correct. Contrast dye coupled with xray technology is one way to view vessels. (also contrast dye and MRI to view vessels which is actually called MRA in that case) Some vessels can be seen by ultrasound. There is something called color flow doppler which shows blood flow.
EKG and ECG are the same thing. EKG is the old term

[lph]

Okay, had my eLECTROcardiogram today...

I asked nicely if could I please have the exercise bike and not the treadmill, as I was afraid I'd just fall off... Weird experience. Very glad to have some warning from you guys, or pedalling along sweaty and topless with a bunch of wires hanging off me would have freaked me out a little. Impossible to wear even the skimpiest sport top, I would have had to have something distinctly bondage-like to miss all the wires...

But everything looked normal, I pedalled my heart out, so to speak, and the dr said it looked just fine.

And re: my brother - he said that almost everybody over the age of 30 has some plaque in their blood vessels, and when younger people die it's often just plain bad luck, that a piece has come loose and got stuck somewhere else. And that smoking is the real bad biggy when it comes to heart disease, just smoking one cigarette will squinch your blood vessels together.
Unlike lung disease, where the number of cigarettes a day is important.

I am so done with seeing doctors now. Back to my regular life, thank you very much.

[spokewench]

Glad everything tested out okay! I hope the results made you feel more comfortable about your health

[Bikingmomof3]

I am very happy the tests came out well.