More Medical Testing

0 Flares 0 Flares ×

I finally received some of my new medication in today’s mail. Metoprolol Tartrate (Brand Name: Lopressor) 25 mg — Take one-half tablet by mouth twice a day for heart/blood pressure. Simvastatin (Brand Name: Zocor) 10 mg — Take one-half tablet by mouth at bedtime for cholesterol. I’m still waiting for Niacin, which will also be taken at bedtime for cholesterol. I have questions about drug interactions and won’t start taking anything new until I’m certain. For one thing, I’m on a current regimen of Lisinopril for high blood pressure and low-dose aspirin for heart health.

I’m pretty sure I tried taking Simvastatin a few years ago and had problems with it. Will have to wait and see. I hate not being able to eat grapefruit, which causes a major side effect with this drug.

They tell you to show up 15 minutes early, so I arrived at 10:45 a.m. for my bone density test this morning. Sat there for 45 wasted minutes before I was seen Plus I watched a guy who arrived later get called in sooner! I hate that.

The Eye Clinic went much better. I showed up very early for my 1:30 p.m. appointment. Didn’t feel like driving back and forth even though it’s only a few miles. Too hot for one thing!

I was seen much earlier than my scheduled appointment. Guess they want to go home early on a Friday afternoon I went through a series of eye tests including dilation. Everything looks okay and my prescription hasn’t changed much. I continue to have chronic dry eye, even after having permanent punctum plugs inserted a couple years ago during my last appointment.

I was able to order a new pair of eyeglasses and I have an extra prescription for online deals

I was on a two-year schedule with the Eye Clinic. I’m back on a one-year schedule again because of diabetes and heart disease. The eye doctor told me from looking at my records that I’ve had diabetes since 2009! I’ve heard three different opinions from three different medical professionals. Which one is true?

I thought I was just going in for a consultation with the cardiologist nurse tomorrow afternoon. The hospital called to confirm this afternoon and offered me an earlier appointment — 1:45 p.m. versus 4:00 p.m. I took it!

Echocardiogram Machine

What I confirmed though was an echocardiogram, not just a consultation. I had to go look it up at Wikipedia:

An echocardiogram, often referred to in the medical community as a cardiac ECHO or simply an ECHO, is a sonogram of the heart (it is not abbreviated as ECG, which in medicine usually refers to an electrocardiogram). Also known as a cardiac ultrasound, it uses standard ultrasound techniques to image two-dimensional slices of the heart. The latest ultrasound systems now employ 3D real-time imaging.

Purpose
Echocardiography is used to diagnose cardiovascular diseases. In fact, it is one of the most widely used diagnostic tests for heart disease. It can provide a wealth of helpful information, including the size and shape of the heart, its pumping capacity and the location and extent of any damage to its tissues. It is especially useful for assessing diseases of the heart valves. It not only allows doctors to evaluate the heart valves, but it can detect abnormalities in the pattern of blood flow, such as the backward flow of blood through partly closed heart valves, known as regurgitation. By assessing the motion of the heart wall, echocardiography can help detect the presence and assess the severity of any wall ischemia that may be associated with coronary artery disease. Echocardiography also helps determine whether any chest pain or associated symptoms are related to heart disease. Echocardiography can also help detect any cardiomyopathy, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, as well as others. The biggest advantage to echocardiography is that it is noninvasive (doesn’t involve breaking the skin or entering body cavities) and has no known risks or side effects.

I’m working on a list of questions I plan on asking while I’m there. I may also publish them here in a separate post. I’ll write more after my appointment tomorrow.