coronary angiogram

[Englander]

Hi,

I had my coronary angiogram yesterday and was pleased to hear my arteries are fine. The consultant did say that the pressure in my lungs and chest were high.

I felt the procedure was uncomfortable, trying to keep my right leg still for 30 mins was painful.

Now just counting the day until my mv repair/replacement on the 8th June.

Englander

 

[Gemma]

Hi Englander,
My boyfriend Jim never had an angiogram - maybe they already knew what the problem was from other tests (ECG & ultrasound) and could tell his arteries were OK somehow? Unless they checked them out during his surgery? I've often wondered about why they didn't do it!
Stop counting the days until June 8th - trust me, it will drive you crazy. I found it made ME feel better counting the days until the day AFTER Jim's op - the first day of his new improved life
Get outside and enjoy the sunshine while it lasts - I can almost guarantee it will be raining either Thursday (my day off work) or the weekend, as it's a bank holiday!!
Gemma.

 

[ALCapshaw2]

Hi,

I had my coronary angiogram yesterday and was pleased to hear my arteries are fine. The consultant did say that the pressure in my lungs and chest were high.

I felt the procedure was uncomfortable, trying to keep my right leg still for 30 mins was painful.

Englander

It's good that you waited until 2004 to have your angiogram Englander. When I had my first one (in the 80's), I had to lay still for HOURS (3? or 6?, I forgot) with a sandbag to apply pressure to the insertion point.

'AL'

 

[SV2004]

Hi Englander

My surgery date is same as yours (June 8th).I am having my aortic valve replaced. My surgeon did not want to me go for an angiogram as I am only 31. But my cardiologist wanted me to go for the thallium stress test to check the blockages. I will be attending this test this thrusday.

Good luck with the surgery !!

Regds
Sree

 

[Englander]

AL, unlucky with the sandbag - I had a lovely nurse apply pressure to the insertion point.

Gemma, I wish I could take advantage of the warmer weather but I have to work!! Also the nurse told me not to play golf until this weekend as I have to rest after the angiogram. This weekend I am determined to play some golf even if it rains.

Sree, good luck with the test this Thursday. Make sure to let us know how it went. Good luck for the 8th as well. I'll race you back to the PC to see who posts first after the op.

My consultant said I had high lung and chest pressure and if I hadn't already agreed to the op on the 8th he would have insisted I have the MVR soon. I forgot to ask him why. What is the consequence of high lung or chest pessure?

Englander

 

[Johnny Stephens]

Good news, Englander - looks like you'll escape a bypass. This is just my *guess*, and shouldn't be taken as medically authoritative, but I'd venture that the high pressures are a result of the mitral probs. I can't recall your diagnosis - are you dealing with stenosis (narrowing) or leakage? Problems with the mitral valve can cause fluid buildup in the lungs (I had this problem).

I had a sandbag AND a big clamp to hold it in place. I've forgotten it all due to the Versed, but my wife says I did not enjoy laying still for 6 hours.

 

[KathyH]

Good news that your coronary arteries are clear Englander. They used a "plug "on my insertion site and I will tell you it hurt like *ell for the time it took to give me more versed. I would like to find out more about this plug, but haven't had any luck.
Johnny, I am not complaining about not having the sandbags.
Kathy H

 

[Johnny Stephens]

Johnny, I am not complaining about not having the sandbags.
Kathy H

No worries - wrong smiley on my part - fixed

 

[SV2004]

Hi Englander

I had the nuclear stress test today. No blockages found. I am a lot relieved.

Regds
Sree

 

[Englander]

Sree,

Glad to hear that. Not long now until our ops.

Englander

 

[tobagotwo]

It is an odd sensation, waiting for your surgery date. Days flow by slowly, you wait, it seems like there's an eternity of time. At some points, you wish it would just get here so you could get it over with. It's Hobson's Queue: you want to get to the surgery, but you don't want to get to the surgery.

Then everything happens at once, and you're on a mad, downhill run through a series of unexpected twists and turns in a hospital full of questionnaires, bizarre rules, tangles of IV tubes and monitoring lines, ghastly food, continuous sleep interruptions, and myriad unexpected unpleasantries.

It slows down, though, when you finally leave the hospital. After that, you're back in charge of your time sense again.

Best wishes,