Stress Echo

[Karlynn]

I had my first stress echo last year. The treadmill wasn't too bad, but I got very out of breath, of course. The worst part was laying right down on the table for the 2nd echo (one is done directly prior to the stress test). I thought I was going to have a heart attack my heart was beating so hard. It made me understand why they tell you to warm down after exercise and not just sit right away. But the test came out fine. My card. said everything was great.

Now, the "good" news. I was just in for a check-up 2 weeks ago and she said she wants to do one every year. Does anyone else have a stress echo every year? What tests do your cardiologists do every year?

In the 12 years since my MVR, I've had a regular echo about every year and EKG's annually. So this Stress Echo every year is new to me.

Karlynn

 

[Kim]

Hi and welcome to the forum!

I too, had my valve replaced as a result of mitral valve prolapse. I had one stress echo before surgery and since surgery only echocardiograms. They are done annually. EKG is done every 6 months at my check-up. Sometimes I wonder if the EKG is done so he can add another charge to my insurance bill!

 

[Mara]

Karlynn

I had a stress echo every year for the three years prior to my surgery. I hated them, too. I felt like a whimp because I couldn't go very long on the treadmill and then thought I would never survive lying there on the table for the echo. From the time I was diagnosed age 4 to 18 I had a chest x-ray, ekg, and echo (after it was invented) I think Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis had one fo the first echo machines. That was back in the olden days when the doppler thing looked like a really big microphone.
From 18- now, I used to have the ekg and echo every year.
I think I had a chest x-ray just before my surgery, and that was the first one since I was 18. I also had a lot of blood work done because I was on lanoxin and Corgard.

Since my surgery, 2 years ago, I have had one echo. This year I did not get one. My cardiologist thought everything sounded great and the ekg looked perfect, so no need to go to the expense of an echo. I think it was the shortest cardio visit I have ever had!