Thallum Test Today

[Lisa45]

Heart Cath

Heart Cath

How unbelievably sweet of you to take the time to try to make me feel better! I am feeling a lot better since I have heard from so many people. I just think that it is wonderful the way all these people rally around someone. I guess I will find out Friday after the test if surgery is going to be needed or not. Do you happen to know how long after the cath. you get the results? Again thanks so much I do so appreciate learning from others experiences.

Lisa
Heart to Heart

 

[JimL]

I went in for an outpatient catheterization, and stayed in the hospital for valve replacement three days later. Perhaps that sounds scary, but it was what I wanted. I was pretty certain before the catheterization that I needed the valve surgery, and I didn't want to wait around any more. Of course, the card did say that my valve was so calcified it was only opening to the size of a pinprick.

 

[Lisa45]

To Jim:

To Jim:

What made you so certain you were going to need the surgery before the cath? Also how did they go about dx. the calcium and the opening of your valve?

Lisa

 

[wlaldridge]

Many of us have defective valves pretty easily diagnosed by the echo etc. The cath confirms and can give more accurate reading about pressures and gradients, etc.

One of the primary things is to verify the condition of the heart and the coronary arteries. If there is blockage, they know what else to fix while the old heart is stopped and the patient is in position..(much better than telling you six months later that by the way you need a couple of arteries replaced, oh oh another sawed breast bone.)

In my case, the cardio said "i know everything I need to know about your aortic valve from the echo and listening to it, now we are just finding out if there is some other defect"

Just being sure of a complete understanding before surgery. Most surgeons will not operate without and echo within 30 days of the surgery date, just being cautious.

Best of luck,

Bill

 

[JimL]

Lisa,
I wrote up all of my folly in my little biography. I knew from childhood about the heart murmur, and eventually that I had a bicuspid valve, and would some day need a replacement. None of that came to mind as I experienced CHF first hand. Once the light began to dawn in me almost a year ago, everything pointed directly to the surgery. Various tests were done to exclude extraneous things, and they all pointed in the same direction. I don't remember now if knowledge of the narrow opening of my valve came from an echo or from the cath. Bill is right, they do the cath to see also about blockages; my tubes were clean.
My wife tells me that after the surgery the surgeon told them that my valve was closed, which doesn't make sense to me. If my valve was completely closed, I should be dead, which may have been his point. Perhaps he said that my valve was practically closed. Anyway, not being able to breathe was a pretty clear signal that something drastic needed to be done.

 

[Jean]

Lisa, I too was scared silly about the cath...heck, I was scared silly period during that part of my life...but it was no big deal and I even really was interested in watching the screen...it is so neat to see your veins or whatever they are in and it was reassuring to see very little garbage in there, but a big motive to keep eating right to keep it out too. I had only a little bruising and had the collagen plug and was up and out after about 3 hours. Sorry I can't say on the other test...never had one...maybe don't want one from what you report. Good luck.

 

[bramma22002]

Lisa 45-I had same reaction that you did-but I was told it is normal for some people

Lisa 45-I had same reaction that you did-but I was told it is normal for some people

Lisa 45-I haven't written in here for a long time- I am a regitered member if you want to see my profile.

I had an adenosine thallium test in August of 2001. I had a very similar reaction that you did. AS I recall, my jaw, my throat, my chest, my abdomen, and my leg felt pain!!! It was like having a heart attack! I didn't panic-I was told that some people have a reaction similar to what I experienced and that the reaction was normal for those of us who experience the same.

Soon after the thallium test, I had a heart cath & angiogram. The results of the adenosine thallium test proved to be false by the results of the heart cath & angiogram. I was one of the fewer people who had what is referred to as a false positive result (if I have that correctly stated-I think that it is right). I was told that approximately 25% who take the thallium test have an incorrect result. Because of my reaction to the thallium test & especially because the results proved to be incorrect-I told my cardio I don't want to ever take the test again if I don't have to.

It all started with my routine echo. It was showing a wall motion abnormality-so, my cardio ordered the adenosine thallium test. Then, with the results of the thallium test showing 'problems', the next step was to have the ultimate proof of having such 'problems' by doing a heart cath & angiogram which meant for me that they had to use both legs to do both tests (heart cath & angiogram). They first gave me, via IV in the arm, a relaxing medication -a type of sedative-then, they numbed the area first in each leg which I very easily tolerated. The remaining part of the cath & angiogram I also easily tolerated. After the test, they gently moved me onto a bed 'cart' & took me to a room & again gently moved me onto the bed which I had to remain in while lieing in a flat position for 6 hours (I can't remember for sure if it was 4 or 6 hours-I think it was 6 hours). They didn't put any ice packs on my legs-I just remained still -I remember I was very hungry almost as soon as I entered the room! They gave me food immediately-Good grief I was hungry!!! After I was released, I went home with only a day of being quite still & then not lifting for a few days or week-I don't remember how long it was. The very tiny punctures in my legs were a little sore at first-but certainly very tolerable.

The cath & angiogram proved the thallium test to be almost all wrong- what was proved to be correct is that I have some coronary blockage-but, nothing serious enough that needed
any thing further to be done at that time or to date.

I am very curious to hear about your use of phen phen- My experience with the drug was a long time ago-I contacted an attorney firm who basically started the law suit against the company who produced the drug. I went through the motions of trying to prove that I had taken it for quite a period of time (sent the firm a copy of my latest echo) but, I didn't or don't have any records of having taken it. I lived in another city at that time-& no records were found. My aortic insufficiency was not there at birth-so my cardio has told me. And, because of my extended length of time of taking the drug I highly suspect the drug was the culprit that caused the valve problem. When I think about it -it makes me so angry! But, then again, I don't have any proof & I realize the valve problem possibly could have been a result of some other initiating source.

Best of luck & my good wishes & positive thoughts are with you-
I hope I have helped & not scared you in any way-that was not my intention.

Sincerely-Debbie

 

[azpam]

for the heart cath,i would request the plug or the new stitching. easier recovery and not as much laying flat for 6 hours. by the way for all you readers, there is a GREAT article in the Nov/Dec. issue of the Saturday Evening Post on the stands now titled: A Stitch in Time:Making Heart Caths Easier. would recommend it being a "keeper" for future reference. hope this helps! azpam p.s. i voted for late september for the reunion as i work flu clinics and our busy months are oct/nov. and chicago hot/humid in summer. hoping to make it next year! enjoy your week and stay healthy!

 

[Lisa45]

everyone on Heart cath

everyone on Heart cath

I sure do appreciate you all sharing your experiences. Things I know for sure. I know I wasn't born with anything weird or any heart defect and no childhood illness that could cause this. I too would request to never have the Thallum test again that was probably worse than the cath. is going to be...tomorrow 1pm! Yes I am scared but enough people have been reassuring that I will be out of it enough and want to be that I think I will be okay. I was on fen-phen almost two years, no major or minor history of heart disease in my family so all doctors are certain fen-phen is the cause not any doubt. I will be sure to post to the board probably Saturday don't know if I will be up much tomorrow after how the cath goes.

I wonder since they are doing a right and left do they need to do two cuts or is it two tubes up the same place???

Again thanks for the support and information which was badly needed.

Lisa
Heart to Heart

 

[alicia]

Good luck tomorrow! Dont forget to call me Saturday afternoon. I will be thinking of you. If I can do anything let me know. It will be fine my friend!!