Treadmill Stress Test.

I will never get why they put me on a treadmill to meet my target heartrate.

Today I had a Treadmill stress test So my Cardiologist could view what my heart is doing under Stress

I had 2 lovely ladies who got me in a hospital gown, Bleck, and hooked me up to a 12 lead EKG strapping the holder around my waist.

Hopped on the treadmill and every 3 min the Treadmill would increase incline and speed. Every So often I got my BP checked as well. Sweating and hot as this is a little room nestled in the back of the cardiology office, I reached 85% Max Heart Rate at 5.2 mph with a incline of 16% after 15min. Phew! Within 3 min my heart rate was back down to 68. The nurses looked at me and said, you will have no problem with your Ironman.

I knew this going into my stress test but I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to have any medical issues going into training or during the race. I have a clean bill of health now and ready to rock! Not that I haven't been keeping up with my training anyways.

So there you have it!! P.S I got new Saucony Fastwitch 5's in the mail! So excited! Ill be doing a review tomorrow!

Good News!!!

Thanks to all that have been reading my blog lately and keeping tabs on me!! You guys are great!

I went to the Cardiologist today. I have to admit I think I was having some palpitations on the way into the office! The nurse recognized my name as a referring provider and asked if I was a Nurse Practitioner. Of course its scary being on the other side of the table! My BP was a little up but I think that was from the 35 min run I did prior to going to my appt because I am not giving up!!

Anyways, after a quick EKG, Nurse telling me my heart rate was only 50 and that she was surprised I weigh as much as I did because "You look tiny" she said. Yes, Its all my MUSCLE!! Ha ha! The doctor, who was really nice and sweet cam in the room. "So Kristin", She said, What is a Ironman?? I've never heard that before?" She asked. Of course I told her what that was and she looked stunned that I wanted to complete this long journey. She also asked how long I had to complete it. I have 17 hours I said. Another jaw drop.

She asked me if I smoked. What?!! You just asked me what an Ironman was! I chuckled inside and said Heck No! She asked other family history and all that other medical crap that we all go through. She looked at my echo report that I had and said, This is a normal heart looking at this Echo report. YAY for me!

Next she listened to me. Said, I don't hear a heart murmur. Ah, What did you just say?!! Ok, I listened to myself and thought I had one as well, but you know how that goes. She said I have a "athletic heart". To a normal practitioner this may sound like a murmur because my heart rate is so slow but it is actually a small extra beat which she says is normal in runners. PHEW!! For the sake of it, The cardiologist is doing a stress test on the treadmill in the next 3 weeks to see how my heart reacts to training, but as far as Im concerned I am CLEAR!! What a nervous nelly I was!! Im glad everything is ok!

Happy Training!!

Thanks to all

Thanks to you all who read my blog and Sent me good well wishes on facebook and here. Im happy to say I have a Cardiology appointment scheduled for tomorrow!! Yay!!

Anyways I was not happy with my own PCPs office today. I called yesterday telling them I went to my GI appt and the doc was concerned about my heart murmur and if they could review my echo from JUNE and let me know if anything was wrong. That was 2pm yesterday. It is now 6:23 pm and I have yet to get a phone call. I also called Upstate, got my own echo report, Called and got my own chest xray report, Called and got my own labwork and then called and made my own referral to Cardiology. Gosh I love being in the medical field!!

Anyways, I called my PCPs office to get my latest labwork faxed over to my cardiologists office and I was on hold from 12-2pm. I called at least 6 times and was on hold for more than 10 min each. Hello, I see patients myself here! So I took it upon myself to call the back line. Heres how the conversation went;

Nurse/Secretary: Is this an emergency?
Me: Hello, Im a provider wishing to get my own records faxed as I am a patient there
Nurse/Secretray: Is this an emergency?
Me: Well no but I have been trying to get through the regular line for the past 2 hours, Im a Nurse practitioner who made my own referral as you guys aren't too concerned with my medical condition.
Nurse?Secretary: You referred yourself
Me: Yes I did. Heres the fax number I want it sent to. And I waited 2 hours with no eval at the front line.
Nurse/Secretary: Well we are rooming patients and answering phones and it is quite busy today.
Me: I run a practice myself and am Quite busy. I dont think this is great customer satisfaction. My patients usually can get through within a few minutes and dont have to wait 3 days to hear back on an important issue.  Have a nice day.

Really?! Im getting my medical records transferred. Im a provider and they still treat me like doo doo. Not that I tell everyone that. I let them figure it out on there own for the most part. But this was a little ridiculous!

So now I am anxiously awaiting my appointment tomorrow. In the meantime I shaved almost a MINUTE of my 400meter T-Time in swimming!! Today my 2 tests were 7:16:24 and 7:18:11!! Thats under 2 min for 100meters. YES!!!

until next time....

Not so good news, hopefully not serious

Today I had a gastroenterology appointment. If you don't know what this is it is a Abdomen Doc. Anything GI related is when you would go to this place. Well, for the past 5-6 months I have been battling Issues with my stomach so my PCP decided I needed to see the specialist. I started off with all the symptoms I have been having including intermittent sharp pains to my Left Upper Abdomen. She knew I was a Nurse Practitioner and asked what I thought it was. Frankly, I think I have an ulcer. Not that I eat anything spicy, I don't take alot of Anti-inflammatory medicine such as Motrin or aleve, I have been taking alot of Osteo-Bi flex. Now, that has been harsh on the stomach so I have cut that out. Another thing that has been aggravating the symptoms is Coffee and Citrus stuff.

While she was examining me, I kindly pointed out that over the course of the last few months my rib cage has been protruding more on my left side as well. She palpated, noticed tenderness on my lower ribcage as well as my stomach. Then, she listened to my heart. Now I have known I have a murmur. A soft murmur for the last year. It hasn't worsened, it doesn't cause me any trouble with anything. She looks at me and says so you know you have a good heart murmur here?! Yes. I do. I had an echo at the Hospital when I couldn't breathe in July and they told me I had a strong heart nothing wrong. Hmmm. Now Im concerned.

All day after this I have been fretting. What if I need surgery? What if they tell me I cannot do my Ironman? What if they tell me not to get my Heartrate above a certain level? What am I going to do? This is one of my dreams. Im not going to stop doing what I love to do! I cried a few times.

Anyways, I have to go for an endoscopy in 2 weeks where I will have a lovely little scope stuck down my throat to my stomach to look at what is going on. Along with this I need to call cardiology and make an appointment ASAP! Wish me luck in finding it is an Innocent murmur. Anything else and I will be heartbroken (in more ways than one!)