Estimated reading time: 3 minutes
Another early day. Alexa went off at 6:15 a.m., giving us slightly over an hour to get ready again! In Mary’s case, it is easy; Paul requires a lot of work to look presentable. We went to Dr. Cobb’s building, which is adjacent to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Orange, to the Cardiac Center, where we met with Dr. Tyson Cobb, who had to be there just “in case?” It’s only a pharmacological stress test!
Did You Know? A chemically induced heart stress test is also known as a pharmacological stress test or a pharmacologic nuclear stress test. It’s used when a patient cannot exercise on a treadmill, and involves using medications to simulate the effects of exercise on the heart.
Here’s a more detailed explanation:
Purpose: This test helps diagnose coronary artery disease, determine the risk of heart attack, and assess heart function under stress.
How it works: Medications like Lexiscan (regadenoson) or Adenoscan (adenosine) are injected to dilate the coronary arteries, mimicking the effect of exercise on the heart. (I suggested they use Chardonnay, but Dr. Cobb nixed that plan)
Procedure: A radioactive tracer is injected, and images of the heart are taken at rest and after the medication is administered to visualize blood flow.
Monitoring: Patients are closely monitored during the test, with vital signs checked and potential symptoms reported to medical staff.
Medication and Imaging: Depending on the type of test (nuclear or echocardiogram), either a radioactive tracer or a contrast agent is used for imaging
Thank goodness St. Joseph’s Pavilion is so close. Without traffic, we can get there in a matter of minutes.
The freeway is the easiest method!
Did You Know? Since its founding by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange in 1929, St. Joseph Hospital has welcomed generations of babies, treated serious injuries and illnesses, performed unprecedented procedures, and invested in cutting-edge facilities, technology, research, and clinical trials to ensure our patients receive superior care.
Their nationally recognized programs in cancer treatment, kidney transplant, heart and vascular care, women’s services, spine and neurology, orthopedics, and more, paired with our four-time Magnet Designation as a Nursing Center of Excellence, make St. Joseph Hospital one of the most-trusted hospitals in the region.
The test went well, and the doctor didn’t seem worried. He did agree that cancelling the trip to the Antarctic was a good idea. They brought my heart rate to 140 for a couple of minutes so they could get some ultrasound views of what is going on.
Mary loves this building because she gets to visit the gift shop!
The stockroom boy will bring the eight boxes to the car for her.
On the way home, we stopped by the Original Pancake House for an excellent breakfast before going home.
