Echo Cardiograph

Today I took the result of my holter monitor and I performed an echo cardiograph test. An echo allowed the physician to see my heart in 2-D and 3-D and to take a picture of it. This allows her to see the valves of my heart in case there is anything visibly or functionally wrong with them so we can eliminate and risk factors to my palpitations. It was basically an ultrasound test for the heart.

 I lay topless on my left side with one hand under my head and the other by my side ( i was covered by a sheet unlike the way Canada does it!) She then pressed a lubed probe to my chest and looked at my heart. After a few minutes I lay on my back and she pressed it to my chest cavity to see the inferior venacava, then she pressed it below my neck to see the superior venacava. I watched some of it with her, I even got a chance to hear some of beats, it sounded like suction, but I'm not sure. The probe she poked me with was covered with the same lube that an ultrasound's would have and that was so hard to wipe off. Like you wipe and wipe but it stays there, so I just put my shirt on. When I got home it was all dried up though, like lotion.

As I expected, there is nothing wrong with my valves nor my regular heart rate as I did not have any palpitations when I was strapped to the holter monitor. Though, apparently when I exercise, my heart reached 201 bpm and when I was asleep at 7 am, my heart rate was as low as 41 bpm. Normal resting heart beat is from 60 - 100 bpm, but for athletes it can drop as low as 28 bpm or so. I do exercise twice weekly, but I think it's also how my body is by nature.

I feel guilty for letting mom pay 70KD which is about 230 $ for the echo test, but she insisted. I feel like it would've been the only way to allow her to see that there is nothing physically wrong with my heart. To be honest, I also personally wanted to eliminate the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrom. I told the Dr. that and she was amazed that I knew what it was and told my mom that I didn't need to come since I seemed to have already diagnosed myself (with PSVT). The doctor also said there was no need to take measures for it but in the case that it lasts longer than it should, I should go to the ER to get a diagnosis and if it starts bothering me, then there could be ways to stop the palpitations. To be honest, I want none of that, I simply want a diagnosis.

My blood test also showed everything about thyroid, electrolytes, blood cells, and iron being fine; however, I have a decline in vitamin D. It's 14.37 when it's supposed to be 20-40. So, The doctor prescribed me a dosage for 8 weeks.

Before I left her office, she shook my hand and told me she wished that all her patients were like me. I was baffled by such a compliment and wasn't sure what type of people she meets on a daily basis. My mom was there to hear it and she told me when we were leaving, that moments like these, when she hears people tell us those things that she feels like she raised us right. I feel the same too to be honest.

Peace,
M.D.