Thursday, June 7, 2012

Stress Test

There have been a few stress tests in my life lately. Just like everyone else has. Always something putting the Vise Grips on your mental health. Yesterday was a different type of test though. This one was prescribed by the Cardiologist. In addition to hopping on the treadmill, I received a couple of injections of a radioactive isotope of some sort. It was pretty cool - the technician brought out the syringe in a little lead lined metal box, shot me up and then had me lay down on this scanner.

The whole thing was kind of like a spy movie. After the scanner they hook you up to the heart monitor so you have all kinds of wires attached before they put you on the treadmill. If this was the spy movie, the technician would have threatened me to start talking and make it easy on myself. In reality the guy was real nice and told me to keep walking and he was going to increase the elevation and the speed until we got to 135 beats per minute and then I was going to receive another dose of radioactive stuff - "We have ways of making you talk". Actually they have ways of making you run. My heart rate wouldn't go up to the target rate without kicking the machine up until I was jogging at a pretty good clip. I took that to be a pretty good sign. After the treadmill session they send you off for about three hours and then you come back for another session on the scanner. The technician said I was the prize winner for the day. I stayed on the treadmill longer than anyone else. After looking over the "competition" in the waiting area, being the top dog on the treadmill test probably isn't anything I can brag about but it sure felt good to be able to run a little.

I meet with the Dr. next week to find out the results and I finish up the rehab as well. In the meantime, I'll finish up the Fair Lady and continue wiring up the barn.


3 comments:

Traveling Pirate said...

My mental health needs this school year to end! I'm hitting the job search hard this summer. My BS threshold is at record lows and I just can't take it anymore.

Shop Teacher Bob said...

I feel your pain my sister. I don't see things improving much in the future and, unfortunately, good teachers, such as yourself, are constantly burdened with way too much crap that has nothing to do with teaching. 'Bout time for me to retire and you to find something else. Maybe you, me and KK throw in together and start something. Three people with 8-9 degrees should be able to come up with something.

Traveling Pirate said...

I was reading today in the Chicago Tribune about produce cart in the food desert areas of Chicago. I kept thinking, man, that doesn't sound too bad.

I did apply for a job a while back with a technology company teaching teachers how to use their product. No word from them yet.