Cardio Ultrasound

Like many tests I've had not directly related to cancer I had my ultrasound at the main hospital, Memorial Hospital.  The Cancer Hospital, Women's Hospital and Children's hospital are all connected to the Main Hospital by a large enclosed high ceiling glassed in space.

It has the feel of an airport and people walk back and fourth, some dragging little wheelie things that look like suitcases.  There's even a Starbucks.

I wonder if my heart would have done those little thumps if I would have had a cup.

I arrived early and found my way to an information desk and then to the escalators.   When it didn't feel like an airport it felt like the Student Union where I went to college.

At registration they gave me a map and directions to the elevators which was very helpful.  But I still got lost.

The place is a maze.

I finally made it to the waiting room and read Niall Ferguson's War of the World.

A young Chinese looking woman who was obviously from the States brought me into a small room and I took my shirt off and laid on a bed that had the head part lifted up.  Once I laid down for a bit I realized I should have taken my shoes off.

My blood pressure was a hideous 190 over something equally bad.   Although now that I think about it I had hiked quite some distance from the car parked in the garage to that little office.

My BP is usually about 120/70.    

It was interesting to look over at the monitor and see an upside down image of my heart slosh around on the screen.  The tech - that nice little Chinese looking woman explained some of what was going on and how my heart points down and to the left and that's why she was holding the ultrasound device where she was.
 
She was trying to get pictures of my heart and time it so that it could be caught in the act of doing one thing or another.   Some of the pictures weren't clear so they had to be taken again.  There was another woman in the room who looked like her superior and she occasionally took the gizmo and held it up against my chest. 

This all took some time.  Meanwhile the little squiggles  from an ECG ran across the bottom of the screen as various patterns were displayed.

Every once in a while I would hear a sound that reminded me of the mechanical swooshing sound my mother's ancient washing machine used to make.  Another sound reminded me of the rhythmic sounds one of our cats used to make when he was barfing.  It had that familiar feel to it.

Those sounds were actually the sounds my valves made.

They had visual displays of the sounds as well; and took a large number of pictures.  

Altogether there were four different spots where the put the little thing that resembled a toy electric razor and each time they did they covered it in a little blue tinted gel.  Gui gunk.


I had started on time at 2:00 and left the place at 3:20.     I will see if I can get a copy of the report.