Stress tests
The hip joint is still shot.
It was supposed to be replaced today, but yesterday a complication arose. The surgical nurse called and said an EKG, taken a week ago, didn’t look right.
“It doesn’t look like earlier EKGs of yours,” she said.
The result, she said, could have been the result of a number of things, including a minor heart attack, a mistake, or stress.
“I showed the results right away to the anesthesiologist, and until we know what is going on, we are canceling the surgery,” she said.
I assumed, for the EKG, there would have been stress present, of the sort associated with submitting an EKG before going in for surgery in which the top of your leg bone is sawed off and an arthritic pelvic socket reamed out and a prosthetic device hammered into place with four weeks of intensive recovery to follow, with long rehabilitation thereafter. So I think that’s what it was.
“What do we do now?” I asked, feeling a drop of failed-EKG stress sinking in.
The remedy is to go for another test, this one called a “stress echo,” which will take place tomorrow. If that test disproves the other one, she thinks I can get in for surgery next week, thus enabling me to recover sufficiently for the start of spring semester, a deadline with absolutely no stress embedded in it at all.
The good thing is that it is ready-made blog material. I always relax when I know I have something to write about. And I had gotten my Christmas shopping done, in time for the surgery date today.
It was supposed to be replaced today, but yesterday a complication arose. The surgical nurse called and said an EKG, taken a week ago, didn’t look right.
“It doesn’t look like earlier EKGs of yours,” she said.
The result, she said, could have been the result of a number of things, including a minor heart attack, a mistake, or stress.
“I showed the results right away to the anesthesiologist, and until we know what is going on, we are canceling the surgery,” she said.
I assumed, for the EKG, there would have been stress present, of the sort associated with submitting an EKG before going in for surgery in which the top of your leg bone is sawed off and an arthritic pelvic socket reamed out and a prosthetic device hammered into place with four weeks of intensive recovery to follow, with long rehabilitation thereafter. So I think that’s what it was.
“What do we do now?” I asked, feeling a drop of failed-EKG stress sinking in.
The remedy is to go for another test, this one called a “stress echo,” which will take place tomorrow. If that test disproves the other one, she thinks I can get in for surgery next week, thus enabling me to recover sufficiently for the start of spring semester, a deadline with absolutely no stress embedded in it at all.
The good thing is that it is ready-made blog material. I always relax when I know I have something to write about. And I had gotten my Christmas shopping done, in time for the surgery date today.
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There is good stress and bad stress but entities that have an affect on the body and mind equate to stress period. I am glad that you have found the balance of the two and can spin one against the other to cancel each out and have the flat line of peace. Good luck with the surgery and the stress of having something to write about.
Posted by
Roxanne |
12/16/05 4:41 AM
I know I would be stressed too if I was to undergo a surgery. You wouldn't be normal if you weren't anxious about this. The good thing is that after its over and you regain your strength you'll be glad that you did it, its OK and its over. I'm a long time reader of yours and I was glad to find your blog. Many year's ago when you anounced your son's name, I thought it was adorable. A while later my sister, who lives in LA and hadn't seen your column, named her son- first name Tyler, second name - Grant. I got a kick out of that, and I hope you do too.
Posted by
Anonymous |
12/18/05 9:31 PM