Yesterday at V minus 5 days and counting, I got a call from Dr. McGinn's office saying that my stress test results were not adequate and I had to see yet another cardiologist here in Philadelphia to get final surgery clearance. AARRRGGHHH!! I swear to god I sweat bullets all day yesterday- it's that nightmare of getting right to the end and then something preventing it. Sara at the Papillon Center made me an appointment for the cardiologist for this morning at 9 a.m. She is really a sweet person btw.

I was completely freaked out yesterday because if I couldn't get the surgery I didn't know what I would do, except want very much to lay down and die. Today I felt calm, and went in to see the new doctor. The nurse did an echocardiagram and yet another EKG. Finally the doctor came in and told me I was at low risk for any complications and that I was completely cleared for surgery.

I feel so relieved now, but with 4 days yet to go I'm still on pins and needles. I did get a good taste of how very much I want need this operation and I have no doubts whatsoever this is right for me. It seems the problem was an attenuation artifact on the original stress test and even though the other results were perfectly fine, Dr. McGinn wanted to be sure and ordered the additional test. I appreciate very much how meticulous and thorough she is and that is one reason I chose her in the first place. It is good to know I'm in optimal health for this, but please let there be no more hoops to jump through! 

Relax, Chloe.  It will be here and done before you know it. 

Congrats.

The stress of worrying seems like it could have ruined your test results!

I'm doing the final stuff as well only things like changing dollars to Euros (and being ripped off by the bank for the 'convenience'), picking up last minute prescriptions, packing, etc.

Good luck with your surgery!


Jay

Maybe after been given those news, your body went into extreme Stress, the went all calm, then when you retook the test your body was already exerted from the real test and that's why you passed!

(p.s. its a joke) but congrats, soon youll be knocked out and feel as if you just closed your eyes for a sec and wake up and be like WHAT!? its done? NO WAYS? Really??

Yay!  That must be so huge of a release to know you passed your cardio test!   I think there's a rule written that you will have some kind of calamity before the surgery.


For me, and I omitted it from my blog entry, because it was too terrifying at the time, it was a lump they found on an xray, in my lung, the day before surgery.  They couldn't determine if it was cancer or not from the xray, and I had to decide on the eve of my surgery, if I were going to go forth with SRS, or travel back to Canada from Thailand, because if I didn't, I would be stuck in Thailand for 4 weeks, not knowing if I had lung cancer or not, and not being able to have it treated if I was.  I went forward with SRS, literally potentially risking my life for it, and not knowing if I had for two months after that.   Luckily, when I got back and had it CT scanned, it turned out to be a hard SPN, meaning it was just a scar, and not malignant.

Good luck best wishes Chloe, and hoping the next 4 days pass quickly for you!  It will be past before you know it 

*huggs*,
Melan

Congrats on getting this last hurdle over with FairyGirl. Sad you had the upset of that last-minute blip, but you're all set now.     

Wow Melan that was a really crappy thing to happen - the stress must have been dreadful. 

This is why I'm not getting my hopes up. I'm just waiting till I get my blood work and see what my doctor says. I did mail the 2 month results to the office and they said it was good. I wont be jumping up for Joy not till I know for sure it's happening.

Hell, I'm stressing about the story!  Years ago when I was well on my way to surgery I was wondering what I would do if I could not have surgery.  However, this was just a passing thought at the time, but it did not matter as I eventually had surgery and where I live there was only one surgeon around (the other one at the time was retiring or retired) and who was acceptable to me.  Basically I had about 3 visits with my surgeon and two sets of blood tests and voila surgery was allowed.

I will take some of your stress if you wish, what I do, there is enough stress to last a life time so a little more will not hurt me!!!

Take care and all the best

Kind regards
Sarah B

Thanks for the well wishes. Wow Melan I'm glad you're okay! That sounds even more scary.

My thing is I usually freak out first and ask questions later. lol By the time my appointment rolled around I was relaxed (though I did chant a little mantra in my head while the nurse was doing the tests). Sara said the surgery typically only lasts 3 hours or so, but they want us to be cleared for 5 hours of being under just in case there are any complications.

Quote from: FairyGirl on June 17, 2010, 02:18:35 PM
Thanks for the well wishes. Wow Melan I'm glad you're okay! That sounds even more scary.

My thing is I usually freak out first and ask questions later. lol By the time my appointment rolled around I was relaxed (though I did chant a little mantra in my head while the nurse was doing the tests). Sara said the surgery typically only lasts 3 hours or so, but they want us to be cleared for 5 hours of being under just in case there are any complications.

Hi Chloe,

Thank goodness all is well and Melan, I would have freaked out at that. I have to have bloods, etc next week so I hope everything will be OK. I have also been thinking "What if" and I too don't know what I would do if they said I couldn't go ahead with it. It must happen to some.

I really hope all goes well for you and wish you well and heal quickly just in case I'm not on here before you have your GRS/SRS.

Big hug

Stardust

I could not imagine getting that close and not be able to have surgery.

As of today i am on track for my surgery, diet is going good, having had a heart attack, stroke and being diabetic is a triple whammy but Dr. Mcginn said if my stress test, blood work, and chest x ray come back ok she will operate, i plan on getting all of those tests done as early as she will allow so if something is out of wack it hopefully can be fixed by my surgery date.

Unfortunately there allot of if's, if the test are ok and my cardiologist ok's me for surgery, my company was just bought by a company from India, so if i lose my job i am screwed, and if my company changes insurance companies at the first of the year, i will have to pay the whole thing myself, something i planned for but hoped i would not have to do.

Paula

What an awful experience Chloe, makes me get palpitations just reading about it. It's one of those things, after it's all done, you can finally relax and laugh about. I wish you no more hiccups and a quick recovery.
Wow Melan, I'm so glad it wasn't cancer and you went ahead with surgery. That was really a close call to make, and you trumped it! Congrats. 

whew that must have been scary. glad it turned out ok. Good luck sweetie!

Sometimes it seems never ending the things us girls must over come, but we do and you did Chloe

Congrats & all my best wishes for you in the coming days.

Good luck Chloe.

Hope everything goes well for you.

Hugs Chloe,

I hope it all goes well, try not to stress out

Cindy

Almost there!  Good Luck!

You're so close Chloe!! eeeeeeee!!!! 

Hi FairyGirl

72 hours to go girl!!!

Kind regards
Sarah B

I freaked out when I got the order for the EKG seven days before surgery. Typically no big deal, but it was going to be the week from hell at work. I had a big promotional thing going on and everything else I had to do before handing the reins over to my assistant manager for 8 weeks. I had no time that I could take off of work. Not to mention, everywhere I called it was like a week or more before they could get me in. Dr McGinn agrees to allow me to have the EKG the morning of, and, thank goodness, the results were fine. I would have lost it if they were not. To be at the hospital and then to have surgery delayed would not have been good. I know she goes back and forth on requiring the EKG for all patients. I wish she would just make it a standing policy and not spring it on people at the last minute like she did for me.