Testing

Yesterday was another round of testing for my circulation because I often turn blue and sometimes pass out. This time my arteries were being checked. Last time it was veins in my legs. Previously it was my heart, neck and arms. So far all I hear is that it is my AVM in my brain that is playing havoc with my circulation but that it is “ok.”

 

Ok. I arrive and the lady says that this will take about 3 hours… 😦 I am escorted to a room, told to strip off certain parts of clothing—not telling which parts, and was put on a gurney. Last time, it took quite a while to clean off all the lubricant from my legs. This time it was my legs and arms—yuck! Pressure points were checked and recorded. Things looked good. Then came the 100 blood pressure cuffs—ok, it wasn’t a 100 but it seemed like it…3 on each leg, and 2 on each arm—all at one time. I was told that tall people must have 3 on each arm—this is probably the first time I felt privileged to be short. There was at least one other test in here but I have forgotten what it was. Each cuff was inflated and circulation was checked. And, when these cuffs were inflated especially on my calves, I thought my legs were going to break—it felt that bad. She warned me it was going to hurt and it did. This took a while. Some other little things were done and then the fun tests began… — yeah, I was waiting for the fun to begin, too 😀 .

 

wikipedia

The immersion tests… With Raynaud’s Syndrome/Disease people will have a tendency to turn color (usually blue or white) at the hint of cold. The lady put latex gloves on my feet—yeah gloves 😀 . Then I dipped my feet into freezing cold ice water with ice cubes. That lasted 3 minutes. It may not sound like a long time but once you get to the 2 minute mark, pain begins if you still have feeling. Then measurements are taken of each toe; a period of waiting, and then retaken. These two measurements are compared to see what types of changes there are in the capillaries. The same thing was repeated for my hands. By the way, once my feet ever get cold, it is almost impossible for me to get warm.

 

When I turn blue at times, I can see what seems to be almost every vein in my body similar to the bottom 2 photos but this is all over and worse in my right side. It is not quite as blue as the photo but sometimes my veins begin to look almost black. What were the results of the tests? I have no clue. I go back next week but I don’t think I have symptoms of Raynaud’s. My mother had it. Two fingers were amputated because of it and it can be inherited. I am concerned for my daughters more than concern for me. As for the blood tests taken back in October? I have called and called with no results. I go back mid-January. I wonder if I can find out then about those tests… and I never heard back about the ones done last July…..

 

Note:  Simon is still alive and well and into things as usual. He will begin making a reappearance in my blog 😀 . I know he has been missed!

 

Take care and Happy Gardening in all of your gardening plots! 😀

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