Yesterday was my first echocardiogram (echo) and let me just say it is my favorite test so far. That month brought a few medical "firsts" but I have yet to experience something that hasn't brought me much joy in return.
As a little one I remember my parents teaching me about the body and medicine. With all of this awareness came curiosity and though I was never good about asking questions, I sought information out in different ways until I found enough to satisfy me for that time.
Around middle school I decided in my mind that I would come up with a pill containing all the elements necessary to life so we could all stop worrying about eating. Ha!
Being a pharmacist had a ring to it but I didn't like how people felt when they took most medicines. However, thanks to my dear mom I was knowledgable in the commercial and pharmaceutical names of over the counter pain meds.
Advil is Ibuprofen, Tylenol is acetaminophen, ____is naproxen sodium and each had their use and each put a strain on a different organ. I don't remember all of what my mom taught me as it's been about 5 years since I willingly took pain medicines..... But I still love medical facts.
Anyway....back to the echo....
While at my initial visit with Dr. W, my new conventional doctor, he had me overview my health, specifically this past year. When he heard that I had gone over 2 weeks with strep without any antibiotics, he expressed his concern for my heart.
I had known that strep back in the day was known to cause permanent damage if left untreated but somehow thought I had mine under control.....that is until I admitted I didn't. Obviously I was both a bad doctor and headstrong patient.
He took a listen to my heart (which I later found out by the cardio tech to be a false way of identifying such a concern) and simply said "Sounds like we have a slight mitral valve prolapse but we will order an echocardiogram just to be sure."
A week later, I went in and the procedure was very simple. After changing into a hospital gown, the tech had me lay on my back. She started the ultrasound machine up and applied gel to my chest. I was instructed to lay on my left side to allow gravity to move my left lung away from my heart. She then used the ultrasound wand to identify my heart and various settings on the machine to narrow in on each valve.
I was warned before we began that the machine would be making noises throughout the procedure but I had no idea that those noises were actually going to be the blood flowing through each valve. There was a distinct sound for each one and I was so intrigued that the tech allowed me to turn my head and watch the monitor.
Not only did I get to hear each valve individually but I heard my heartbeat and saw each ventricle and valve as well!
She told me that the photo was not only backwards but also upside down due to the nature of the waves (a concept that is beyond my understanding) so I had to readjust my attempts to identify the parts of a heart. It was a lot of fun to quiz myself and she was so kind to play along with me!
Once she was finished taking the photos and sound clips, she had me lay on my back again and attempted to tuck the wand under my ribs to view my heart in that position but due to the enlargement of my spleen, she said she couldn't get a good view.
That was it! I was done and on my way home. Smiling really big because I got a sneak peak into my heart!
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