Fun Day (Well, Sorta....)

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So what did I get for my relatively early-morning jaunt to the VA hospital? See above photo (the top one). What they did is called a nuclear stress test. They put a little bit of nuclear material ("tracer" or "contrast") into your bloodstream, then take MRI images of the heart to see if there's any damage. This wasn't my first rodeo. In fact, the last time I had one they had to medically induce a rapid heart rate. The doctor had recommended the medicine again, but I pleaded with the nurse to let me try the treadmill first. They put all the leads on me (I looked like I could've gone out into the parking lot and jump-started a few automobiles) I grabbed my phone and started the music. THREE SONGS LATER, they were done. The three songs were: *Amos Moses (Jerry Reed) *Dance Franny Dance (Floyd Dakil Combo) *Tubthumping (They Might Be Giants cover version) Before Robin Luke's "Susie Darling" got started they said I had successfully reached the target heart rate (and then some: at my age, it was supposed to be 135 beats per minute, and I had it up to 160!) They sent me to the canteen to get a bite to eat (they said food helps the images in the second round). I won't be recommending them for a James Beard award, but, as we used to say, it was M.A.T. food (M.A.T. = Make A T*rd ). I was there less than three hours. The peace of mind is so worth it. While I personally have never shown any heart issues, I lost both of my maternal uncles to heart attacks (one at the age of 45 ). My dad had a heart valve replacement in his late 70s. So it's better to be safe. Plus, I think it's a standard operating procedure thing: go to the ER for chest pains ten times, get a free stress test! Thanks to everyone for their concerns. TOP PHOTO: my IV, where they put the contrast. BOTTOM PHOTO: all bandaged up and finished! Here's "Dance Franny Dance," which helped me get the target heart rate so quickly: