Heart stress test…
Two days ago I went in for a Heart Stress Test on the recommendation of my doc. Last week I was experiencing a bit of chest pain and some headaches so I went in for a check-up. After talking for a bit and going over my history and family history he decided to get me tested to be safe. Once he’d heard that I had an uncle die at 44 he got more cautious. Family history is a big indicator of possible problems.
I showed up for the test and got into some shorts to get ready for it. They had me take off my shirt and put sticky pads all over my chest and hooked me up to the machine. They took some pre-test measurements and then had me get on the treadmill.
The test itself wasn’t really that tough. The treadmill is on an incline and starts off rather slow. Every three minutes it speeds up and the incline increases. The doc had a target heart rate of around 160 for me. As the treadmill started he said ‘Don’t try to beat the machine. You won’t make it’. I reached my target rate at around the last minute or so of the third stage. He asked me how I was feeling all through the test and at this point asked if I wanted to continue. I said my heart and lungs were doing fine, the only thing that was gonna stop me was my calves. They were burning like crazy.
He stopped the test right at the start of the 4th stage(Thank God, my calves were dying but I didn’t want to stop. I guess I was trying to beat the machine. 🙂 ) and said he had everything he needed. He also said that everything looked good at that time. It takes a couple days for the full analysis so I hope to find out tomorrow how I did. I think I did fine. I felt great before, during, and after the test. Actually, I’d felt fine all weekend before the test after seeing my doc on Friday. That tells me it really seems to be work related. The not knowing what’s going to happen and how you’ll support your family eats you up inside.
Both docs said it seemed more like a stress thing than any real heart problems at this time. I also found out over the weekend that other people in my family are/were prone to the same ‘anxiety attacks’, so I’m apt to side with the docs. The longer I stay in my current position the closer I know I’m getting to being laid off. The end of the quarter is coming and the rumors are flying. As a contractor I have no job security which is what I’m trying to fix with the Iraq job.
Speaking of the Iraq position, I had the second interview yesterday and it went great. I talked with a V.P. over there for over a 1/2 hour and it sounds like a great opportunity. They do some cutting-edge work in fields that have always been interesting to me and from the job description I feel I would fit right in. They said they’d be getting back to me and schedule another phone interview then a day at the facility to do a meet-and-greet. You know it went well when the V.P. gives you his cellphone number and tells you to call anytime if you have questions. I’m keeping my fingers crossed on that one. I’d love to get into my first permanent position in over 5 years. I can see myself staying a long time with the right company and they seem to be the kind I could do it with. Yeah, a year in Iraq away from family doesn’t sound like a perfect job but I figure it’s a great way to get some experience in the field, earn some good money, and, I know this sounds hokey, to serve my country in whatever way I can.