Today's Results... So Far :)

Getting information out of the echo scanning folk at the time isn't usually easy.

by crustyg - 2023-07-28 03:10:07

They're in an impossible situation.  Many/most of the ultrasound/echo operators aren't the medical professionals in charge of your case (in which case it's not their role to wade into what the scan might or might not mean) and even if they are, if they've seen something worrying it's not always the best time to tell the patient.

Examples: I was having an abdo scan after my GI-doc hit his fingers on my liver as I breathed in.  With my history that mandated an urgent abdo scan.  Doc who did it make a couple of quick passes with the screen positioned so that I couldn't see, and once he was happy that there was no big cancer mass sitting in my liver he moved the screen to share and showed me that all was normal (professional courtesy, doc-to-doc).

Sometimes the best way to charm the lady professionals isn't by complimenting their appearance or femininity but by recognising their professional skill as an expert to be respected.  But you knew that?

I've been lucky enough to have the same echo operator a couple of times, and in the less pressured environment of an evening scan it's easier to get the tech to go through %LVEF measurement etc.  Turns out that it's all about relationships, and how quickly you can form an emotional or professional bond with a complete stranger.

As far as I can tell (right on the edge of my knowledge here) it does sound as though things are getting better for you.

Best wishes.

You sound well already

by Gemita - 2023-07-28 03:44:08

Hello USMC-Pacer, thank you for the update.  The main observation I would like to make is that feeling great is a very good sign that all is well, with or without the results of that echo wouldn’t you say?  Difficult symptoms are always an indication that something isn’t quite right, so I think you can be quietly optimistic.

On your echo results, an improvement in ejection fraction percentage can sometimes take up to 3 months or more to achieve, so that should be taken into account too.  We cannot rush these things.  They may want to repeat the echocardiogram in another 3 months, so you will need to be patient.

What is very striking, at least for me, is that your BNP level has gone down to 65 from 1,003 pre-TAVR, suggesting that your procedure has been successful.  I will be keeping my fingers crossed for a steady, secure improvement from now on in all areas.