I'm radioactive!

I had a nuclear stress test done this morning and the results came back normal. That means my cardiac event was not triggered by blockages in my arteries.

It was a pretty uneventful morning, although I was in a foul mood on our way to the appointment, apparently from stress. Three and a half hours later, with an all-clear diagnosis, I was a much happier lady.

Here's a description of the test that was performed today:

A nuclear stress test measures blood flow to your heart muscle at rest and during stress. It is performed similar to a routine exercise stress test but provides images in addition to electrocardiograms.

During a nuclear stress test, a radioactive substance is injected into your bloodstream. This substance mixes with your blood and travels to your heart. A special scanner — which detects the radioactive material in your heart — creates images of your heart muscle. Inadequate blood flow to any part of your heart will show up as a light spot on the images — because not as much of the radioactive substance is getting there.

So, I'm radioactive! I was asked a couple of times if I would be flying on an airplane in the next month. I guess I would light up the scanners while passing through security. Although that sounds like fun, I think I'll pass.

I still have a follow-up with my Cardiologist near the end of September where we can review everything, so far it's all looking good. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers, everyone.