Level Iii Baird Stress Test

[runningshoe]

If anyone is going to have this test and has questions please message me. I would be happy to explain it and help you prepare. It is quite a test!

[toddm1960]

Is this also called a metabolic stress test? Where they put a mouth piece in and block your nose, then do an echo at the end? If that's the case it gives good inforamtion on your pulmonary function, and is part of most mitochondrial work ups. If it's something different could you explain the test and what it's for.

[rmlyonsfamily]

What is a Level III Baird Stress Test?

[tinkerbella]

is part of most mitochondrial work ups

I'm glad you asked this I'm going for a mitochondrial work up here in Boston @ Mass General Hospital.

I was told I would have a muscle biopsy ~ Maybe my doctor wanted to save the rest for the MG doc to tell me about, as he said it was an intense work up ~

I've had a level 1 and 2 Stress test that lead them to believe that I had congestive heart failure and neuromuscular disease ~

Since my pots has not gotten better in 4 years and since January I've been admitted to the hospital 3 times not able to breathe and with viruses.

My doc wanted to take a deeper look @ all of this.

Are you being worked up for mitochondrial? I'll go and googliegoo it now and see what I can find ~

I hope you are OK. Is it 1ii and not 111? Just checking and off I go to look it up ~

x's

Bellamia ~

[tinkerbella]

GOOD INFO FOR ANYONE HAVING STRESS TESTS ~

YouTube - Stress Test‏

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4-MKeULN10

I never knew all of this info....plus they have other videos n all kinds of stress tests.

Good luck with your test ~

Bellamia ~

[runningshoe]

III - sorry must not have kept my finger on the caps button. It was also to look for mito issues but by passed the biopsy etc. It was a difficult test but I have a few tips if you need them. It is hard to find anything about it on the web. I did not really understand the test fully until I was there. See if you can start early in the am as the day gets difficult as you go along and you can't drink or eat. Next, dress in layers because I was soooo cold and that made everything more difficult. If you have no problem with being cold then you will do much better than me. If you do then read on a bring a warm blanket!! The right heart cath does not hurt but it really helps to be calm and be prepared for all the risks they are going to list for you as you sign all the paperwork. The take you to a procedure room and you lie very still while they put on a local anesthetic and then make a small incision and then insert a tube down toward your lungs and right heart. This doesn't take long at all. The next stage was getting an iv (cath?) into my artery in my wrist. Because I was so cold and have Raynauds it was very difficult. 5 tries on one arm and then they switched to the other. If I had know it was going to be so cold I would have brought hand warmers (like the kind you take skiing) or even brought warm socks to keep my hands in while I waited. ANYTHING would have helped. It took several tries on the next arm (basically I was like - ahhh get the thing in there because I am not coming back again!). The actual exercise part was the best because I finally got to move and warm up. It was very busy in there with them taking blood samples and pictures of my heart (after radioactive dye was injected through the iv). Lots of people in the room. Very nice folks at MGH but I was a little frustrated with how hard it was to get into my arteries and I have two big bruises still 5 days later. However, if you try to stay warm you might have a much better success rate! Definitely have someone drive you home. Don't expect to feel like doing much the next day. For me the biggest problem has been how sore the bruises are. Oh and when they pull the cath out of your neck (the one that led to your heart) it feels very strange but they will talk you through it. I got there at 11 and was done at 6. It is a long day. Make sure to eat well and drink plenty the day before. They did put me on an IV drip because I was fading a bit. It is a fascinating test - most people are in shock when I tell them about it because it sounds so expensive and complicated. Good luck and hopefully we will all get answers some day.

[tinkerbella]

That sounds exactually like my level 11 cardio/plummy test there without the breathing part. Did you just have the workup in the Movement Clinic @ MGH ? That is where I'm going. They were so nice to me in the stress labs after the first test and I had to go back I thought I must be dying, as they treated me EXTRA nice. Then at the end they said it never took so long to get a blood gas back on a person. They had to keep drawing and drawing till they got a normal one. The wrist thing, I had the same problem. I won't explain as it got too graphic. I felt like I was in a horror film all the time the doctor made me feel like Queen for a day. Warm blankets everywhere. On the chair, on me and the made my friend leave the room when he came in at the end. They wouldn't let him see anything. They couldn't get my hr back down and kept running ekg's till @ least they got it to what I came in at and that was high. That's the one where I came out neuro/ muscular disease ~ I sure hope I don't have to do that test again ~ I don't have enough energy anymore and I think I would die ~ I started to tell you about the stest and then took it all down, cause I didn't want to scare you ~ I'm just so tired of all of this and all these tests ~ I've had a biospy years ago, but they feel I've gotten worse. I would love to hear about your work up in the clinic and who you saw if you don't mind. If you have the time sometime. Hope all is well ~ Did you get your results yet? Off to bed for tonight ~ Night Night all ~

Bellamia ~