Here we advocate asking for a printout with test results, but how does one do this for an echocardiogram? Are there printed results or a disc or - ?
I had it done in Aug and no one has ever discussed it with me. The receptionist told me the results were 'normal' but ideally I'd like to have something to take away to show the doc who treats my ht and first diagnosed my heart murmur (not my gp).
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puncturedbicycle
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Hmm, the clue is in the name. 'Dysfunction' = not normal.
I suppose it is mild and common and perhaps that's what your gp meant.
If/when I get the results I'd be happy to share with you. If I forget, just pm me.
I have remembered and forgotten about it since Aug but I have been short of breath for a couple of days now was wondering what it was and remembered I should have got the results. It took me such a long time to convince them to do it, I really should double check to make sure it is as normal as I've been lead to believe.
Thanks; yes I think that's what GP meant. I'm not worried about it, but all GPs & endos told me that my thyroid was "normal" when it most certainly wasn't.
My theory is that they see so many severely ill people that their idea of 'normal' is very different to most people! (I hope it didn't seem like I was justifying what your doc did; it is much more helpful telling you what the dysfunction was and what it means to you than saying it is normal, which it is not.)
The echo was done when I was breathless, had gained over 2 stone in weight & the endo & GPs told me it was probably heart failure, so had put me on beta-blockers which made things a whole lot worse! I then discovered & consulted Dr. P. Of course it was all due to me becoming profoundly hypothyroid 20 months after RAI for Graves. Dr. P. set me on the right track.;I soon lost the breathlessness, my weight is nearly back to what it should be, after a year's treatment, but I still have some way to go to get back to full health. Have you managed to get your results yet?.
I had an echo... 15th Jan but my next appointment with Cardiologist is 23rd March. GP asked the other day did I have any info, I said no. So obviously there is nothing untoward otherwise they would have contacted me. They haven't written to GP yet.
Well this is what I thought about my results but I remembered how they said the same about my thyroid (nothing untoward, etc).
They were very reluctant to refer me. My gp listened and said there was no murmur and said probably the other doc heard it because I'd had a virus or something, then he listened again at a later date and said there was no murmur, then a different gp listened and said there wasn't "much of a murmur" and referred me for the echo. So I'd quite like to at least see what it says and possibly run it by the doc who originally diagnosed it.
shaws it's a bit of a shame that they can't let you know at least to put your mind at rest. It has been a month. Good luck - hope you get good results.
I have heart problems (cause still unidentified) and have twice had to call an ambulance because I thought I was having a heart attack. The first time it happened I had nothing to show what my normal heart rhythm was and that meant that the paramedic had questions about my rhythm he couldn't answer, so I got carted off to hospital.
His (the paramedic's) advice was...
"When you get discharged ask for a photocopy of an ECG that the doctors are happy with. Then, if you have problems in the future the ambulance service and paramedics will have something to compare with."
So, when I left the hospital that first time I asked for a copy of an acceptable ECG of mine before I left. It wasn't long after that that I had to call an ambulance again, and the copy of the ECG I had made things much easier for the paramedic.
the 'echo' results come in 2 parts: a letter where the report is written by the person who performed it and usually a CD where you can 'see' the whole procedure. The GP only gets the report. You can obtain a copy of the CD but you have to request it in writing from the hospital information governance department. HOWEVER 99% of the times the CD will be useless to you as you need the super-duper expensive software to read it....(a clinical application)
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