EKG Anyone??

With my surgery less than two weeks away, I had a requisition from my surgeon that had to be filled...off to Life Labs I went today! I had it in my head that I wouldn't go first thing...didn't want to get stuck in a line up with all those folks who had been fasting prior to having their blood drawn. So, I got there about 9:20...and it was standing room only. Crap...called that one wrong. Turns out the Life Lab I went to only opens at 9:00 am. I really should have done my research better. The good news is, they know what they're doing there and I was in and out by 10:00. Pretty good considering I was #27!

First I had to have some blood drawn. This has really become old hat for me. I don't even feel the little prick of the needle going in anymore...who would have thought I'd become such a toughie??? I actually find myself quite fascinated by how fast the little tube fills up with my blood!

Than it was time for an EKG. Or ECG (same thing). What I was finding amazing today as I was sitting in the lab, patiently waiting for them to call my number, is that I've never had an EKG before. I have had so many tests in the past five and a half months that surely somewhere in there I would have had an EKG...but no. In fact, today was my first one. And what a curious experience it was for me.

I had a male nurse today...he was great at the blood thing and I was wondering if he was also going to do the EKG. Yep. He did ask me if I was comfortable with him, or if I would prefer one of the other nurses. I told him it was fine (the reality is, any modesty or embarrassment I may have had about my breasts went the way of the Dodo bird back in July...). Besides, I got a bit of a kick out of it when I realized he'd be one of the last to see my left boob...

Anyway...back to the EKG...they tell you to undress from the waist up and roll up your pants to your knees. Then, lie down on the bed and cover yourself with the sheet. I actually took exception to the "sheet". How about we just call it what it was...a big folded piece of paper. Do these people know it's winter outside??? He attaches a bunch of little receptacles - one on the inside of each leg (close to the knee), one on each arm (close to the shoulder), and the rest were around my chest and upper stomach. He attached wires to each receptacle and then it took about fifteen seconds for him to get the reading. He gave the wires a little tug and they all came off at once. Then he said I could peel off the receptacles (which are on with some two sided type of goo), get dressed and I was free to go. I was VERY VERY happy I got to peel off these little receptacles. A nurse in a bad mood could do some serious damage...

So, now my pre-op stuff is done. And the countdown is on...

xoxoxoxxoxo