I was ushered into a dimly lit room with a table (the kind you lie on), a chair and some fancy looking computer equipment. The soft-spoken technician with the very kind face had me recline on the table, and explained that she was going to rub some oil on my chest. (Although it's been a few years since I've had an ultrasound -- 23 to be exact -- I remembered that oil, and I braced myself for the cold. But to my relief, what she used was exactly body temperature -- I didn't feel a thing!)
For the next 20 minutes or so, she moved her stylus (or whatever it's called) over and around my chest as she explained to me exactly which parts of my heart were showing up on her monitor. Her voice was so soothing, the lights so dim, my position so comfortable, that I nearly dozed (but wanting to be polite, I tried to interject my "ohs" and "m-hmmmms" in all the appropriate places).
As I said, it's been a long time, but seeing my heart this way was not unlike seeing my babies on up on that monitor...The same shadowy shapes, undulating with life -- In fact, I think I even saw it wave at me...
"Ultrasound" by Kate, 1/11/10 (MSN Paint)
*The reason for the ultrasound was just to be sure my heart is ok now -- to establish a "baseline." I hope that doesn't mean things are expected to change, but due to my Oxygen Deficit Disorder (Scary Doctor Blog, Oct. 1, 2008) I understand that is a possibility. I still haven't heard back from my wonderful and trusted Dr. Pulmonologist, which I assume is a good thing. At the time of the test, I asked the nice tech if she could tell if anything was blooey from what she was seeing. Of course she's not allowed to say, but she assured me that if she saw anything "emergent," I would not be allowed to leave without seeing a cardiologist -- and she didn't see anything like that. (Whew!)
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