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He is weak. I am worried the stress test could kill him. Yet if he does not pass, no blast and we are looking at dialysis down the road.

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They will do this stress test with medication. Don't worry. No 85 year old can do the "treadmill" stress test you are used to thinking about. A medication is given that has the same affect on your dad as though he were exercising. He may feel a bit "stressed" as when he used to take a long walk. He may feel a bit flushed. But in reality he will be laying on a guerney. Any bad reactions can be almost always easily reversed by injecting other medications.
As a "stress test" has nothing to do with the procedure to "blast stones" I am assuming they are doing this to make certain Dad has a strong enough heart to tolerate the blasting, as you call it. It all sounds so dramatic, but actually Dad won't have to do a thing during either procedure. And the "blasting of the stone" isn't done with dynamite.
I am not your medical practioner, and I always hesitate to give descriptions and advice because there is much I don't know about your case at all. But let me say this, as Dad's POA if you are, you should be certain he doesn't sign for ANYTHING he doesn't understand.
Make them stop and explain everything to Dad and to you, OK? If Dad has stones that are trying to pass, you can't imagine the agony. Think of child birth pains that don't give you a rest. But worse. So much can be done "non-invasive" now, and I sure hope you will update us on how all of this goes.
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Thank you. I will go ahead with the stress test. Yes, it is to see if his heart is strong enough for the kidney procedure.
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AlvaDeer Sep 2020
Lauramay, good. Make the doctors explain everything to you and your Dad. That's your right. We here can give a couple of clues, but your own docs have to be the guide in these things; you can get wrong information from a Forum that doesn't know you both or understand fully what is going on. I wish you Dad the best and hope that this goes well. Hope you will update us. Your information is invaluable to others.
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