Treadmill Test
Today was an interesting day to say the least. Some of you know that before my heart transplant I was involved in a government sponsored clinical trial to see whether a structured cardiac rehab program would help people with congestive heart failure, and whether Medicare should pay a bigger portion of the cost for this rehab. In order to qualify as a participant in this program I had to go through a series of test like pulmonary type test and a treadmill test where you have your nose clipped shut and you breathe through a mouthpiece, It is very uncomfortable to say the least. They do this to measure your Co2 exchange and to get baseline numbers on you like a good heart rate to try and achieve during a workout. Well it was about this time last year that when I did this treadmill test I couldn’t go more that 6 minutes, and had to cut it off because I was so out of breath. After my transplant they still managed to keep me in this program even though I do not have congestive heart failure anymore. On March 15 this study ends. So as part of winding things up I needed to do this treadmill test again today, so they could compare results. Let me explain something real quick when you do this test along with your nose being clipped shut and breathing through a tube they start the treadmill at a speed and incline for 2 minutes then every 2 minutes the incline and speed change sometime steeper incline and slower speed or visa versa. All the while taking constant blood pressure and measuring you oxygen level. Well today at the ummmm…. 17 minute point I was at a 3mph pace and a 10% percent incline. Anyone that knows treadmills knows that is some work I was blown away when the nurse shut the treadmill done and said they didn’t have a protocol for anything over 10 minutes and most people only average 9-10 minutes. I was pooped but really thought I could have gone another 3 minutes or so. So the point of all this is to bless the name of the Lord for letting me accomplish this today and to see how much has changed in a year and to continue to thank and glorify Him for the strength and recovery he is granting to me. I am continually being amazed.
