May 27, 2006
echocardiogram
Last wednesday I went for an echocardiogram at UBC Hospital. An echocardiogram is an ultrasound of your heart. A technologist used an ultrasound wand thing to look at my heart from all different angles. It was cool - I could watch the screen and see my heart beating away. When they were done, a cardiologist, Dr Isserow, came by to look at the results. It turns out I have a pericardial effusion - an unusual accumulation of fluid in the pericardial cavity (thing that contains the heart). This is undoutably another symptom of my condition, and it means that my heart has to work harder to move the same amount of blood. This was likely the cause of the swelling I had in my feet a month ago, but it looks like my heart adapted to the condition, and the swelling went down again. It’s not an immediate concern, the doctor just said that I should go to emergency if I feel short of breath, or if the swelling comes back.
tags: cancer, cardiology, hodgkin’s lymphoma, lymphoma, medicine, pericardial effusion
posted: 8:10 am
