I had my annual Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) endo-vascualr repair (EVR) check up at UMass Medical in Worcester with Dr Schanzer. Being in Worcester and the morning commute, I set the alarm for 6AM (it's still dark outside). I had been fasting since last night, so there was little to do before I started my trip at 6:30AM.
Traffic was heavy, but moving. I arrived at the parking garage and managed to check in at their suggested time of 7:45AM. I waited to be called for my ultra-sound. Around 8:05AM, Cindy called my name. She grilled me for my vitals and showed me to the examination room. I was instructed to lay on my back and loosen my pants and raise my shirt.
Once situated, Cindy squirted some heated (thank you) jelly onto my stomach. She began the task of pressing, moving the metal stylus over my abdomen. She used her 'free hand' to tap her screen and enter information. Compared to other visits, this seemed to be talking longer. I didn't want to ask, but I had the feeling something was amiss. After many minutes, she asked that I lay on my side. This was a first for me and only solidified my feeling of something not right. She asked me to go back to lying flat on my back then later back to my side. All I could do was comply and hope for the best. Finally she was done. No words were exchanged as to the reason for the elongated session and I didn't ask. She accompanied me to the waiting room and said I would be called to see the Nurse Practitioner.
Not too long after I was called in my a medical professional where she bought me to an exam room. She took and recorded my vital signs and entered the information into her computer program. Once she was completed, she instructed me to remove my pants and socks and put on a hospital 'johnnie'. Upon her departure, she indicated that Shauneen would be with me shortly.
It was only a few minutes when the Nurse Practitioner, Shauneen arrived. After exchanging pleasantries and checking some 'housekeeping items' she mentioned that the technician thought that one of my stent attachments became unattached, but Dr Schanzer reviewed the test results and said things looked normal.
The visit summary said:
