25 July 2024
The formal name for the poor circulation in the feet is peripheral arterial disease. And the test for it is to measure the ratio of blood pressure at the wrists to that of the ankles. If they're the same, the reading is 1.0. Below 9.0 is considered a problem.
Joyce had the test at Kaiser on Tuesday, July 16, in the same department she long ago had the malignant cyst in her leg removed.
The RN who did the test was very empathetic and careful with her. She had trouble getting on the exam chair and laying down when it was flattened out and getting into position. And one of the ankle cuffs pinched so she screamed. He took it all in stride.
There are probes on the fingers and big toes, as well.
I could see the waveforms and later he confirmed that she had good waveforms, which means her pulse was strong, I believe. He also gave us her numbers: 0.90 and 0.93. But he can't interpret them, he said. A doctor reviews them on Mondays and will be in touch through the Kaiser app.
So that's why you haven't heard from me. Waiting for the diagnosis.
Yesterday when I asked Joyce if she had heard anything yet, she said no. But when we looked at the app, she had three unread messages.
One was from Jennifer the RN, following up on the difficulty of ordering Santyl.
Another was from her primary doctor. She had ordered more blood tests before trying to get an appointment at the memory clinic.
And the final one was about the test. She does not have peripheral arterial disease at this time, the doctor confirmed.
Before the good news faded, we jumped in the car to go to Kaiser to do the blood tests.