Author Shakes Butterflies, Undergoes Vascular Screening

Go for the jugular.

It’s an idiom often used in sports, and sometimes in business. Essentially, it means to attack a vital and vulnerable trait, feature, element, etc., in an attempt to overcome somebody or something swiftly and totally.

“Everybody knows about the jugular,” Kevin Tucker told me, “but the carotid is the one you really need to worry about.”

Tucker is a registered vascular technologist, and he told me this as he moved the ultrasound equipment back and forth across a section of my neck. The carotid, after all, is the vessel that carries blood to your brain, Tucker said.

Mine turned out to be perfectly fine — no blockages, deposits or anything else that would be considered a warning sign. So, despite the way I sometimes feel when watching the Arkansas Razorbacks shoot free throws, I don’t appear to be at risk for suffering a stroke.

I found myself undergoing the carotid artery ultrasound procedure, and talking to Tucker, after agreeing to receive some vascular screening in conjunction with American Heart Month. By the time this story hits newsstands, you’ll only have a handful of chances to get the same tests at a reduced rate.

Here are a few reasons the American Heart Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urge you to do just that:

• About 715,000 Americans have a heart attack every year.

• About 600,000 people in the U.S. die from heart disease every year. That’s one out of every four deaths.

• Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women.

• Cardiovascular disease, including heart disease and stroke, costs the United States more than $312 billion each year. That total includes the cost of health care services, medications and lost productivity.

• These conditions also are leading causes of disability, preventing Americans from working and enjoying family activities.

It was Tucker, though, who gave perhaps the best reason for undergoing such screenings.

“It’s peace of mind,” he said. “How much is that worth?”

At Mercy Northwest Arkansas, that peace of mind can be had for $30 or $100, depending on the level of screening you choose. Best I can tell, the $100 package runs a lot closer to $1,000 in any of the other 11 months.

“Insurance does not cover these screenings, which is why we offer them well below our cost as a community service during February,” Mercy Northwest Arkansas CEO Scott Street said in a news release. “We know these tests can literally prevent a life-altering situation for individuals and their families by providing an opportunity for early detection and proper treatment.”

Testing is recommended for men age 45 and older, and women age 50 and older. It’s also a good idea if you have a strong family history of heart-related health problems.

It’s recommended, too, if you experience any general warning signs, which include chest pain, pain that radiates down your left arm, or shortness of breath with exertion. In women, pain between the shoulder blades can be another symptom.

It’s scary stuff, frankly, even for someone who’s younger than 45 and hasn’t had a single symptom. I’d be lying if I said there weren’t a few butterflies in my gut when it came time for the tests.

Thankfully, there was no reason to worry. The test results are available practically in real time, which means a faster path to that peace of mind.

In my case, Tucker performed a lower extremity arterial study first. Its purpose basically is to look for any blockage in the arteries of the legs.

All it entailed was having my blood pressure taken normally, by wrapping a sleeve around my arms, then doing the same thing near my ankles. It took no more than five minutes and there was absolutely no discomfort.

Next came the carotid artery ultrasound, which consisted of Tucker applying some gel to my neck and then performing the test. Again, these tests are non-invasive and I didn’t experience even a hint of discomfort.

The last procedure was an abdominal aorta screen, which determines the presence of an abdominal aortic dilation or aneurysm, which normally has no true symptoms. It was basically just like the carotid artery ultrasound, except performed on my abdomen instead of my neck.

Tucker even turned the monitor so that I could see what he saw while doing the tests. In one, I could see blood pumping its way to my brain and in the other, blood pumping its way to the lower half of my body — pretty neat stuff, I must admit.

All of it took less than 30 minutes, and Tucker explained everything in easy-to-understand terms. When we were finished, I was left with one overriding thought regarding those who fall within the age and/or symptoms parameters: Go for the screen.