My dad has complained of a nagging calf pain whenever he walks, which has subsided some. However, his legs are easily worn out when walking short distances. He describes the weakness as pure exhaustion, as if he walked 50 yards in the snow.
He went to the doctor and has received a ton of tests, including a lot of blood-work and a pulmonary workup. His pulse was very weak in his left leg, leading me to believe it's peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Tomorrow, he's going in for a PAD test, along with checking his blood-pressure in his leg. I guess what scares me the most is the pulmonary workup. It doesn't really seem necessary to me that he receives one, but my dad has been a pack-a-day smoker since he was a teen, so I guess it doesn't hurt to look.
Do these tests indicate a suspicion of cancer? Obviously I'm probably making a bigger deal than what's needed, as not every smoker is diagnosed with cancer. It's just scary that a calf pain initially has led to looking at the lungs.
He went to the doctor and has received a ton of tests, including a lot of blood-work and a pulmonary workup. His pulse was very weak in his left leg, leading me to believe it's peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Tomorrow, he's going in for a PAD test, along with checking his blood-pressure in his leg. I guess what scares me the most is the pulmonary workup. It doesn't really seem necessary to me that he receives one, but my dad has been a pack-a-day smoker since he was a teen, so I guess it doesn't hurt to look.
Do these tests indicate a suspicion of cancer? Obviously I'm probably making a bigger deal than what's needed, as not every smoker is diagnosed with cancer. It's just scary that a calf pain initially has led to looking at the lungs.