Hello, My 77 Year Old Mother Has Mild Cognitive Impairment,

Hello, my 77 year old mother has mild cognitive impairment, which is progressing. She had a herniated disc with subsequent surgery 11 months ago, which resulted in right foot drop and nerve pain down the right leg with mild pedal edema of that foot. She also had a left occipital lobe stroke at that time, which has exacerbated her cognitive skills and left residual vision deficits. She's on a 13.3 mg Exelon patch, along with 10 mg Namenda bid. Her other meds are Synthroid, Protonix, Plavix, Cozaar (bid), and Zocor. Her blood pressure is elevated sometimes at approximately 170/88. Most other times it's about 124/80. She's had an irregular pulse for quite some time. The problem she's having is that when she bends over forward and exerts herself, such as picking up sticks in the yard. Shortly after she stands back up, she becomes diaphoretic, weak, nauseated with vomiting episodes, ultimately resulting in dehydration. Her PCP has ordered a cardiac stress test today to check for a valve problem. I'm concerned that she'll have trouble on the treadmill because of her foot drop, coupled with a frequently unsteady gait. If she is able to complete the test (doubtful), the nerve pain in her leg is going to flare up for a day or two and she'll be in a lot of pain. I'm trying to understand his rationale and what he's looking for with this test. Thank you for your consideration. Michele Smits