Support thread for those awaiting medical appts,tests and surgery

[ohyouBadBadkitten]

It seems that there is probably rather a lot of us who are impatiently waiting to see consultants, have tests or waiting for surgery. So a thread for you to vent in or post your 'hooray's'

me. Am waiting to see my cardiologist. been a bit of a catalogue of delays and getting lost in the system. I have a wonderfully supportive gp who has just calmed me down after me losing the plot a bit when I found I wasnt on the appt system.

How about you?

I am a slow typer today, missed some posts!
Great that you have an appointment date BM. Such a shame your DH or friend can't come. Make a list of questions you need answers to and don't leave until you get them. You know mumsnet ladies will be with you in spirit. Would come in person if I could to be honest.
Hello OYBBK. Glad you are feeling ok today. It will take me a while to get to know everyone on here, sorry.

Dh just brought me a morning cup of tea in bed, and I had to tell him to take it away

I get one every morning, apart from at weekends when he does.

Thinking of you today. Sending you lots of love...

That's like torture isn't it? When I went in on Monday, DH went and bought the paper and they were giving away a big bottle of lovely Buxton water. I was so thirsty at that point. Then when I got to the ward they were doing breakfast and 3 different people managed to ask me if I'd like some!! Good luck. It will all be done soon. Thinking of you as I turn the lovely Phillip Schofield on at 10.30! Daytime tv is pretty boring but he was a childhood crush so that helps!

Ahhh! I loved Gordon the Gopher. Off to do school run.

Home now. The test went better than I had hoped for. I have a PFO with shunting but only when I do a Vasalva manoeuvre. The cardiologist said that I wasn't to cancel my appointment in June, but I think he will not want to take this any further.

When I got to the hospital, the reception staff and porters said hello, because know me now . I was seen late (11.15), so was feeling a little wobbly from hunger and thirst. My letter had said that sedation may be given if needed, so I was worried in case I would not be offered it. Luckily, as soon as the cardiologist set eyes on me, she said that I would be sedated.

First they did a bubble test with a normal echo, and didn't see a lot. Then they numbed the back of my throat with a disgusting spray which made my mouth and lips feel weird, and gave me iv meds to relax my gullet, and calm me a little. I had to bit on a mouth guard thing which kept my mouth open. That made me feel a little vulnerable, a bit like a speculum for the mouth. Putting the probe down was a little unpleasant, and it felt hard and rigid inside me, but not completely dreadful. They had a look around, repeated the bubbles etc. the sedation was pretty light, so I remember it all.

Soft food and no driving for me today. I still haven't eaten yet. I'm hoping dh will make me scrambled eggs.

I think that sounds cautiously positive. Well done - you did it :) Be gentle to yourself for a few days, you'll probably feel a bit emotional and tired.

The cardiologist said that she thought I would be difficult to do, and was pleasantly surprised at how smoothly the test went

I did keep asking her if I really needed the test, and that perhaps a normal echo would suffice. She'd obviously heard it all before , but alas no wriggling out of it. It was Ok in the end

I'm so glad you got through it... sounds grim. Wishing you the most wonderful scrambled eggs

Well done Mad. Sounds like you coped really well. Will be good if you don't have to have anything done but I'm sure after your previous op it would seem relatively minor.
I am less emotional today thank goodness. Bit of a problem with my heart rate racing whenever I do anything like walk around the house. Hope this is normal at this stage and will settle down as it's a bit restrictive! Makes me feel a bit light headed. Think I will try and ring the cardiologist tomorrow or failing that go and see my GP if it persists.
How's everyone else today?

That's weird. This thread disappeared again, I remember Breastmilk saying that it could only be accessed through Threads I'm On last week. Hopefully by posting, it will appear again on the board list. Either that or we have been censored by MNHQ .

Ginger, sorry to hear about your heart rate racing. I'm sure either the cardiologist or your GP will help. The great thing about day surgery is that you get home to your own bed, but the downside is that you need to deal with bumps in recovery on your own. I have no idea if rapid heartbeat is normal after your surgery, but it is very common after mine.

I'm feeling a bit achey tonight in my upper back, not painful though. No sore throat, or probs swallowing. Just a bit battered.

Thread's back, maybe I hid it somehow?

Gingerwine, I think it is sensible to have that reviewed tomorrow, just in case.

Mad, I'm not surprised you feel a bit battered.

Ive been at the worlds longest council meeting tonight - with my item still umpeteen items to go and me feeling very tired and worried about the health impact. I asserted myself and interrupted (politely, but against proceedure ) and said I had to go and 'here was my input'. Result was one rather cross chairman, but one early escapee happy with the result.

Well done mad, I know that can be uncomfortable especially when sedation doesn't work.
I gotta have IV antibiotics :-( I really really won't be happy if there is MRSA in wound or worse got into my blood again causing septacaemia.
I'm really bad at moment :-(

Reeny I'm sorry :( How are the pain levels? Are you back in hospital now?

kitten Argh I know the sort of meeting you describe, and the self-important annoying people who treat their ability to prolong them as a measure of their social status. Admire you for making off...

ginger How are you feeling this morning? If your HR is still up, I'd try and get in touch with the GP... they should slot you in for an urgent appointment.

I'm feeling a bit better this morning, probably because I've been in bed pretty much nonstop since the Monday morning toddler group, and that's not a sustainable solution. Seeing the GP this afternoon to do battle for request an official referral to the fatigue/pain consultant I emailed earlier this week. I know that unless I can prevent myself from panicking and unless I can explain myself clearly, she finds it hard to listen to or to understand what I'm saying.

Oh dear reeny, I'm sorry things are so rough at the moment. At least IV antibiotics should get on top of the infection. How long before you know what the bacteria is. Fingers are crossed here that it will not be something difficult to treat.

Hope you got on ok at your GPs BM and managed to get your points and concerns over to her.

Feeling a bit better today. Have spoken to cardiology nurse who was very reassuring and reminded me that my heart will take a while to get used to having a new bit in it. Advised me to wait til tomorrow and see GP for an ECG if it's still a problem. I don't think it is going up quite so high today and i have been checking it intermittantly, though I have still not been doing a great deal. Slow progress but progress none the less.

How is everyone else today?

I'm glad the nurse was reassuring... and glad that you can stay put for today. I hope your heart rate doesn't keep you awake worrying tonight.

I have the referral to the local consultant. The GP didn't seem to mind me having gone over her head, but was instead grateful that I'd taken the initiative though started asking me all sorts of ominous questions about autoimmune type symptoms

And in another act of initiative/chutzpah/self-entitlement, I found online the contact details for a national centre in fatigue and rang to ask whether they might be able to offer a telephone appointment to discuss a possible self-referral... and the secretary put me straight through to their lead consultant who was on his lunch break [jaw-hits-keyboard]. He was very kind, thoughtful and practical... and whereas limited in what he could offer from so many miles away, he provided me with plenty to consider.

And now, I really do need to think about work, and whether I'm realistically ever going to manage back there.

But enough about me. How's everyone else?

Oh Reeny, I'm so sorry that you have an infection. I know you were waiting ages for the dental op, so for complications to set in is rotten. It sounds like the doctors are on to it though, so fingers crossed that the ab's work.

Ginger, positive vibes that your heart is getting used to its new addition. I'm glad today is better than yesterday. I'm sure your children will be testing out your fitness now before long.

BM, I hope you get a referral reasonably quickly to the new consultant. It's a real shame that you have not got back to work yet, it would be great to get your life back on track.

I'm great today. I slept brilliantly last night (sedatives still in system?), and this morning all the aches from yesterday had gone.

Glad that you slept so well and are out of pain. I don't know what it is, but sedatives seem to linger inside me, as well.

I did ask the secretary how long I'd be waiting for this appointment, and was told 'around a few weeks or so', which from past experience means somewhere in the region of between three weeks and five months. But given that I've been feeling so ill for so long, well... I think I'll manage the wait for once.

Hi ladies. Today's excitement is feeling light headed whenever I do anything. Took it upon myself to start checking my BP and found it to be 110/70 at rest and down to 90/60 when I do anything. Pulse is variable, but not going as high as Wednesday when my friend was about to pack me off to the cardiologist. This does explain why I feel light headed at least. So off to GP who did ECG which was fine. He has put a call in to cardiologist but we are assuming this is just my way of dealing with everything. Wound is fine so not bleeding or anything.Waiting for GP to call be back at some point today. Well at least we're all good at waiting! Have gone back home to sit on sofa and watch DVD of the lovely Take That to see if that might get my BP up! Was really hoping to go with some friends for a very quiet meal this evening. So hope I feel ok later. Think my DH might make my friends sign some sort of contract to look after me at this rate though.
How is everyone else?

Hi Everyone. I have posted before a while ago I was waiting for test results. They came back with more tests required. I went back to see the consultant yesterday who wants to now go into my bowel and see whats going on. I now have 2 weeks to wait. I have a pain in my groin which goes up into my side which is there all the time now in addition to my other symptoms.

I can't concentrate on anything even though I am trying to carry on as normal.

The consultant asked me what I was worried about. I told him I am scared that I have cancer and he said I will get the results on that day and then we will know either way.

It makes me look at my life and see all the things I would like to change - how off track I seem to have wandered.

slippers I'm so sorry you need more tests, and another two weeks of waiting. I think anyone in your position would be unable to concentrate.

But I like the way you're using this to re-evaluate your life. That's so positive of you.

ginger Sounds as though your GP is really on the ball, and it's great they can do an ECG in the surgery without having to send you to A&E... in my experiences, cardiologists can only be contacted immediately if it's an imminently life-threatening emergency!

In terms of the meal out tonight... honestly, it's all such early days. Couldn't they come to yours for a takeaway instead?

Oh slippers, sorry it's more waiting. It's the worst part. At least your consultant knows your concerns and will be able to tell you then.

No decisions on meal later yet. It is very local and I would only pop along for maximum two hours. DH is very strict and insisting on three decent BP readings before he will let me go. Don't worry I really won't go if I don't feel up to it and will be coming home super early to be tucked up in bed. Thank you though BM.

Three decent BP readings... eeeek, that is strict! I just read that to The One Who Used To Try To Convince Every Possible Doctor That His Wife Was Just A Bit Stressy And Had Nothing Wrong thank goodness the usually similarly laid back hippy midwife told him to shut up and called an ambulance But he nevertheless shares the dream of yours that all my friends will rota togethger and sign some sort of care contract, though I prefer friendship to be based on a bit more informality and spontaneity and such things. I imagine it must be so, so hard for partners seeing us ill and undergoing such risky surgery... and I think that, behind many such seemingly extreme or slightly control-freaking responses exists a great deal of love and concern. However badly I may be handling all of this, I'm still glad that it's me rather than DH or the DCs going through it.

I do hope, though, that you make it out...