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?

HI

I have not been online for a few days as I actually felt "normal" and I decided to spend the time with DD and DP.

Reeny My DD is 3 years now and for the past 2 years she has been helping me. DD can give me a drink and when I am too ill to move she will hold the straw for me to drink, she will lift food to my mouth, aswell as help me put socks on. DD decided to help one day as I was trying to get a drink but couldn't quite reach, I shouted for DP but he was on the toilet, So DD comes toddling over and said "you need drink mummy" I said "I'm ok I'll wait, you watch TV" DD then picked the cup up and held it for me. Then drank the rest then put the cup back on the floor, ever since then she has helped me, I try not to ask her but sometimes I need to ask her to pass the cup, socks etc. I found DD went at her own pace to help me. Some days she is not insterested and I don't push her as I don't want DD to care for me, I want her to have a life.

I am going back into hospital when a bed is free as my vision is deteriating and the Lumber Puncture has not lasted, so its time for more surgery :( I don't know what the plan is just the duty surgeon said I should get a phone call either tomorrow or monday :( . The pain is getting bad now I am back on my morphine every 3-4 hours. But its not lasting that long.

I am so scared of this surgery as I never coped well with the last surgery, I had a seizure whilst under and they struggled to bring me back round. What happens if I don't come back round? what will happen with my DD then?

Pleased you made the Garden Centre Kitten

Hope everyone else has had a good few days.

Oh BackPack

Sending all my love and most fervent prayers.

If I wasn't immobilised by the surgery, I would offer to come and be there with you.

Your DD sounds such a delight...

Just a quick update.

The duty surgeon phoned up a few mins ago snd there is a bed on the neuro ward. They will keep it for me to go in tomorrow before lunch. I have to be nill by mouth from now.

I am so dreading it, I was hoping they would forget about me and emrgencies kept going in.

I really hope there is no surgery tomorrow as its a Sunday. What about my Sunday Lunch? I am so scared I don't want no more surgery. Its even worse as I am going on the neuro ward and not the neuro surgery ward. LAst time I was on a neuro ward everything went wrong, I can't go through that again, yes it was another hospital but its still simalar. I don't get alog with my neuro so why do I need to be on HIS ward, I want to be with my surgeon his nurses are better and they know all about me.

I keep having panic attacks and I can't cope I want to dissapear. I hate this. Why did I have to answer the phone :( I want my mum to cuddle me and tell me its all ok but thats never going to happen :( .

Sorry to bring the thread down, Im just so depressed and scared and have no-one to talk to. I hate how my mum died as she would have been able to speak to me on the phone. I need her.

emergencies I mean

I'm so sorry I slept through your messages.

What had you planned for Sunday lunch? If it was already cooked, could you put it in the freezer for when you get home? Or could your DP bring it to you when you're through the anaesthetic?

Please, keep posting...

You are in all of our thoughts and prayers Backpack.

I really hope that today's surgery brings some relief to your symptoms. I know you are so scared, I would be terrified too, and you have been through more than I can imagine. Sunday lunch doesn't have to be on a Sunday. There's nothing more indulgent than a midweek roast, so that can be something to look forward to when you recover.

I'm sure the nurses on the neurology ward will be lovely, but agree that I would prefer to be on a surgical ward if I had just had an operation. I hope you are back home as soon as is safe, and tucking into your much deserved roast. We won't talk about hospital food.

Def in my thoughts and prayers too backpack. I know it's scary, but you are choosing for them to sort you out and while the circumstances are black, the positive choice you are making isn't.

How's everyone else? I've been a bit less down today, and began to wonder whether I might actually be feeling better than before the surgery. Having to remind myself not to try and move my arm...

I think it's possible that backpack isn't going to be in a fit state to post for a bit.

BM - that is great :) just remember to pace your self.

Another lovely day today with dh being a willing slave helper. I've been generally doing the sitting down stuff. Garden is looking much nicer.

Yes, I do realise that... just thinking of her and wishing her well.

I've utterly crashed again. Tried to be on my own with the DCs whilst DH was just outside hanging the laundry... without being able to pick them up, I just wasn't able to manage, and couldn't cope with how awful I'm feeling about it... I was always such a 'hands on' type mum - I co-slept every single night, always used slings rather than prams, cuddled at every opportunity. And now they're both just going to DH and all the kind people here with us instead. I know it's only for six weeks, but it's six weeks every five years :(

I know that I'm being a whiny princess letting it get me down when so many of our dear comrades on this thread are going through such worse and so many of our forebearers haven't made it through. But I'm nevertheless getting such dark and scary thoughts.

I think a bit of nature might do me good, too. Might try and get out for a coffee tomorrow somewhere with some fresh air.

It's tomorrow you've got the 24 hour monitor, isn't it? How are you feeling about that?

One suggestion I'd make is that you have a good bath/shower/hairwash beforehand, as you won't be able to whilst it's on. But you will be fine... you will.

A coffee out will be great if you are up to it BM. Make the most of the weather this week, the next week is rather glum making. Remember that in 5 or 10 years time things may have changed in how to treat you. I know those 6 weeks must seem like forever.

I'm fine about the monitor. Had one a couple of years ago. Need to remember to wear a blouse that does up quite a long way and to wear a belt. The worst bit was sleeping and trying to get those sticky pads off after.

Another appointment through today . I see the EP for flutter on 16 April. I can pounce on him for my echo results if my GP has not been given them by then.

I do feel really well, so hoping my heart has come out of flutter on its own, because I don't like the sound of cardioversion or ablation at all.

I hope everyone else is enjoying the lovely weather, typical that it is due to change once the children break up for the holidays.

I've been out in the sun. It's lovely, but bittersweet... most of the happier days of my life were spent in places where such temperatures were an everyday occurence, and yes, the happy memories are a double-edged sword.

kitten how are you getting on with the monitor? Have you been out in the sun?

mad great about the EP... finally! Obviously I don't have sufficient medical knowledge to say this, but I would guess that you would very much be likely to tell whether your heart was coming out of flutter.

I've been in pain, increasing pain... and despite my fears, did ring the GP and did make an appointment for tomorrow. I know that it's mad, but the prospect of walking into the GP surgery yet again feels absolutely intolerable and I've run out of valium. Hand-holding would be good.

Yay! :) am glad you feel well Mad, that is brilliant. Not too too long to wait - the other side of the Easter hols.

Southern half of the uk doesn't look so hideous now in the holidays after we get through the weekend blip. Funny, gfs model keeps doing this past year - showing horrible weather a week to ten days in the future then backing away from modelling that scenario.

Gently sitting in the garden, weeding this am. It does show that even if you really really take your time these things can be done. (used to zooming around at a million miles an hour, so this is quite a good lesson for me)

Oh, good to know the weather may be nice for the holidays. We're off to Centreparcs for a midweek break for the first week of the holidays. It will a good test of how fit I actually am. I'm really looking forward to sedately cycling around, not so looking forward to the pool which gets packed. I think AF will strike that week, which is a bit of a downer, but could get me out of swimming.

BM It is a really good idea to see your GP tomorrow. I know you are quite phobic about medical things, but GPs are a lot less daunting than hospitals, so it's a good first step. It would be a big tick in the box if you can go to a doctor's surgery. Hopefully they will provide meds for pain and anxiety, check your incision and then off you can go with a spring in your step. You will be fine

Thanks. Trying to put it out of my mind for today, anyway...

Sorry BM, didn't see your post when I did mine. So far monitor is fine - just got home. Getting to and from the car to the clinical investigations dept was a bit of a marathon, but it gave me something to write down in the diary. Well done for making that appt. now you know you have to go don't you, else we will all be cross and we will know.... Seriously, good job for booking it, that is a good first step.

Probably good that you found getting to the car so hard... may aid diagnosis. Is there anything else you could do really to push yourself (with your DH or a friend present) so that the monitor either picks up a 'worst case scenario' type episode or (preferably and hopefully) provides some reassurance?

Just seen the vicar. I was slightly dreading the funereal type implications of an official sick visit, but she is fantastic woman and we had a lovely chat.

I could do some digging

I am an utter fool. It really meant it on the patient leaflet when it said to stay out of sun. Most of me did due to combo of cardi/sunblock, but I didn't do my hands while I was weeding and I have a really itchy lumpy rash coming up on my hands.

Glad the vicars visit was good :) it also means that she is doing a good proper job!

Oh dear. I hope the rash subsides. I'm not good with trusting the patient info leaflets either...

On the bright side, if I'd taken off my cardigan when I got hot could have been rather worse! How are you doing now?

Am coping, I think. For now, anyway. Will try to get myself calmly off to sleep before I have time for another mood swing...

Ah you have a lovely tuneful voice. No nightmares, thank God.

I seem to be OK about seeing the GP, too.

How's everyone else doing?