Having waited for the results of an echo cardiogram (which I was told would take 3 weeks and took 6 and only then after a lot of phone calls to the cardiologists receptionist who apparently has a 'backlog to type' ) the letter has finaly arrived and it says ''I am pleased to say her echo cardiogram showed no significant abnormalities, keep taking the beta blockers'' .If her symptoms are reasonably stable she probably doesn't need an early review but if she runs into problems please let my know'' ....and that is it.
That is great news but so little detail , does it mean there is no enlargement of the left atrium after many years of un diagnosed P-AF. I presume with a chads score of '3' I still need to keep taking an anticoagulant as well as beta blockers.
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doodle68
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Oh yesssss.....as Churchill the dog would say!! Ask if they could send you a copy of the printout, as you may be able to get it "translated" by someone who understands these things. In the meantime, take comfort from what you have been told. It's unlikely that an echo would prompt any change in medication as it does not alter your condition, but it does determine the condition of the heart, so sounds good news to me......John
Hi I was sent a copy of my report but no explanatory covering letter so I had to use the blog from Yorkcardiology to ascertain that all was 'normal!
Hi Doodle. Same as me. Echo and 48 hour tape results by letter and told to contact my GP re meds. My sometimes uncaring son who lectures in pediacritics told me that P AFib can be managed by your GP doesn't mean we don't have the same Questions and anxieties though and if you don't have a good GP !!!
Same as me again. So I've made a private appointment to see an EP. Again my son said " you don't need to see one your fit and well , there's a lot worse than you out there " hence I don't get my advice off him I have this great forum and it's lovely people to support me because until I get used to this beast I am floundering. Ps . My son is lovEly. Just got his medics hat on. 😅
How they all differ Beehive. There's no wonder wee feel confused at times. 😈 if it hadn't been for this forum i wouldn't even have known there was such a thing as an EP. Let alone see one.
Hi Stivvy the medics do differ greatly in their attitude and there seems to be a lack of consistency with how Afibbers are treated and how seriously the condition is dealt with depending to some extent on where you live.
Sad but true. Post code lottery affects so many people with health issues. Looks like I got the short straw. But as a plus North Yorkshire is beautiful .
Doodle. Carnt believe that. I'm sat in the garden now. Surrounded by fields and SHEEP how strange ! I'll have to go and get a consultation at the vets in THIRSK. They seem to know what they are doing if The Yorkshire Vet on the telephone is anything to go by 😅😁😂😀
I have recently had a echo ordered by my GP (last one done in 2014 when admitted to hospital for 14 days. I have asked her to refer me to an EP at Papworth which she is agreeing to but it will be privately as I canno get a referral through cardio or gp on NHS. At least I will save on the echo fees when I go privately. I was told that results would take 1 week, that is uo tomorrow so will see if they have received them. I did ask when I had the eco done if I could have a copy but was told that they did not provide only to cardio or GP that ordered them. But was told that I could get a copy from my GP (may cost). I beleive that the Echo people were not NHS one of those companies they farm out to now.
I have been down this path for ages. In that hospital.
I was able to pay then because my father had suddenly died very young and had left me some money.( Now all gone)
I embarked on it also because I felt that at least that way I would see the same specialist. Continuity means a lot , it should build up a trust between us and them.
But.......
I have spent a huge amount and , quite honestly I am now totally disenchanted with that system. Paying does not guarantee efficiency nor better treatment.
When ,last December I had a really pointless appointment, I asked for a complementary follow up. Many letters later from me and my son ,who worked for The heart foundation, I got no where and was charged for something I never had done. They also said I had seen a different doctor there. Not efficient!
It has not always been like this.. I had mitral valve repair there in 2000. I was terrified but they pulled me through with enormous kindness.
When I recently challenged the hospital's private manager decisions , I got nowhere.. I was told ,in a letter , that the problems of the NHS were adversely affecting the private sector.
Yesterday ,I was seen in our local hospital in Cambridge and was treated with kindness, efficiency and a sense of caring humour ! The whole department instilled confidence. I was seen immediately, I saw the specialist , had more tests and was listened to! As a result I am so much happier and confident,I have been referred to another department .Two departments working together to see what is causing my problem.
And, I did not part with £300 as I walked in the door.
Thanks for your input Cassie and Lulu after been referred to a consultant last autumn after years of what I now know is P-AF and having had to wait 6 months for an appointment to the clinic to get a diagnosis and be prescribed medication (I saw an arrhythmia nurse at the clinic ) when all the time the episodes were increasing in frequency and length to 8 hourly periods of misery, I was interested to see if there had been any enlargement to the left atrium. I understand if this is the case it is to some extent reversible by keeping AF /heart rate under control and and adopting lifestyle changes all of which I am now doing to the best of my ability.
It is after all my body and the more I know about the effect AF is having on it the better I should be able to deal with it.
I have been debating what I should do and now find that one member of my GPs surgery team (you can look up their details online on the NHS Choice website) lists Cardiology as his speciality . I usually see a trainee GP who doesn't seem to have a lot of experience in AF and just looks up the NICE guidelines so I think it might be helpful to go and see this GP for a general chat about my condition/medication and anything I can do to slow down its progression.
I have to wait 3 weeks to do this but think it might be worth it .
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I asked for a copy some weeks ago and was told that wasn't possible. 
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