Feeling very low

[honey1958]

Hello all

You may remember I was due for repeat ablation under general anaesthetic on 13th after the previous procedure had to be aborted.

Well had procedure everything went OK. You do have to lie flat afterwards and I needed the loo so bedpan was produced. Very hard to wee lying down in bed! I have IBS and not only urine came out. Absolutely mortified and when I buzzed it was a male HCA. Just wanted the ground to open up and swallow me.

Anyway got home next day lunchtime and in the afternoon developed strange chest pain I've not had before going into shoulders. Hoped it would settle but was then advised to go to A&E. Start of a nightmare. Arrived 6.30pm bloods taken and showed possible heart attack and told I needed admitting. I was then left sitting in a chair all night along with a poor man who had a suspected stroke. I did explain to them I had an ablation and needed to rest but not even a trolley available. One lady gave up at 7am and got a taxi home. I told them I was doing the same but was scared into not doing this as they said I could die. I finally got a bed at 4.30pm.

Sunday morning I saw an awful consultant who spoke to me like I was a 3 year old with learning difficulties. I had to wait 3 days for an angiogram and reading up on this about catheters into the heart went into mad panic mode thinking it would be like my awfully painful aborted ablation

Went for angiogram and another lovely consultant said to me beforehand that he didn't think the bloods indicated a heart attack. Angiogram went fine and showed clear arteries and no heart attack and I was discharged.

All the nurses HCAs and doctors could not have been kinder or more caring with the one exception. I am just so upset about all of it. I know the NHS is stretched but my A&E experience was awful and made me feel I was in a third world country

Sorry for long post

[lwm1198]

The same thing happened to me two days after ablation - pericarditis! Hurt to breathe and called the office - got an Rx that brought it under control in another day or two. They said it was not uncommon and used to routinely send patients home with the medicine - think it was colchicine, but not sure! Felt like a elephant was sitting on me...

[DawnTX in reply to lwm1198]

I have gotten pericarditis after each procedure. I usually say a car on my chest but an elephant was probably in the car. Yes I was on that same medication. Lol the pharmacist questioned what I was taking it for. It’s his job to make sure you get the right stuff and the right dose. He even looked it up to discover that it is now and off the grid treatment for pericarditis but initially that medication was and is used for gout. The only relief I got from my pain was when I was on it. Two days after stopping I was back in tachycardia feeling so sick and in pain.

this just shows that that they are working on this every day trying to get us better

[DawnTX]

I am so sorry about all of that and it must’ve been terrifying knowing it could be a heart attack. I have had a similar experience only with my previous doctor/surgeon since the end of April with the procedure he performed which actually he is the pioneer of. I don’t know if part of it is his ego because it failed or what went on all I know is he abandoned me and until I found a new doctor and met with him just last week since the end of April I have been suffering. Like you I found the staff was wonderful but I just do not understand the lack of professionalism with some people. Whatever happened to do no harm as their oath. Now doctors do not like to talk against one another but various people including my new doctor showed on their face what they thought about what had happened especially the fact of running around ha ha I wish I could run, with a 158 heart rate since the end of April. I commend you for staying but you really didn’t have a choice and I should not avoid it like I did to find a new doctor. It’s so hard to believe when people are so ill that they are treated in that way. Both a stroke and heart attack are urgent as we know and the fact that neither of you died as a result of their lack of caring was just luck on their part. I had told my cousin if I die he should go and sue them for wrongful death. I was unable to speak with my doctor the only one I had was a medical secretary who blocked the way to my doctor and even the nurse.

I pray you are feeling better now and things are on the way to success