Wow this heart stuff is such a roller coaster,how are we supposed to stay calm ?
I have been waiting for an angiogramme wire pressure test for 10 weeks so far after being told it was urgent but will take 6 to 8 weeks for the appointment to come through in the meantime I was to start on all the usual meds to help with the CAD diagnosis as I have been having up and down days physicalit and mentality I rang the hospital again to ask how my appointment slot was coming along ...i have just been told the appointments are closed for 3 months ...i know thats not the end of the world but everything is on hold, I have been signed off work because it was too much and tge angina has become unstable when i was signed of i was given another lot of pills a slow release gtn tablet which I haven't taken as yet because it feels too drastic ,I am coping with the side effects of all the other pills and using the gym spray if I need it (but that headache!! ) I can't book a holiday or anything until I get a proper diagnosis I know I sound like I'm sulking but hubbie and I both suffer from depression and booking somewhere away each year gives us something to aim for and look forward to all we have now is waiting
I am feeling very frustrated 🙃
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Mrsbeevintage
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My husband had an angiogram in September was told no stents he needed triple heart bypass. Finally saw his surgeon in November and now it seems a waiting game (papworth).
Think the waiting is worse than the diagnosis. He is 56 and always worked but been signed of since the angiogram.
Yeah the waiting is the worse ..i was trying to keep up with work but the commute and busy job made me unreliable ..nit sure how they are going to feel about it taking so long .but not a lot I can do ..hope your husband gets seen soon .my dad had a triple bypass 40 years ago at 54 and lived till he was 86 ..so worth the wait xx
If your symptoms get any worse then please go back to your doctor. I would have thought that with your history of depression your GP may be able to get things speeded up for you.
The waiting can be very very frustrating. Just want to pick up on your meds. If you are taking GTN spray regularly, I think you probably should start your GTN slow release tablets (I'm guessing they are Isosorbide). It might help you a bit.
On the holiday front, I think its important to have something to look forward to that isn't another medical appointment. You would find getting insurance at the moment is hard to near impossible - insurance companies hate 'under investigation' clients - so that might make overseas an issue, but you can book hotels etc. in the UK and cancel them if you need to without losing money. It might just be an option while you wait for the next medical appointment.
Thanks Steve that's all good advice . I'm not taking the spray that often which is why I'm unsure about the pills ,I was given them by a doctor I don't know so I'm going to go back and see my own doctor to have a chat with her about them . As for the holiday ,yes maybe we will book somewhere here at home but it's not the same.
Best of luck. I was started on isosorbide mononitrate in Ocober & it has improved my angina a lot. I'm still trying to get travel insurance but most companies ive tried won't give me any cover for my hypertropic cardiomyopathy or mitral valve regurgitation. For the angina some will cover it at a high price. But none will cover if you are waiting for investigations. So UK will be safer for a holiday this year for us both....though i'd already booked a fortnight abroad before my current insurance company told me they wouldn't cover me in future!
Thanks for your reply , I think that's the hardest bit is knowing hubbie is still looking for holidays abroad and I won't be able to get insurance or actually want to go abroad until I know where I am
It's really safest for you to stay in UK. Could hubby go abroad with a friend? When I had an unstable angina attack before diagnosis I was taken to hospital & admitted to be stabilised & waited for angiogram 1 week as inpatient. Otherwise cardiology secretaries might get you a cancellation if you ask. Best of luck. I'm in beautiful Yorkshire....but it's icy cold up here!
How frustrating. I hope your wait will soon be over.
In the meantime I second the advice re the slow release tablets (I am assuming Isosorbide Mononitrate).
In my experience they reduced my Angina attacks to a minimal level and I haven't used a GTN spray since I had them. You will probably get a headache for the first few weeks of taking them but that should soon pass.
Isosorbide slow release work pretty well for me I don't use the GTN spray so much since starting on the Meds. I started on 20mg then 40 up to 60mg once daily. It took about 2 weeks to get over the Headache and I think it was worth it for feeling so much better.
I know it is self evident but when your feeling better the depression starts to disappear so please consider the meds on offer, you won't know how good they can be without trying.
The waiting is something we all go through, but try your consultants secretary and if you can, say you would be available for a cancellation sometimes helps you along the list !!
Go back to your GP and ask them to see if they can hurry it along, keep pestering the hospital and explain the wait is making everything worse... those that shout loudest tend to be heard
Oh my goodness, I can imagine how you are feeling. My story seems to be running parallel to yours. Hopefully they will do the wire test sooner rather than later. If your Angina is unstable then maybe you should visit a&e....it may prompt them to do the test there and then x
On the hospital website it should have a complaints section, look for the patient advice and liaison officer, normally you can complain as simple as an sending an email to contact them, or you can search on the nhs trust website for name of the chief executive, and write a letter to the person, best to actually use thier name.
They have to act on this complaint and it worked for me.
I struggle with complaining in this instance as I know they are overloaded and doing their best ...and I suppose I am not a priority whilst the medication is keeping me going , but I will go to a and e if the needs must
As you are worried I would advise to email the team with your concern
A month ago I visited a&e after passing out and spent 6 hours, but in the end got referred to my GP. Who amended my beta blockers.
I have a brilliant gp practise and I hope yours are too. So get an appointment and discuss your worries.
me too I have passed out twice post pacemaker and am struggling to get an app anywhere I spend x7 hours at a&e lately who told me it was a bank holiday so noone was testing and sent me away
I would encourage you to take your tablets. I am taking a similar medication for angina and I usually suffer side effects from any medication. Not with this med. In fact this medication really eased my anxiety as I am no long "waiting" for angina pain.
Thank for the advice ...think I'm going to start with half a tablet and see how it goes .
One extra point, you can simply email the PALS team, and advise them you are concerned, it need not be a complaint, but it will highlight the issue to them and they will do something, in all my communication the medics would rather we advise them of our concerns, rather than suffer in silence. I have worked as IT consultant alongside an ambulance service for about a year and all the paramedics in my talks always say it is their job and they would rather help patients and allay any concerns that they have,
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