Well guys I made it to Normandy

[Rob6868]

To all the people that replied to my earlier post about my chest pain.I made it to Normandy Albeit still with the daily chest pain..But fighting through it with pain relief and my Meds so I can to a degree enjoy the few days.Just left Omaha and cemetery Sadly the tide was in so no walking on the beach. Maybe next time😊

[Zena166]

Pleased that you managed to make such a poignant trip Rob. Take care. Zena

[Rob6868]

In Daily pain .but there are good hospitals out here mate..Hopefully I won't need one😅😅

[Prada47]

Well Done Rob, so we can stand down now, Not needed for the Ferry trip. Again Well Done to overcome your worry.

[Rob6868 in reply to Prada47]

oh don't worry I'm in pain as I message you but fighting through to enjoy this trip! But just like the good old British weather is windy and rainy but hey ho!!

[Rosei in reply to Rob6868]

That is a journey I should do, although mine would be to Ypres, where my two Grandfathers lie. Well done for making the trip despite being unwell.

[Chappychap]

Well done, and have a safe trip home!

[Milkfairy Heart Star]

Rob fantastic!

[Rob6868 in reply to Milkfairy]

Sadly after a very bad attack I have once again been taken to a french hospital.

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Rob6868]

Oh Rob 😖😤😭

[Zena166 in reply to Rob6868]

So so sorry to hear this Rob. Awful for you after having the courage to go. You should be in good hands as The French system is usually quite good and efficient. Hopefully they will get your pain under control. Take care Rob and keep us posted. Zena

[Rob6868 in reply to Zena166]

I've been having long long bouts of chest pain and into shoulder back and arm on off all day lasting 30mins at a time.Im wiped out and held on taking pain relief but once it started getting through pain relief I had had enough. The cold wind on the beach has wiped me out.Im absolutely gutted..But I can't keep taking risks with my health and I've been putting on a brave face through gritted teeth alday feeling very vulnerable. Had enough

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Rob6868]

Cold wind, mental and emotional stress....a full hat trick of stressors!

I hope you feel at ease soon.

[Rob6868 in reply to Milkfairy]

Feel like I have been kicked by a horse so hard....I've been holding on all day hoping it would go Milkfairy but I'm completely wiped out and was gritting my teeth in the cold not wanting to let anyone down on the trip

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Rob6868]

Rob you have absolutely done the right thing. It is important to look after yourself.

I have learnt the hard way not to resist my pain. I once spent 16 days yes 16 days in hospital because it took that long to stablise my vasospasms. I refused to go into hospital...it wasn't pretty.

[Rob6868 in reply to Milkfairy]

I sat on the side of the road while the coach organizers tried to talk to french hospital. Thank God and American who was in another coach and spoke brilliant French range hospital and explained everything. Turns out he is also a cardiac patient with 5stents to he's name..Maybe there is a guardian angel after all? I'm having the usual chest x ray now and troponin tests then wait for 2hours..Still having some dull aches even after spray

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Rob6868]

Yes sometimes we do have Guardian angels...

Take care, you are in the best place.

Not quite the ending you had hoped however you did it....it takes courage to live with this condition.

Courage is not the absence of fear but the acquired ability to move beyond the fear.

You are stronger and more courageous than you realise.

[Rob6868 in reply to Milkfairy]

You are not goingto believe what has now happened. doctor here in French hospital has told me I'm staying in because he wants me to see there cardiologist tomorrow. I said why? I need to get back to hotel and you have just said my troponin levels are negative. Answer! because your stent could be blocked or another blockage? I explained I've had a stent in UK in may last year and echo and arteries flowing well so I believe it's MVA or CAS he agrees it maybe..excuse my French Fking hell. so I then I say why are you keeping me in? so we can do a stress test and if you fail stress test we will do angiogram...No no I said I've had a stress test I failed so I don't need another..While this is all going on my cardiologist messages me to say he wants to see me this Monday to see what's going on...because earlier yesterday Milkfairy I complained to PALS and they have obviously jumped on it very quick..so I then ring my cardiologist an hour ago to explain I'm in France in a hospital because I've had another bad turn..What he says! What are you doing in France? normandy. So I go on to explain what the French doctors want to do.I explain my ongoing chest pain to my UK cardiologist and my troponin levels were negative...oh he's says well it's not possible to have chest pain all day and negative troponin levels if it's cardiac..so it's not cardiac he says to me..Yes yes I know I shout back at him...it's probably MVA OR CAS OR UNSTABLE ANGINA..he's reply well if it's not cardiac you have nothing to worry shout? But if you feel it's MVA then there's nothing we can do about MVA? so that's where the conversation ended until tomorrow when I eventually see a french cardiologist and then hopefully at some point get back to my hotel to go home Sunday morning to then see my cardiologist Monday to go over the whole thing again...

Now try sorting through that Milkfairy...I wish I had never come out here now..I've got my little girl asking where daddy is and no one will still listen to my calls for MVA OR CA HELP!!!

[Rob6868 in reply to Milkfairy]

And to add insult to injury my cardiologist has put me down for another angiogram when I return home.When I asked him about my chest he's response was if I was having a coronary spasm or angina attack it would show on ecg at that moment....

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Rob6868]

A group hug, sign, and almighty tut required.😖🙄😶

We need resilience and courage!

Good news is that your troponin levels are not raised.

The Cardiologists unfortunately cannot see beyond the blockages and they are way out of their comfort zone in fairy land with the unicorns when they have to start considering how blood vessels should function.

All care is offered and you can say thank you for your suggestion but no thank you...

Get yourself home. Have they given you anything for your pain? Sometimes a strong pain killer can knock you out of a cycle of pain as well as GTN.

Your local Cardiologist is definitely out of his usual sphere of knowledge. Unfortunately so few Cardiologists have any understanding of Vasospastic or Microvascular angina.

Perhaps send him a copy of these articles and tell him to give the author a call.

mdedge.com/chestphysician/a...

heart.bmj.com/content/104/4...

I hope you get home soon.

[Rob6868 in reply to Milkfairy]

Well I've now spoken to my cardiologist again and have had a fairly heated exchange over the phone here in France about what I believe I'm struggling with. He now wants to do an urgent angiogram to take another look at my arteries and my stent from last may and if all is clear then he is willing to discuss MVA OR CAS AND ANY OTHER ANGINA SO TO SPEAK! apparently he wants to go through my left arm this time because my right wrist presented him with lots of problems. He's also explained that he has many patients with MVA Milkfairy and he has often referred them to specialists in London etc only for them to return in a worst state after they have had treatment etc.And as he has also said like you Milkfairy that MVA is notoriously hard to detect..treat and is very difficult to live with...at least he acknowledged that! He will then discuss if I need to be sent to a specialist and will happily contact whoever is want including prof Colin Berry if need be..My cardiologist does know who he is but is not convinced that there is much help out there for people with MVA CAS..so that's where it ends Milkfairy. I'm leaving hotel early tomorrow so will take pain killers for 4hour journey to calais on coach then I will pray to get to UK and home asap..It started off as a good idea coming out here but has sadly turned into a nitemare He said he actually has patients who have crystal clear arteries but still have MVA...so your right😊

[Milkfairy Heart Star in reply to Rob6868]

Sent you a PM which I wrote before I read this!

[Shoshov]

Well done robb. Safe journey home ❤️

[Rob6868 in reply to Shoshov]

I'm hoping to make it without more problems on way back to calais in the morning. I'm going to take pain killers all the way mate

[VelvetSky]

So sorry, you tried so hard. Hope it turns out OK.

[Rob6868 in reply to VelvetSky]

Thank you Velvet sky...great name by the way..my daughter is a Sky.

Hoping for a trouble free journey and quick run across channel then home and back to cardiologist on Monday

[Orangepeel60]

Well done Rob. Went there with my Dad and I could see him reliving the whole experience.

Very moving.

Happy you made it

[Rob6868 in reply to Orangepeel60]

Same here..but shame I've had to end the tour because I ended up in hospital

[Orangepeel60 in reply to Rob6868]

Sorry to hear that Rob it gets so frustrating when no one seems to listen to you.

Hope you get home safe and get some satisfaction

[Healthyheart1]

Really sorry, just been reading all the posts, get back to England safe. Oh and if they have a Clubcard, will you get me one lol!! Keep safe

[Rob6868]

I'm actually waiting to Go There not happy but I need to get back to UK to see my cardiologist on Monday I'm booked for another angiogram

[Prada47]

Hi Rob

CWGC do outstanding work both 1st and 2nd WWs Cemeteries. I go to Arras for 1st WW one Uncle and one Great Uncle resting there.

Hope your coming along OK

[Rob6868]

Just waiting for tomorrow morning now mate . coach 4hours then ferry for hour and half to dry land and coach home hopefully. Loadsa painkillers on way and another angiogram waiting for me very soon..

[Rob6868]

The way I'm going I think I will be collecting plenty of points 😂

[Rob6868]

Hi concerned

unfortunately it hasnt gone completely..on off again all day..hoping for a peaceful night and quick journey home tomorrow morning

[Gowers]

Like everyone else who has followed your journey - hope you get home safe & that in the meanwhile the painkillers are helping. At least you know that all the necessary tests will be carried out and within a day or so you will hopefully have answers, medication to help and be on the road to better health.

[Rob6868 in reply to Gowers]

Thank you