Anyone else noticed that the membership has just tripped over 12,000 (actually 12.001) today?
Was there a prize for the 12,000 member?
Membership: Anyone else noticed that... - British Heart Fou...
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SpiritoftheFloyd
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MichaelJHHeart Star
Yes, I noticed it about 90 minutes ago and was going to post but you beat me to it. It's three months since we hit 10,000 so membership is growing at quite a rate...
I can't decide if this increase is a good or a bad thing!
It's good if more people are becoming aware of this very useful resource (incidentally, I mentioned this site to my HF nurse the other week and she wasn't aware of it at that point).
Or it's bad if it means there is an exponential increase in cardiovascular problems, even though we know the problem is already widespread
Most likely the latter, in no small part due to the western diet.
I think it's probably more a case of awareness & diagnosis is so much more in vogue these days & people are becoming more aware.
Yes I agree that people are becoming much more aware and actively look for answers to their medical issues. The days of accepting what the doctor says without question have probably long gone. Although there are quite a few about who are oblivious to what's wrong with them.
I went to an ICD education session a month ago and there was a bloke there who had an ICD fitted and piped up with the comment "I've no idea why I've got one!"
Oh my, how can he not know why he's got it? When it was first mentioned to Kevin that an ICD would be beneficial, his cardiologist explained exactly what it was, what it would do, the pitfalls, the downside, infections, driving, etc, he even went through end of life choices. Kevin was given the choice, as I'm sure everyone is, as to whether to have it fitted or not. We then massively researched it & thought it was probably a good idea to have one!!! We used to attend an ICD support group at Papworth every 3/6 months, is the education session a similar thing?
Oh my how can a Cardiologist ethically carry out a procedure without ensuring their patients has given an informed consent?
So much for shared decision making?
Exactly, although I have heard of people being given an ICD after cardiac arrest whilst on operating tables. Presumably next of kin would have given the OK in that instance & you would hope everything was fully explained to family at that time & patient once they'd recovered.
I have no idea, but the bloke was insistent that he had no idea why he had one fitted!
Agree - I had it explained that I needed one- I asked if I could have a proper talk to someone and was invited back to talk to the consultant that will be doing it, had it all explained, asked a load of questions and agreed to it. Went home and researched it all - will be going back on Monday 19th to have it fitted by the consultant I spoke to. Really surprised when he came out with that comment, but he was adamant that he didn't know why he had one!
The education session is something the cardio rehab team have put together to explain ICDs - very helpful and interesting, as was the examples of ICDs down the ages - one of the earlier models was massive, god knows how they ever managed to fit something that size in a chest
When we went to the support group we had a rep from medtronic come for a chat & show us ICD's & pacemakers over the years, and yes they were massive originally. Do you know which one you're having?
No not yet, but I'm off to Liverpool Heart and Chest hospital tomorrow to the Specialist Nurse Clinic to attend a pre-admission meeting - all I know is it will be a dual lead ICD, it will be one of my questions for them - they'll probably be expecting questions , they've seen my MO before - I produce an A5 spiral notepad and pen when they ask any questions and start reeling them off!
Kevin's is a dual lead, though there was talk recently about putting a third lead in. Ask about a home monitor, they may not give you one initially as they need to ensure the settings are correct and that the scar is healing. Kevins home monitor downloads the info from his ICD to Papworth daily so he's being monitored 24/7 and he only goes to the ICD clinic once a year.
Yes I asked that question when I seen the consultant in April - I will be getting a home monitor, don't know whether it will be on the day or when I go back after 6 weeks - another of my questions for tomorrow!
Good luck for tomorrow, write all your questions down & also the answers. I can't tell you the amount of times we've walked out of an appt & then remembered a question! Let us know how you get on x
I always go with a list of questions. And I always stop the medics mid sentence if there's something I don't understand! It's a habit I developed from my working life where I was frequently in large meetings and someone tries to baffle people, I was always quite happy to interrupt with - I'm sorry for being stupid but what does that mean? Usually after the third interrupt they'd stop the bull!
Hi Lezzers
Back from hospital. Interesting day. Got there early, checked in on the screen and got a coffee, only just sat down in the cafe area when named called, went for ecg and took coffee with me, sent back to waiting area, just about to drink coffee when called again - BP taken this time - seems I suffer from White Coat Syndrome, first arm 131/100, second arm 157/105 - normal BP is about 117/72! then taken to specialist nurse, with still untouched coffee!
I'm getting either a Medronic or a Boston. I'm listed for 2nd procedure with the consultant so should start by 10.30, done by 11.30 then spend the afternoon in the rather nice lounge suite and if all OK be sent home about 16.00. Been told to stop taking Ticagrelor now, which is a relief as I had a basal cell carcinoma removed in January and couldn't get the wound to stop bleeding.
Will be going back after 6 weeks for them to download details and adjust if required and will be given a home monitor to take with me.
Best of all - no stitches, they just glue the wound and put some dressing over it, which falls to bits over 2 weeks and the wound is sorted
Quite amazed by it all, they do this all in such a routine way when 50 years ago this sort of thing was upheard of. It's really hard to grasp how far and quickly medicine is advancing
Russell
At the new Papworth you have to check in on screen but then you have to watch the screen for your name to appear with the room number you're to be seen in, very efficient but no soul! Did you know you have white coat syndrome? At what point do they decide whether it will be a medtronic or Boston? I once asked what was the difference between the 2 & was told its purely the cardiologists preference!! Will you be able to watch it being fitted? Isn't it amazing what they can do these days & what this little device will be able to record. It only took bout an hr to fit kevins but they kept him in overnight as a precaution.
Yes they have screens here and your name and room to go to pop up on it, however they have a couple of tvs turned on with the sound off but with text turned on, so a lot of people are busy watching the tv and don't spot their name come up so they still come around calling you name, plus the outpatients has something like 25 rooms spread over 3 corridors so the staff coming to get you prevents patients wandering about looking for their consultancy room.
I thought that after visiting a NHS premises almost 70 times this year that I was over White Coat Syndrome - clearly not! Just took my BP at home 2 hours ago and it's 111/69 - and my BP machine is accurate I checked it against the machine my HF nurse used 2 weeks ago and they are in synch.
I don't know which make I'll get the nurse didn't know, except that these are the 2 the hospital uses, as you say it will probably be down to the preference of the consultant
The nurse said I'd be able to watch, I wasn't in the land of the living for the stent and missed that so it will be interesting.
The nurse had a old/used medtronic device with her, so I took a picture of it against my hand for scale as a few of my friends are curious about what this little box of tricks looks like.
As I said I'm just amazed at what they can do these days. I imagine 50 years people with my condition would just been put to bed to wait for the inevitable. I've researched a few of my ancestors and the ages some of them died at for a said condition is frightening, life was very fragile 100 years ago, there's definitely a lot to be said for living in the present.
Russell
I do know that some people have images of the ICD fitted inside their chest, now that is a trophy!!
Now that's an idea
Unfortunately I can believe it. When I was at Phase 3 I was often the only one who had had OHS (open heart surgery). For the last couple of weeks I attended there are as a guy who oft repeated that he had not known he was going to have OHS. His wife used to meet him afterwards and after the last session I spoke with her briefly. The issue of the OHS came up and she said they had said they would try minimally invasive surgery but in the event of any issues it would become OHS. She then added "He only listens to what he wants to hear"!
Yes maybe that was the case with this chap - I find it very hard to grasp the idea that he didn't have a clue about why he had an ICD
Maybe he Googled and got "I Can't Decide"! 😃
I`m going to show my ignorance now.What is the difference between an ICD and a pacemaker?
I'm not an expert!! But pacemakers I believe keep the heart beating within certain parameters. An ICD us an internal defibrillator which will shock the heart hopefully back to a normal rhythm if someone goes into cardiac arrest, in the same way paramedics use the external paddles
Thank you Leslie,I really had no idea.
They say your heart has an arrhythmia when it beats too quickly, too slowly, or with an irregular pattern. Most are due to issues with the electrical system of the heart. If serious you may need a cardiac pacemaker or an ICD (implantable cardioverter defibrillator).
A pacemaker helps control abnormal heart rhythms. It uses electrical pulses to prompt the heart to beat at a normal rate. It can speed up a slow heart rhythm, control a fast heart rhythm, and coordinate the chambers of the heart.
An ICD monitors heart rhythms. If it senses dangerous rhythms, it delivers shocks to resynchronise the heart - the defibrillation part. This function save my niece's father-in-law at the start of the year when he arrested.
There are various types and often the functions are combined.
I will be asking questions later! 😄
Good answer! If I ever see that bloke who didn't know why he had an ICD I'll pass it on to him. Anyway I'm off out now for a trip to the Heart and Chest hospital
Hope your journey to Liverpool Heart & Chest is smooth, Russel, both tunnels appear to be OK today anyway.
Hope your appointment goes well.
Jean
Hi Jean
Now back home, all went well. Going back at 8 am next Monday, I'm listed for 2nd operation of the day with the consultant, so the nurse I seen today expects mine to start by 10.30, be done by 11.30, and all being well, I'll be sent home about 16.00 - just like that!
Amazing really, I can remember my mum had to have her gallbladder out when I was 6 years old - and she was in hospital for 2 weeks for what was considered a serious operation in those days, now they can fiddle about about with your heart as an outpatient.
Russell
All set then for Monday, hope all goes well. Good luck.
Jean
Maybe your cardiologist might like to review my description...
Yes I'll run it past her next Monday
Tell her I am a cardiolgy hobbyist! For practice I am overhauling a Harley cylinder head via the exhausts! 😎
Michael
Now that would be interesting, replacing a head gasket via keyhole methodology!
Russell
Now I'm scared!!
Omg, you've become the incredible hulk! ☺
Delicacy really!! Its 🧀 😱
No I am going to back Gunsmoke up on this.
Empirically Halloumi is a cheese of delicacy and delight especially grilled🤗
I'm obviously in a majority of one but I completely agree with myself that cheese 🧀 is the most revolting food stuff imaginable!! I'm now gonna have to have a gin to get over even thinking about it!! 🍸
Got to agree.It `s like eating a thick chewy insole.I imagine,I haven`t actually eaten my insoles but I`m sure, blindfolded I wouldn`t know the difference.
Yay, membership of the "I hate cheese group" has doubled in just 1 day!! I'm completely with you on the insole issue!
MichaelJHHeart Star
On the western we are making you are a tough, tough cowboy so it's neat whiskey NOT pink gin - leave it for Miss Kitty! 🤠
MichaelJHHeart Star
When you eat it it sounds like balloons necking! 😟
MichaelJHHeart Star
Well today the number of members hit a palindrome - 12021!
