So frustrated with the system!!

[Nanaeli]

Hi! A bit of an update on my 24 hr ecg. Still not had confirmation in writing yet but the secretary has been amazing. Apparently I have supra ventricular ectopy. Very common apparently and the consultant has sent a letter to my gp requesting a prescription for bisoprolol. I have still not received any verbal confirmation of this from a Dr and I’m completely upset and let down by the system. So I’ve no idea what the above is (apart from Google) no idea about what the medication will do or how long I will be on it for? Also according to the secretary, I’m not even on the list for an echocardiogram which I’ve been waiting for since April 2nd?

I have also explained to the secretary that although my 24 hr ecg does not show AF, my Apple Watch says otherwise. I’m no expert obviously but I know my body and I know that it’s not right. And had my Apple Watch shown one or two AF’s then I would possibly think it was inaccurate. However, since I received my watch on my birthday (3rd April) I’ve had 16 episodes show on my watch as well as one at A and E!!

I’ve sent them all over to the secretary who has managed to get me an urgent appointment tomorrow at 4.20pm. But how do I get them to listen to me? I feel like I’m going crazy trying to get constructive answers and definitive diagnosis’s.

Please can anyone help or even relate to why I am so upset and frustrated with it all. And why can I have a face to face appt with my orthopaedic consultant but the cardiologist is over the telephone. I’ve written a list of questions for him but already feel like they will be dismissed!!

Thank you again for listening.

[meadfoot]

You will feel better once you have got your list of questions ready and spoken with the cardiologist, most appointments are over the phone currently due to covid and if your cardiologist isnt examining you then a phone app replacement is the best we can get right now. It may be that the orthopaedic consultant needs to actually examine you hence the face to face appointment.

I have had several phone apps with cardiologist and gastroenterologist since covid hit us, i suspect this system will remain into the future. Just ensure all your questions are fully answered and ask to be copied into the letter which will be sent to your gp post consultation. You seem to have carved a good relationship with the secretary which is extremely useful. Good luck,

[Kristin1812 Heart Star]

I’m afraid our Health Service is just not able to keep up with demand, and less so since Covid. I know it’s frustrating waiting when you are very worried but they are very busy, and the anti Covid Care they have to take to protect us, does limit throughput even more.The face to face consultations now seem to be reserved for only urgent cases, so you may get some comfort they didn’t consider you so very urgent!

I hope you get a clear explanation when you go for your Appt.

[10gingercats]

I have had several face to face consultations over the past year at our local hospital. I do believe it is up to the consultant to decide.At two of these I asked for my son to be present as i was particularly befuddled with medicines messing up my brain.At another a worried husband was pemitted to be present. These were with different docs in two different depts. of same hospital. Both son and husband asked questions. Keep trying if you think a face to face is necessary for you to get the best out of the consultation.

[BobbyN in reply to 10gingercats]

Hi Nanaeli,

I don't have much time at the moment to respond with my experience of Bisoprolol but maybe after your Cardiologist Appointment.

You say your Apple Watch is showing eposodes of AF. These may well be Ectopic beats (Palpitations) as you state that you have been diagnosed with Ectopy. Just go with the Cardiologist as I am no expert (glad you have an urgent appointment) he may well suggest an echocardiograph or even an MRI sacn of your heart but he will know , not someone on this platform. Your watch can certainly give some indications of a possible problem but it cannot diagnose. Hope you have a successful and confidence boosting appointment, it will certainly help.

Fell free to message after your appointment, with further calrification of your symptoms / diagnosis and maybe I can help a little with my experience of Bisoprolol.

Regards

Bob

[Nanaeli in reply to BobbyN]

Hi! Thank you for all your replies. I’ve just had the appointment and he was amazing. He left no stone unturned and certainly reassured me and said not to worry too much. I will be having a 14 day ECG

Echocardiogram

Stress Echocardiogram

The Apple Watch shows AF which in fact could be the supra ventricular ectopy’s so fingers crossed! Thank you Bobby N for your suggestion and you’re probably right!

If all tests come back ok then he will refer me to respiratory and just rule out any lung disease. So I do feel better now that someone has taken the time to listen to and understand my concerns.

I’ll let you all know as soon as I’ve had the tests done. Thanks again for listening 😊

[Nanaeli]

Thank you! I may have come across wrong, I’m not overly bothered about it being a telephone consultation, I just feel that it’s more difficult over the phone. The Dr doesn’t know me, nor I him. I do feel unwell and I’m very pale and tired which isn’t me at all. And as it’s all new to me, I would just like to feel like I’m talking direct to a human. I completely understand the Covid situation and how it’s changed the way we now do things. And I am absolutely over the moon that I’m non urgent. But that doesn’t mean to say I don’t worry or get upset about what is going on at this moment in time. Hopefully this afternoon I will feel better having vented all my concerns. I am also very unsure whether a Dr takes ecg readings from an Apple Watch seriously? It’s not just one or two episodes, it’s quite a lot so I think it may be right.

Thank you again everyone for your replies!

[BobbyN]

Hi Nanaeli,

I don't have much time at the moment to respond with my experience of Bisoprolol but maybe after your Cardiologist Appointment.

You say your Apple Watch is showing eposodes of AF. These may well be Ectopic beats (Palpitations) as you state that you have been diagnosed with Ectopy. Just go with the Cardiologist as I am no expert (glad you have an urgent appointment) he may well suggest an echocardiograph or even an MRI sacn of your heart but he will know , not someone on this platform. Your watch can certainly give some indications of a possible problem but it cannot diagnose. Hope you have a successful and confidence boosting appointment, it will certainly help.

Fell free to message after your appointment, with further calrification of your symptoms / diagnosis and maybe I can help a little with my experience of Bisoprolol.

Regards

Bob