Hospital update and thanks.

[Qualipop]

Thank you everyone for all the messages. I was so exhausted last night when i Got home I just crashed. I don't know if it was reaction to the weekend or the new tablets.

First my dog was fine. She'd only just had surgery with lost of instructions on painkillers, feeding and exercise so I was worried. Apart fron the exercise bit my husband coped ok and she has her check up today. She went razy crying and squeaking when i got home.

Around 4pm Friday my heart started racing and I kept feeling faint. Checked pulse and it would be as low as 42 then up to 102. At 10.45 it was pounding so hard I rang 111` which didn't answer so I did the online 111 which said to ring 999. The ambulance too 5 hours. A&E was more than packed. A nurse said they had 600 trolleys and wheelchairs lined up on corridors. My spine was excruciating in a hard wheelchair. Around me were 5 metal health patients; one self harming, on drugs, a man with bipolar and three ladies with dementia. I didn't get triage until 6am, ECG and bloods. Was sent to an "ambulatory emergency care ward at 9 am and finally saw a doctor at around 2pm. She admitted me, found me a bed to lie on in their dept until a ward bed became free which was at 7pm. Having been up all night I crashed until someone prodded me awake. I truly thought it was 7am next day.Sent to a medical ward and finally saw a cardiac doctor around 4pm Sunday. He diagnosed unstable angina and extrasystolic arrhythmia. Put me on clopidogrel which was later stopped and prescribed diltiazem and doubled my statin even though my cholesterol is low. They wouldn't discharge me until they'd found out whether I reacted badly to the diltiazem but I persuaded them to let me go in teh evening so I could get my dog to the vet check up today. Then of course the long wait for meds, discharge letter and transport. I was shaking with tiredness and pain by then. I don't know if it was the tablet or the situation because I shoudl have had it early morning but they didn't get it until after 4pm. So now I'm trying to find out from GP when t o take it today but they can't do anything until they get my discharge letter which hubby has just take to he surgery to be photocopied. Everything was also massively slowed down by a new patient record system that no one knows how to use yet.

Even the letter that was hand delivered here about a pre op appointment tomorrow had no phone number to contact them to cancel it.

The biggest problem has been never getting my painkiller on time and sometimes over an hour late. It's due every 3 hours but wears off half an hour before that so I was left 90 minutes without pain relief and then playing catch up with the extra pain. I will be complaining; not about teh staff but the hospital policy. As long as they are aware, they should let those with long standing chronic pain, control their own pain relief. It would help the patient and free up two nurses.

[Tos92]

Hi  Qualipop

Sometimes I feel like the hours and hours of waiting around can make our symptoms worse, as well as induce panic which is why I’m not always a fan of the hospital. But it is always the safest place to be.

Despite that, you were still checked and a diagnosis given. I’ve previously been left without a diagnosis and treatment plan when attending A&E so good on you to at least have something in place.

I’m glad to hear the doggie is okay. You have such a wonderful relationship with her.

I hope the GP can sort out your meds, I’m surprised that they didn’t print it on the box how often you should take them.

Let us know how you get on with the new regime of meds.

All the best.

Tos

[Qualipop in reply to Tos92]

It's only that it was going up for 5pm before they got them so I was given them there and then so they could check for reactions but the box says to take first thing on a morning. I suspect that would be too early . Tried asking GP but I can't get a call back until next week!!!!!!!!!

[Tos92 in reply to Qualipop]

Could you not explain to the receptionist that you need to take the medications urgently for your heart rate and see if they can get back to you sooner?

[Qualipop in reply to Tos92]

I did and she was able to speak to a GP and rang me back.

[Tos92 in reply to Qualipop]

Brilliant news!

[Qualipop]

Still t ired today so I'm reluctant to start the new tablets until I've come round then I should at least know if it's tablets causing the extreme tiredness.

[Yumz199725]

Aw thanks for the update, the waiting can be the worst I thought 9.15 till 2.47 was bad woah no wonder you felt so tired. So glad they kept you in and monitored you on your new meds. Sorry your in so much pain 💔. Aw bet you was so happy to see your dog aw 🐶🥰. I remember on Tuesday morning last week my cat was so happy I was home she didn't leave my side all day! X

[Qualipop in reply to Yumz199725]

Dog has been catching up on her sleep all day. I think she was so anxious she barely slept. Taking her to vet for her check up shortly. Tried to ring my GP to see whether it was too early to take the new tablet or better to wait until tomorrow- couldn't even get a phone call until tomorrow or an appointment next week! Husband had to drive down to surgery with my discharge letter so they could photocopy it.

[Qualipop in reply to Yumz199725]

You should have seen it the next night; I only got reports from the nurses but they had 200 youngsters ( Aged about 11 to 15) in from a rave with almost as many police supervising.- everything from drugs related to knifings. The staff were absolutely dropping like flies with exhaustion. No hospital can c ope with things like that.

[Yumz199725 in reply to Qualipop]

Woah that's awful! When i was in A&E last week there was an emergency and all the nurses were running to resuss x

[Qualipop]

I had no cardiac pain so it wasn't originally high risk; just a very erratic beat and very low pulse that kept jumping from 42 to 102 and back again with no trigger. Husband rang them back after 4 hours and I got upgraded.

[Heyjude31]

so sorry to hear about your long wait and the challenges. Chronic pain is a beast and so debilitating. I hope you get your new meds sorted soon. At least you are now home with your family including your lovely dog. 🤗

[Qualipop in reply to Heyjude31]

Many thanks; very relieved to get home and my own bed and in time to take my dog for her vet check up after her surgery.

[Valentina98]

Hey Qualipop

Sorry to read this, I missed your original post.

Glad the dog is doing okay.

I haven't experienced chronic pain but I know people who have I'm so sorry you had to go without meds while waiting

Sending love

V x

[Qualipop in reply to Valentina98]

Thank you. The hospital really needs to review its policy and let patients who have had chronic pain like me for 30 years to take control of their own pain relief. Simple enough to measure out doses and lock them in the bedside drawer, no nurse involvement except to record the time on your record when convenient to them. With time, opiates just don't last as long as they should so adding another hour onto that is really bad.

[Thumper76]

Sorry to hear about your horrible experience. Hope you and your doggy are feeling better now 😊

[Qualipop in reply to Thumper76]

Thanks I came round yesterday but today the new tablet has knocked me out.

[Thumper76 in reply to Qualipop]

😟 xx

[Nonameme]

Are you my doppelgänger!

Seriously glad you came out the other side of this recent interaction with with NHS

As you say it is not the ‘shop floor ‘ personnel, but rather those who are paid thousands of taxpayer pounds to cause these problems

Having recently had a vertical similar experience I can say. I do know exactly how this feels and it is not good.

First stop is PALS at your hospital.

Does anyone know of a way we could set up a thread pointing out obvious big problems with the current problems/guidelines. Sometimes simple changes make a massive difference such as a comfortable chair in which to sit , sometimes for hours. I found the most kind person in A E was the housekeeper who regularly checked on patients and provided refreshments I could go on but whilst the powers that be will probably ignoe these commens it could provide a place to off load our observations.

Again glad to know uou are very gradually negotiating this awful system albeit almost in spite of current circumstance

As a fellow animal lover with 3 rescued Chihuahuas take care of each other.

[Qualipop in reply to Nonameme]

At this A&E both numerous nurses and a lot of other patients I spoke to all said that a huge number of those people should never have gone to A&E in the first place and the reason they were there was that they couldn't get help anywhere else mainly from a GP but also from the 111 system. I first rang 111. Just getting through all the messages took over 5 minutes then when I got into a queue I waited over 10 minutes without an answer . I thendid the 111 online which of course immediately said ring 111 once I'd answered that I already had heart disease. Last year my husband tried phoning 111 when I suddenly lost my hearing and he just threw the phone down in fury because he couldn't follow all the "press this that and the other." From last Monday I had tried to speak to any one of the 9 GPs at our practice and couldn't. Even yesterday with an urgent , immediate question about these new tablets they said I couldn't speak to anyone until next week. Thankfully I'm forceful/persuasive enough to press my case so I did get to speak to a nurse who went and asked a GP and rang me back but most people I Know wouldn't do that. I have elderly friends ( LOL Who am I calling elderly?) who waited 2 years for the husband to get an urgent pacemaker purely because they are a generation where you just don't question a G P. He was deemed very urgent before you know what started then simply never heard a thing from them. He's extremely lucky that he survived those 2 years and finally got his pacemaker. The wife has very unstable thyroid problems and has now gone 8 months without contact from either GP or thyroid specialist and no medication at all because the G P didn't chase up the specialist and my friend didn't want to bother the GP. Until they sort out the G P system urgently and educate patients as to the right place to ask for help, they will continue piling in to A&E, it will just get worse and people will die. It's no use just throwing agency nurses into A&E or even paying them more until they sort out the grass roots problems. After |I get my complaint done to PALS my next step will be my MP.

[Silvertail]

I can't believe how long (sometimes) they take to triage/treat you all when you have chest pains. Here we are checked straight away, have a cannula inserted and have blood taken for a troponin test. The paramedics take an ECG in the ambulance, or straight away if you walk in. They do ask us to explain our symptoms etc again......and again........and again..........😳🤔

[gladliz in reply to Silvertail]

Where are you? Can we all move in next door?😊😊

[Silvertail in reply to gladliz]

LOL, sure. I'm in Queensland. Mind you, people here are always complaining about the health system, and ambulance ramping etc. but, overall, we are lucky.

[Qualipop in reply to Silvertail]

Paramedics were brilliant, did several ECGs and hooked me to a monitor but once I got to A&E it all stopped. I can't blame the staff at all. The place was absolutely heaving and the staff were visibly on the point of collapse. A large number of the people there should never have been in A&E at all but I would guess they just couldn't see a G P. NO one would choose to go into that place if t hey had other options.

[Silvertail in reply to Qualipop]

It's not good is it? I think most hospital staff world wide are overworked and there are not enough hospital beds. The worst problem here is that the ambulances arrive at Emergency, and the paramedics have to stay with and monitor the patient until they are taken to an emergency bed. This means there are people waiting for an ambulance.

[Qualipop in reply to Silvertail]

Yes but an awful lot of those people don't need to be in A&E in the first place. I don't mean those assessed by paramedics but the walk ins Who should probably have seen a pharmacist , a G P or an urgent care centre.

[Silvertail in reply to Qualipop]

So true. And the more GPs who stop bulk billing the more people will go to hospital emergency depts. We have some urgent care centres but few and far between. It's largely a government 'swings and roundabout'.

[Qualipop in reply to Silvertail]

Bulk billing?

[Silvertail in reply to Qualipop]

We have a government system - Medicare. Every Australian is supplied with a card and this entitles you to receive a rebate for doctor's fees. However the rebate is never as much as the doctors charge. Some doctors and public hospitals don't charge the patient but just accept the government rebate for payment.. It's the doctor's decision. This is Bulk billing. Some GP practices do this for everyone, but most do it for pensioners only. I hope I haven't confused you too much. 🤗

[Qualipop in reply to Silvertail]

\no that's very clear thanks. I Know the American medicare system and A friend's sister emigrated to Australia as a nurse but I hadn't heard of your system. I have friends in Sweden and their system sounds by far the best but of course a much smaller population. My son was taken ill when we were in Norway and even with insurance we had to pay before he ever saw the GP. Yet I was taken ill in America with strep throat and my friend's doctor didn't charge me at all. I just had to buy the antibiotics. Here just anyone can walk in and get treated.

[Qualipop in reply to Silvertail]

Even 5 years ago when I was rushed in with a heart attack, I was left for 5 hours on a corridor with a locked door before anyone came near. I did see a nurse when the paramedics handed over but she just took BP and left; didn't even give me aspirin. That was because I didn't present like a text book heart attack. I wasn't grey and clammy and clutching my chest. I just had indigestion and pain in arm and neck.The second time, because they knew then I'd had a heart attack, I bypassed all the queues and was seen within minutes.

[Silvertail in reply to Qualipop]

OMG. Seems it's a lottery. Thank goodness you survived it.

[cappachina]

Sorry to hear about your experience I am 9 weeks after having a TAVI to replace aortic valve and 3 weeks ago my blood pressure went crazy and I blacked out ,luckily while talking to a neighbour The ambulance came very quickly after they were told I had had a heart op taken straight to hospital and was looked after despite the fact it was heaving it was a Monday morning never got a cubicle on a and e but was treated in passage way and the doc spoke immediately to the Freeman who did my op for advice and got me a bed on a ward which surprised him as he said the hospital was full so I got there at 12 and was on the ward for3,30 so I was really lucky Theytalked again to the surgeon who had done my op andI am now on different med which seems to be settling it down I live in the North East where hospitals are under massive pressure so I feel thankful I haven't gone through what some of you have experienced with a and e

[Qualipop in reply to cappachina]

Wow you were very lucky. My cousin's up in Houghton le Spring so I know what it's like up there. I hope the tablets fix it.

[cappachina]

Thanks The Freeman said it was a good sign that my valve was working so well that my blood was trying to find a new level which was right didn't feel good to me though and has knocked my recovery back

[Qualipop in reply to cappachina]

That sounds odd but at l east you are recovering now.