Told by letter...

[TartanTiger]

Yesterday was hubby's birthday, the sun was shining and it should have been a happy day.... and it was till the postman came!!!! I open it to find a copy of a letter sent from the hospital to my GP, calmly announcing I don't have sleep apnoea (lovely Consultant told me this at appointment in sleep clinic) but have heart issues - a fast sinus rate and ventricular standstill and he is arranging for me to be fitted with a pacemaker "in the near future"!!!!

Good Grief!!! talk about a mean way of telling U!!!!

Years of my old GP saying "oh everyone gets little fluttery feelings in their chest now and then". New GP has it diagnosed in under 6 weeks!

Sorry but I felt this was one heck of a way to find out and am now wondering what on earth sinus rate and ventricular standstill means. Is it an arrhythmia as both my Dad and sister have Bradycardia? Sigh! Sorry for ranting. I just feel so lost.

[PeterWh]

It may be a shock but I think that it is brilliant that nowadays the patient is copied in on the correspondence not only to know what is going on but also to correct errors that are sometimes there. In addition one letter from consultant (to do with varicose veins, not to do with my AF and heart problems) arrived in my post but two weeks later when I saw my GP they had not received it. I forwarded it to GP!!!

[TartanTiger in reply to PeterWh]

Yes i agree, not the first time I have received a copy and like yourself known more than the GP.

It was just a shock as was expecting a letter to go and see him!

On the positive side I now know there is a problem and he wants a PM fitted.

Have just called his secretary asking for a better explanation and just how much or little "in the near future" he is talking. Due to go on holiday in 3 weeks.

Hubby is already making Bionic Woman and Robo-wife jokes so will just keep smiling.

[Hidden in reply to TartanTiger]

Hey,

I think that's a rotten way to deliver important treatment news too!

I would be left reeling....and so would most people. You need a bit more information and an appointment to discuss surely?

I think...and I'm not brilliant on these things...that sinus rate refers to the pulse rate which is dictated by your sinus node at the top of your heart in the atria. Ventricular standstill hopefully is referring to certain times rather than constantly. Your ventricles do the main job of pumping blood around and if there are times when they are not working adequately or at a standstill (perhaps because of beats not conducting properly from the sinus node through to the AV node (in the middle of your heart) this is important for you to know about. The AV node can be blocked partially, occasionally or completely. It's referred to as 1st/2nd & 3rd degree block. Although, I am not, I stress, an expert. 1st degree block often doesn't get treated, 2nd degree block does - with a pacemaker and 3rd degree block definitely gets a pacemaker. It could be something else though....

I would go to your GP and ask for an urgent appointment to discuss, so that you can be prepared before you have your pacemaker fitted. It takes a while to get your head around these things and "if" this is a procedure, which you need straight away, this may be why you have received the news in the post rather than to your face.

Don't panic though. If you were in any danger you'd be in hospital immediately.

Any questions on pacing please ask. I had bradycardia (sinus node issues) and occasional AV block when I was first paced.