Doctors Appointment

[Bcol]

Morning all. I was asked by my surgery to make an appointment for my annual check up, which I did and was booked in for last Wednesday (29th) at 19:15. Purely by chance I had also noticed that one of the Health functions of my smart watch, I.e my heart rate was showing that over the last few months my heart rate varied between 20 bpm -220 bpm which did make think that perhaps I should mention that at my checkup. I don't usually take any notice of the Health aspects of my watch. Mentioned this at my check up and the nurse said we had better get an ECG sorted but let's get a appointment with the doc first. Anyway bloods etc all taken and f2f appointment with doc made for the Friday morning.Saw the doc first thing Friday, first f2f for around/over three years, it was an excellent chat. He went through everything, has ordered me a heart monitor to wear 24 hours for a few days and asked for an echocardiogram, which would have been due in October to be done ASAP. I do have a vaguely leaky Mitral valve shown in previous tests. We also talked about my CTS which seems to come back as I reduce Pred, happened at 5mg last time, this time it's more of a pain at 2.5mg, neither of us like the idea of surgery and as a dose of 10mg sorted it last time, he has left it totally to me if I feel It is necessary to do that again. I won't go down that line unless it gets really bad. He also organised an ECG for me at the surgery that afternoon which came back fairly normal but also showing an Ectopic or irregular beat.

Anyway, all in all an excellent couple of days with the surgery, brilliant service and good to know they still totally trust me with sorting my PMR and Pred etc. Blood tests results all came back normal, HBA1C was actually down again from 38 to 37 and Vit D was back up over 50. All in all a happy bunny 🙂🙂

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer]

Good news indeed….

[123-go]

Such good news for you Bcol! Wonderful to have a doctor who has faith in the patient and who actually listens.

Were hand exercises suggested for CTS?

[Bcol in reply to 123-go]

Agree, they have always been good and also brilliant right through Covid. Yey, I've got all the info re CTS and wear supports at night.

[123-go in reply to Bcol]

A keeper for sure. You have it all nailed…must be down to the charm 🙂.

[Bcol in reply to 123-go]

Undoubtedly !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Suffererc in reply to Bcol]

what is CTS please 😊

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Suffererc]

In this case - Carpal Tunnel Syndrome 

[Bcol in reply to DorsetLady]

Ta🙂

[Suffererc in reply to Suffererc]

thank you 😊

[PMRpro Ambassador]

If only they were all like that.

That range of heart rate is impressive! Not had any dizzy spells to go with the 20s? The 220 obviously didn't last long - you'd have felt that. It isn't nice ... Better sort that smartwatch out to keep records!

[Bcol in reply to PMRpro]

Hadn't noticed any dizziness. It works with my mobile and keeps a complete our by hour record. I printed out the last two months and sent them to the doc. I must have a few years of them!!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Bcol]

Were the 20s overnight? I don't think my iPhone is up to it, only a 7, but I might go mad if the cardiologist isn't helpful on the 21st. Though it seems a bit superfluous, they can see it all from the pacemaker if they look.

[Bcol in reply to PMRpro]

No during the day, can't remember exact times, I don't wear the watch at night as I have to use the wrist supports. I might forgo them for a couple of nights though just to see what the night time results would be.

[Bcol in reply to Bcol]

Just had a look 27th March 12:00-12:59, 29-76bpm

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Bcol]

Can't have lasted long then, you'd have noticed!! Though mine were 7 second pauses, that's about 10 bpm!

[Bcol in reply to PMRpro]

Think I'd have noticed 7 second pauses, that's quite a scary thought. Mind you I could have dozing in the chair!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Bcol]

Scared the nurses more than me if they happened when I was lying down!

[Miserere]

How great to hear of such a positive experience and good results! Thanks for posting

[piglette]

I think I might start to believe that your Smart watch should not be used as a tool for taking medical readings without a certain amount of cynicism as to the results!

[Bcol in reply to piglette]

Doc and I did wonder about that as well. Given my possible heart valve problem though he felt was only right that we followed it up.

[piglette in reply to Bcol]

Probably not a bad idea anyway.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

Some are better than others I suspect but there are hospitals using them as cheap screening to identify the patients who need follow-up

[Bcol in reply to PMRpro]

Guess the only check I have, until I have the 24 hour one, is that one I take my BP at home with a proper cuff machine the heart beat is always virtually the same as the watch shows. But either way better safe than sorry.

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

When I was in hospital the super large screen monitors had problems, they would try one on me and then use another one to confirm if the result were a bit strange. I am not that certain that they are spending money calibrating them as they should. Smart watches are notoriously inaccurate! My sister has discovered that she can walk quite a distance while sitting knitting according to her fit-bit!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to piglette]

That's the arm movement - tell her to wave at someone, does the same.

[piglette in reply to PMRpro]

I think waving her arm is too much effort she will probably stick to knitting!

[SanG55]

Great news 😊

[tempusfugi]

What good news alround, Bcol. V positive. I'm interested particularly that you got a f-2-f appointment so easily. In the last month, I've heard, from various sources, that this is beginning to happen more regularly now, in fact I had my first f-2-f with a locum Dr recently myself (having not seen a Dr at my Medical Centre since before March 2020 so I have a feeling that something is going on!

Also interested in what you say about Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, which it appears I may now have developed. My rheumie wrote that he thinks I may have a mild case of CTS - it doesn't feel very mild to me, I might add. This has started in the last few months (I've had PMR diagnosed for a year).

As I'd be interested to hear more about your CTS, I think I'll PM you, if that's ok with you.

Best wishes,

tempusfugi

[Bcol in reply to tempusfugi]

No problem. Our doctors have always been excellent and never a problem with getting an f2f if you wanted one. Your CTS can be a side effect of the PMR and/or certainly exacerbated by it.

[Reclus]

great service nice to know it still exists in some parts of the country. here in north ayrshire i cannot get an appointment with a gp unless i wait in a queue by phone(there is no access by internet). the queue on average takes one and a half hours!! when the phone is finally answered by a receptionist they obviously have a standard list of questions and decide who warrants an appointment. i have no complaint with the service provided when eventually getting to see a gp but i do think the present system is unacceptable.

[Bcol in reply to Reclus]

I agree, it does seem to be down that well worn phrase " a post code lottery". I would hesitate to move house at the moment as I wouldn't want to lose our surgery.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Bcol]

On a far greater scale - me neither!!!!

[Hidden in reply to Reclus]

same here in Cambridgeshire, a locum GP has referred me for an urgent gastroscopy and colonoscopy “to rule out liver, pancreatic or ovation cancer” all from one phone call and a blood test. If he examined me first or at least listened to me and understood a have a chronic AI condition it could save the NHS time and money and save me for horrid tests. I’m of half a mind to cancel them!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

Never mind that - where the h*££ does he thing an endo/colonoscope reaches?

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

My thoughts exactly, it certainly won’t get to the bottom of it 😝

I think GP ignoring raised amalyse and a stone weight loss and just thinks I’m highly strung. Personally I suspect autoimmune pancreatitis or gallbladder disease. If he thinks nothings wrong why prescribe omeprazole ?

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

Well the colonoscopy will certainly get to a bottom

I told my daughter who is an endoscope suite specialist nurse. She laughed like a drain - and like me, wonders a bit about the doctor's knowledge. She also wonders what they said on the referral because they would have chucked it out as not appropriate if he'd said anything like that!

[Hidden in reply to PMRpro]

glad to provide laughs to hard working nurse 😁

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Hidden]

She needs them - she's turned middle-aged and decorating (very well I might add) in the midst of chaos after a bathroom disaster has been sorted by the insurance, It's quite funny ...

[Purpleprimate]

Where do you live! Our GP surgery in London is in disarray, they can't get the staff even if they hike their rates. You must have gone privately? Very glad you are in such good health. I still don't understand how CTS is involved in PMR. It was the first thing that appeared before a little later I started to ache all over. I'd had it before aprox 15yrs previously but it didn't evolve into PMR then - maybe now being over 70 my body had become less resilient .

You sound ready for the spring!

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Purpleprimate]

The inflammation seems to be fed by the PMR inflammation, This older paper explains it - they seem to think there aren't more CTS cases in PMR but I'm not so sure.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/873....

It may be confused with tendonitis

orthony.com/posts/hand-and-...

and tendonitis is common in PMR

academic.oup.com/rheumatolo...

[Purpleprimate in reply to PMRpro]

At the start I tore up x2 large cardboard boxes which left my hands & particularly my wrists rather sore & aching, then a day later my left wrist started to swell a little. I suppose this could have been either tendonitis or carpel tunnel. I saw the 'hand consultant' & by the time I'd had my 2nd consultation with him my whole body was aching, shortly after which I was diagnosed with PMR. It was if the tearing up of the cardboard boxes triggered the PMR.

[Bcol in reply to Purpleprimate]

If I had gone private I would have said so!!

[Purpleprimate in reply to Bcol]

In London a lot of people are having to go private, otherwise they can't get an appointment - that's if they can afford to of course.

[Missus835]

Glad to hear you're happy with the results. Keep up the good work.

[PMR2011]

My brother just sent this yesterday (April Fools Day in the US), just had to share!

Hey, did you hear about the commuters ganging together to share rides into Boston? They had trouble getting through the jammed tunnels. They had car pool tunnel syndrome.

[Jackoh]

So pleased for you xx

[Bcol]

Just a quick update, my Echocardiogram has been booked for the 3rd May.

[DorsetLady PMRGCAuk volunteer in reply to Bcol]

Good luck with that, sure you’ll keep us informed …