Well, that was certainly ''an experience''.....

Shop deals on ebay
shop deals on amazon
Advertise with us
Valve Replacement Forums

Help Support Valve Replacement Forums:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
EireCara

EireCara

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 22, 2006
Messages
1,307
Location
Kilkenny, Ireland.
Hi guys....Well, heres how things went on Fri...I got up at 5.30am, got the 6.50 train to Dublin, arrived in the hospital at 8.45am...spoke to the receptionist etc and then SAT ON A CHAIR UNTIL 4.30 that afternoon (I kid you not) ...I was last in the queue it seems. Anyway, I had the angio and my arteries are fine. He didnt manage to make the VT happen, so nothing was ''ablated''. I did however go into a.fib (nasty feeling,crazy chaotic fluttering) and the last thing I remember is hearing the cardio say ''is she still concious'', a nurse asked me was I ok, I said yes (I wasnt ok,but I was concious), cardio said ''get the pads on her 'NOW', and that was it in that second I went out like a light....I have a slight memory or a 'feeling' of the shock...and then waking up in the lift on the way back to the ward. My chest is sore where the pads were and my skin is very pink, Im assuming caused by the electric shock.

My hr is a bit fast since...its around 90 at rest and as soon as I walk even across the room it shoots up and im very sob. It was the same in the hospital yesterday, but they let me home so I guess its ok??

I didnt get to speak to the cardio, but his reg. came to the ward Fri night and said that they hadnt been able to ablate anything, and Dr. Foley wanted me to stop all tabs, including aspirin. He also said the mvr is ''moderate''.

So, after all that, Im not really any better off. Today I have a sharp pain between my shoulder blades, feel weak etc. I drove my daughter into town about an hour ago (about 1 mile) and Iv felt 'weird' since I got back? Im due a follow up visit to cardio in 6 weeks. Back to the 'waiting game' it seems !!!

THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE FOR YOUR SUPPORT. I hope your all doing well..i(ts funny, in hospital yesterday, I thought of you all and wondered how your all doing !!!)
 
Jacqui,
I am sorry to hear you had such a terrible experience. I know you have said the healthcare system is different in Ireland. Is there any chance you can get your cardiologist to refer you to a surgeon for a consultation?
 
I am wondering why he said to stop even the aspirin. Isn't it a good idea to be on it just in case you go into A-Fib again?
 
*Hi Mary, My cardio doesnt think that my moderate mvr could be the cause of why Im feeling unwell, so I very much doubt he would refer me to a surgeon !!

*Adrienne, Iv just been reading up on a.fib and it seems there is a high likelyhood of clots during it and directly after it has been converted back. I also looked through my reports that I got from the hospital last week, and the ekg that was taken in Nov. says I was in a.fib even then. Now Im wondering were the episodes Iv had over the last few months where I felt strange and couldnt think etc caused by clots due to the a.fib. and is the a.fib causing me to feel so unwell ???
 
Jacqui - I would not wait 6 weeks to see the cardio. Be an obnoxious pest and make them put you in next week. If you were in a-fib last November, they should have put you on Coumadin, not just say "oh well" and send you home.

A-fib can give you different strange feelings. Some people go in and out of A-fib all the time, others go into it and stay in it. You may be someone who goes in and out. But you should be on Coumadin. The strange feelings you've had may be the A-fib, or a small clot.

I had LOTS of symptoms with m moderate mitral valve prolapse, I fired the doctors that tried to tell me I just needed to live with it. (Insert explative here)THAT!:eek: I had children I had to care for. You have an ill son and the rest of your family that needs attention.
Your heart rate is probably still fast and getting faster upon exertion because you are still withdrawing from your beta blocker. Why do they feel you don't need a beta blocker now?????? If they're saying it's because you only have moderate MVR, that's horse hockey! They are going off of what their textbooks told them - that a relatively young woman with moderate MVR should not be having problems and can lead a normal life. They are not listening to you and it sounds like they are not believing you - because the textbooks say you shouldn't be feeling this way. I have been there and done that!

I'm about ready to fly over to Ireland and look up these doctors!:mad: I'm really sorry you have to deal with a health care system that limits your ability to seek out good medical care if the care you are getting is substandard. I can only suggest continuing to push. At the very least - call the doctor and ask why you weren't put back on your meds and why you have not been prescribed Coumadin since you have a RECORDED history of a-fib.

Sending you big hugs!
 
I agree with Karlynn about the Coumadin. Also, now that I think about it, when I had A-Fib, they did a TEE (TOE where you are) to make totally sure there were no clots on the valve before doing the cardioversion (shock) because there is a risk of a stroke right after cardioversion if there are clots (not so much a risk of clots during cardioversion, but if there are clots, and then your heart starts pumping the way it should, it will send those clots into your bloodstream). You didn't mention whether they did a TEE (TOE) first.
 
Thank you Karlynn for your reply. I guess I will have to ring my gp tomorrow like you suggested. I think at the very least I should take aspirin???

Adrienne, they didnt do a Tee or any other test beforehand. (I think Im lucky I didnt get a DVT from sitting in that bloomin chair (gowned up) for nearly 8 hours.)
 
What does concern me greatly is that with the system being so totally different to that in the US, that you don't actually cause a negative effect.

Certainly doctors in the UK wouldn't take kindly to patients pushing and demanding answers and action. I am afraid that the patient is more likely to get fobbed off with a more junior doctor, the consultant might well just avoid confrontation. We cannot shop around and change doctors when we don't get on with them, I don't know if this is the same in Ireland but I suspect it might well be.

When I had endocarditis I was in an NHS bed and the woman in the next bed was a 'demanding' patient, making her feelings known to the staff. One day she noticed the consultant (most senior doctor) outside the ward and commented to me that she was under that doctor "but you never see him of course, you just see his team". With that he walked into the ward and straight past her to my bed.

I know that you are not used to this in the US but sometimes you get much better service in our medical system if you don't demand answers and action.
 
Sue, you make a good point. The medical system here is very different.

Jacqui - it does seem very odd about the A-fib! It makes me wonder: How long have you been in A-fib; why didn't they inform you of such; have you been medicated or treated for it in any way before Friday; why did they suddenly do the cardioversion Friday; how do they know you won't go back into it again; how can they make you wait for six weeks with no monitoring after that procedure and then all your meds discarded?

My dad had a cardioversion once but it was an emergency when he collapsed on a treadmill and his heart quit beating. It was a horrifying experience for him (his heart began beating again and he was aware of the last shock); they had to increase the shock power and shock him three times and he was really scorched on his chest. Then the admitted him and put a pacemaker in and sunk one lead into the wall of his heart, or somewhere where it didn't belong, so they had to pull things loose and reinstall the thing a couple of days later. His diagnosis was V-tach though and not A-fib.

His brother, my uncle, used to get cardioverted for A-fib but he wouldn't stay in sinus rhythm so he's in A-fib all of the time now and he's been on Coumadin for a couple of decades I believe.

Anyway, different experiences, those. But, Jacqui, can you email your cardio and ask him all of your questions?
 
Jacqui,
I just got back in town. Holy @&?!! They had to shock your heart and then they sent you home? I realize that I don't know anything about it, but on TV it looks pretty serious when they do that ;-)
I think that I will never complain about the US health system again. It isn't perfect, but...
I just don't understand how they can leave you with so little information. And if your a "bother" it might get worse?! That leaves you between a rock and a hard place.
I like the email idea. Maybe claim that everyone was so busy getting you back to "normal" that you forgot to ask for explanations?
BTW, did you get an appt for Thomas yet?

I hope your progress goes a little faster.
 
Sue, things are EXACTLY the same here....our ''consultants'' think they are GODS and we should bow to them.


Hi Susan, I have a feeling I go in and out of a.fib, just because of how Iv been feelling for months now...I guess I never feel ''well'' but since last October or so Iv been feeling really unwell and I think it could well be down to the a.fib.
You said your uncle has had v.tachy....Iv had 3 stress tests stopped due to v.tachy. Iv been taking a beta blocker and diltzem for years and to suddenly stop is quite scary. I took my aspirin last night though because Im scared of clots !!! As for emailing my cardio.....not a chance. If I had private health insurance I would imagine I could probably get him on the phone, but alas Im not in that position.


HI Deanne, The only good thing to come out of this 'fiasco' is that I am finding out 'bit by bit' what is going on with me. The sad thing is, about 50% of the people in this country who cannot afford private health insurance are treated appallingly each and every day. Our polititions are all ''crooks'' and our health service is a shambles. There was a story on TV recently of a 90 year old lady who had to lie on a trolly in A&E for 3 days, in one of our major hospitals in Dublin. There are tons of stories like that, and worse, every day.

NO appointment for the ct scan yet for Thomas. I will be on the phone to chase it up ''again'' today. :cool:
 
Jacqui, knowing roughly how your system works, my suggestion to you would be to speak to your GP practice, tell them how worried you are about stopping all the medication. It is probably that your GP will contact the hospital by phone to ask what is going on. After all, if you are sick as a result of not taking the medication your GP is likely to have to pick up the pieces.
 
I've heard that stopping beta blockers "cold turkey" is supposed to be bad. Apparently you are supposed to withdraw from them slowly.
 
Sue...I rang my gp thismorning because Im not happy with how my heart is feeling, and from what Im reading about a.fib Im not happy with how they are looking after me...not one bit....its one thing leaving me here feeling unwell...but quite another to leave me with what seems is quite a high risk of a stroke. Jeez....have they not been listening to me at all ?????????????

Adrienne, I had read that as well...what is with these docs. I hope to get some answers today with my gp....my gp is a woman, so 'hopefully' she can make some sense of all of this.
 
Jacqui.. you are still in my prayers.. Sure hoping someone Soon takes you seriously and helps you to feel better!!
 
Well......I went to my gp yesterday. I had lots of questions, (why were all my meds stopped..what if the a.fib returns etc) and her answer was..''quite honestly Jacqui, I dont know''. She said ....''I will write to the cardio''...the old me would have said ''ok'' and leave, but yesterday I listened to her and then said, ''Thank you for doing that, but, from past experience these things take quite some time so... WHAT DO I DO IN THE MEANTIME.......So, she said to take half my dose of beta blocker. Then I explained what I now knew about a.fib causing clots and should I not at the very least take aspirin....so she said to continue with aspirin for now.

By the way I managed to get an app for Thomas ct scan, for the 2nd April. Almost another month......gggrrrrrrrrr.
 
Jacqui, I glad the new you came to the appointment. :) As you said, at least it's something.

Sorry you have to wait a month for the CT, but am happy you got it scheduled.
 
Jaqui,

I was appalled at reading your post. I know the systems are different, but it seems as though your system is more apt to actually hurt you than help you. Having said that, I know that there have got to be some good folks in the system also.

I am so glad that your gp seems responsive and suggested you continue on 1/2 the beta blocker and also the aspirin.

Good grief! You have A-fib. They SAW you in A-fib! They had to shock you for it. And they let you go without putting you on Coumadin?

That should be your next mission, to try and get someone to put you on coumadin.

It makes sense that the A-fib could be the cause of your feeling unwell.

Hope things get better soon.
 
Just a question Jacqui. Are you still planning on moving to England where you said your sister lived and where if you had to be in the hospital for more than a night you would have family to help you?
 
*Nan...they SAW me in a.fib back in Nov, and it seems Iv been in a.fib before as I saw it in the letter the doc wrote the day I went to the hospital in Nov due to feeling soo unwell. But a.fib meant nothing to me as I didnt know what the implications were. I have a record of the ECG from Nov and I brought it over to my doc today. Thank God I went for the EP study because I didnt know 'one thing' about a.fib until last Fri, but Im finding out a lot about it now.

*Adrienne, Im still planning to go to England. Iv planned for the last weekend in April. Right now, the very thought of the chaos involved is a bit overwhelming, but my 'gut' is telling me to go. My kids are fine with it, they are looking forward to it actually.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top