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December 20th
2006: I was diagnosed with having a silent heart attack and have an
embolism in my left brachial (?) artery and was taking 4mg of Warfarin daily.
I was also taking Rampirril 2.5mg daily and had a CT scan to show the blockage
in my left arm and awaited a coronary angiogram. It was suggested that this
could be stress related.
February 2007: I had an appointment with a Psychiatric Consultant in
March coincidentally the same day as an appointment with the Surgeon when , I
assume, he will discuss the forthcoming treatment. This psychiatric
appointment is less than a year after I was told I had NO mental Health
component. An Angiogram is to be performed the following day.
March 2007 The angiogram was cancelled after I had been
“clerked” in and I had to go home. As I had no money and
was 18 miles from home they arranged an Ambulance-Taxi. At the following INR
appointment it was decided I might as well stop taking Warfarin rather than
re-start it then stop again so I restart AFTER the angiogram is performed.
2nd Angiogram appointment. They were unable to progress up one artery
and I now need a 3rd Appointment for this. However I was left alone in a room
for 15 hours, a room which was SOO similar to the one in Heath House Hospital
and caused an AWFUL reaction of flashbacks. I spent 15 hours reliving June
1998 this time with the added knowledge that I have lost everything. The
nursing staff were not very “kind” (my opinion) or understanding and I
appeared, so I heard later, as an angry argumentative trouble maker. IT WAS
HELL of the 1st order. My neighbour picked me up and I was very curt with
her and she took off in her Metro like Steve McQueen in Bullit and shot over a
speed bump at 30 mph , the car flew through the air and broke-down. I arranged
a visit from the AA and went back to the day-stay ward as my left arm was numb
and my heart was going “brrrrrr” rather than “lub dup”. I saw the Cardio
Consultant where he listened to the recounting of the hell I had been through
that night, He was EXTREMELY kind and sympathetic, then, as were the rest of the
Staff that were present, and prescribed Aspirin and Cholesterol reducing
medication for me to take immediately. I had faith in that man then.
3rd Angiogram Appointment. They were unable to inflate my “blocked
artery” via the left wrist and again from the femoral artery and I now await a
graft from an artery in my neck to bypass the blockage. I still await another
angiogram appointment from the Coronary Consultant to ascertain the problem
with my heart. I was in a 6 bed room in the surgical ward but still found it
extremely difficult to come to terms with the stay, as above, In the Ward was an acquaintance,
now friend, who had had surgery having been diagnosed with cancer 3 weeks
previously.. HIS employer (Tesco) immediately put him “off sick” and has promised his
old job back on his return. How different to the response from the NHS . But
at least HIS GP (I wonder if it was Dr B as the practice location was very
similar ) gave him a diagnosis after the results of some urgent tests and also
he now has a prognosis and a rough idea of how the treatment will progress.
Unlike me and Dr A.
4th Angiogram appointment on May 1st 2007 After 90 minutes on the
table the consultant advised that no further intervention was necessary and my
“cardio” problem could probably be controlled by medication. Up to 8mg a day
of Warfarin BUT I NOW have NO pulse in my right arm and extreme pain in my right
thumb IMMEDIATELY following that appointment. There was a TV/
computer screen showing "relaxing" pictures for me to watch. Relaxing pictures
like impressive lightning strikes. Music was playing to relax me.
Like "The first cut is the deepest" "Romeo and Juliet" by Dire
Straits with the words "you gave me a heart attack"
AND then the computer crashed and I watched the "blue screen of
death" for maybe 15 minutes. I felt my arm bouncing of the table and saw my
blood splattered on the floor and the aprons worn by the nursing staff. It was
not very pleasant verging on traumatic.
The after care
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Angiograms