Not Sure What Is Happening Now

[mrdee 1]

HI folks,

 

since so many of you ask (thank you for the interest, by the way), I thought it would be polite to give you an update on how things are going.

 

I had an appointment with the cardiologist this morning (yes, they are beginning to work funny days and hours at my local hospital, last time I had an appointment at 7.30 pm, now on a Saturday morning ).

 

Anyway, the good news was that my blood pressure was completely normal, just as it was a few days ago when the nurse at the diabetes clinic measured it, but things that turned out less pleasant were that the cardiologist doubled the dose of my medication I am taking against chest pains, the reason being that the chest pains have began to increase in frequency and intensity again recently.

 

There is also the problem of me constantly gasping for breath, since there is no evidence of COPD or asthma, the GP (and the cardiologist) noth said that it most probabnly comes from the enlargement of my heart muscle, in other words heart failure.

 

Thursday just gone my GP also signed me off work again for another 3 months, I have now been off work for 1 year and 6 months.

 

Another worrying thing is that, after my first heart problem in 2011, I had to see the cardiologist every month, as things got better, that increased to every 3 months, then every six months, until the cardiologist said "things have now evp;lved for the better so much that seeing you every year will be sufficient".

However, the cardiologist this morning said he wants to see me again in one month's time, and that does worry me a bit.

 

Furthermore, next Saturday I have to go to a special clinic to be investigated for sleep apnoea, I have no idea what they are going to do with me there (what kind of tests), or what treatment they are going to give me if it does turn out I do have sleep apnoea, what I do know is that sleep apnoea can be life threatening if left untreated.

 

And to add insult to injury, the 28th of this month I have to attend a tribunal which will have to decide whther or not I am fit for work, as they assume my GP is a liar, since he has been signing sick notes now for one and a half year.

When I mentioned it this morning, the cardiologist said "I don't think so" when I mentioned that, according to the powers that be, I am fit for work.

But, there will be more about that in The Vent, where I will post about the scandalous practice our government is using these days, and my post will include some interesting video footage.

 

So watch out for my topic in that section too.

[sheepdog 10]

Well it saddens me to hear you are still having health problems. It sounds like you have a lot of the same health problems my old man has, I hope your back is in better shape than his though! It gives him a great deal of pain. And of course, when you are in pain your blood preasure goes up and causes lots of other problems. He has diabetes too, and a pretty fair amount of blockage in his heart arteries. It is without a doubt, hell to get old. I hope they don't give you too much static when they review your case for keeping you off of work. IT sure doesnt sound to me like you need to be out there doing any major physical work in your shape.

[mrdee 1]

Thanks, Sheepdog.

All my sympathy for your old man, of course.

My work might not be heavy physical stuff, but it sure can be stressful, with stress being something which I certainly can do without.

 

I am a music teacher,remember, and the way things are going in schools these days are certainly not of the nature to be helpful to heart patients.

 

Also, being a performing musician, working mainly late nights, and driving home in the middle of the night while you have trouble staying awake, is not likely to help much either.

 

Make no mistake, how I wish I could be on the stage or in front of a class again, but I know I am not at all up to it.

 

Now, read my post in The Vent about how we are being treated.

 

Also, thank you for your comforting words.

[Indego_Media 1]

Mr Dee, just logged in to see your post. we both know that I've been where you are with the heart condition. the sleep apnoea thing is just to ensure you are getting enough oxygen when you sleep at night. usually the test is run at night. they hook you up to a few sensors and a nasal tube that monitors the your breathing output, the most difficult thing about this process is that breathing tube stuck under your nose for the night while you try and sleep. good luck with it. I'd dare say that your Specialists will find that unless you snore quiet a lot, and i'm sure Nanna will have told you if that is the case, that there is little to worry about there. It took them about 3 years to sort out the correct levels of medications for me, and we now things are good and looking up. so much so that i'm slowly starting to reduce the level of medication needed to keep the world a happy place.good luck to you and all the upcoming events.. Say Hi to Nanna for me as wellCheersJase

[mrdee 1]

Well, here is a further update.

(Hope some of you are not going to say "Oh no, here we go again...", but many of you have asked to keep you posted).

 

Anyway, the good news was posted in a different topic, the bit about me winning my tribunal, and now being in receipt of full ESA (Employment and Support Allowance) benefit.

At least that is something positive, however, it does obviously not sort my health problems out (as you will read further on).

 

Now for the latest about the health situation itself:

 

Two weeks ago I had to go and see a doctor who is highly specialised in sleep apnoea.

 

What is sleep apnoea?

 

Sleep apnoea ​is a disorder where the sufferer stops breathing several times a night, as a result the oxygen levels drop, and the patient wakes up briefly, although he/she does not necessarily notice it.

 

However, due to the waking up, there is a serious lack of quality sleep, because of which the sufferer can have chronic fatigue, sometimes fall asleep during the day (this could even happen while driving a car) and lacks energy and could also become very irritable.

The patient also often snores during the night.

 

There is no cure as such, ie. no medicines that can be prescribed or operations that can be performed to make the disease better, but there are some things that can be done to help.

 

Weight loss is one of the things that could help, but there are further things that can be done too, they shall be described further on.

 

Now, it had been suspected for some time that I suffered from the disease (and probably have done for many years) and when the doctor examined me, his suspicions became even stronger.

 

He then gave me a little machine that I had to strap to my arm one night and it had a tiny microphone, a sensor to put on the finger (like they put on you in a hospital to measure your oxygen levels) and a little hose attached to it, a plastic hose which you attach to the inside of your nose.

 

After using it for one night I had to send it back to the doctor so he could analyse the results.

I then had a phone call from the doctor, confirming I definitely suffer from sleep apnoea, so what is going to happen next is:

I will have to go to a specialised hospital in Oxford, where I will have to spend about half a day as an outpatient and be taught how to use a certain machine with an oxygen mask attached to it, which will improve the oxygen flow during the night and (hopefully) help me sleep better.

 

A final word about the result of the data analysis from my night, attached to the machine:

 

Although I had a very bad night that night, I slept very badly and very little, the doctor had found out that that particular night, I stopped breathing 33 times, and my oxygen levels dropped 69 times.

 

Hopefully the treatment will help me lead a more normal and relaxed life.

Edited February 13, 2013 by mrdee (see edit history)

[jlhaslip 4]

We certainly are wishing you well and I hope that finding this issue and dealing with it will get you heading down a healthier life path.All the best to you.

[k_nitin_r 8]

MrDee,Apparently, they narrowed down the angina to a sleep apnea. I guess that is something that most of us would never have correlated together, and apparently your early doctors did not either. The dropping oxygen levels may have caused the angina, which the cardiologist performed routine tests for to determine that there is no problem at all.During the period when they want to have you treated for sleep apnea, are they giving you anything to deal with the problems of lack of sleep? I think they use Amphetamine, Ampakines, or something like Modifinil to treat the symptoms so you can function normally till they have everything sorted out.If they haven't got you started yet, they probably have a plan to you playing the symphonies of Mozart while in your sleep.Anyway, I hope you get well soon so we can see you more often on the forum.

[rpgsearcherz 5]

Well, here is a further update.

(Hope some of you are not going to say "Oh no, here we go again...", but many of you have asked to keep you posted).

 

Anyway, the good news was posted in a different topic, the bit about me winning my tribunal, and now being in receipt of full ESA (Employment and Support Allowance) benefit.

At least that is something positive, however, it does obviously not sort my health problems out (as you will read further on).

 

Now for the latest about the health situation itself:

 

Two weeks ago I had to go and see a doctor who is highly specialised in sleep apnoea.

 

What is sleep apnoea?

 

Sleep apnoea ​is a disorder where the sufferer stops breathing several times a night, as a result the oxygen levels drop, and the patient wakes up briefly, although he/she does not necessarily notice it.

 

However, due to the waking up, there is a serious lack of quality sleep, because of which the sufferer can have chronic fatigue, sometimes fall asleep during the day (this could even happen while driving a car) and lacks energy and could also become very irritable.

The patient also often snores during the night.

 

There is no cure as such, ie. no medicines that can be prescribed or operations that can be performed to make the disease better, but there are some things that can be done to help.

 

Weight loss is one of the things that could help, but there are further things that can be done too, they shall be described further on.

 

Now, it had been suspected for some time that I suffered from the disease (and probably have done for many years) and when the doctor examined me, his suspicions became even stronger.

 

He then gave me a little machine that I had to strap to my arm one night and it had a tiny microphone, a sensor to put on the finger (like they put on you in a hospital to measure your oxygen levels) and a little hose attached to it, a plastic hose which you attach to the inside of your nose.

 

After using it for one night I had to send it back to the doctor so he could analyse the results.

I then had a phone call from the doctor, confirming I definitely suffer from sleep apnoea, so what is going to happen next is:

I will have to go to a specialised hospital in Oxford, where I will have to spend about half a day as an outpatient and be taught how to use a certain machine with an oxygen mask attached to it, which will improve the oxygen flow during the night and (hopefully) help me sleep better.

 

A final word about the result of the data analysis from my night, attached to the machine:

 

Although I had a very bad night that night, I slept very badly and very little, the doctor had found out that that particular night, I stopped breathing 33 times, and my oxygen levels dropped 69 times.

 

Hopefully the treatment will help me lead a more normal and relaxed life.

 

I'm glad you're able to find help with your problems! Sleep apnea is something I think I'd have problems coping with. I know of others that have it and also have the oxygen tank with mask, but I roll around so often while I sleep I'd be afraid to choke myself with it, tear it, etc.

[mrdee 1]

They have not started me on any treatment yet, however, Amphetamines??? They are stimulants, it is my sleep pattern that needs improving.But, as I said, once I have been to the hospital in Oxford, I will see what difference it makes to sleep while getting a constant oxygen flow.I am a bit scared to think how I will cope as I do not lie still for 5 minutes while I am in bed, but, I'll soon see what happens.And, yes, ONE of the reasons (not THE or THE ONLY reason) for me getting angina and heart problems might have been a lack of oxygen supply that went undetected for goodness knows how many years.Funny it took a Romanian doctor working in England to mention having an investigation into sleep apnoea as soon as I mentioned my symptoms, while I have been complaining about my situation and my inability to stay awake to British doctors for more years than I care to remember, only to be fobbed off, no one even mentioned the word "sleep apnoea".So, I am now awaiting my therapy and hoping for better times.Thank you for your interest, everyone, and I'll keep you posted.

[rpgsearcherz 5]

They have not started me on any treatment yet, however, Amphetamines??? They are stimulants, it is my sleep pattern that needs improving.
But, as I said, once I have been to the hospital in Oxford, I will see what difference it makes to sleep while getting a constant oxygen flow.
I am a bit scared to think how I will cope as I do not lie still for 5 minutes while I am in bed, but, I'll soon see what happens.

And, yes, ONE of the reasons (not THE or THE ONLY reason) for me getting angina and heart problems might have been a lack of oxygen supply that went undetected for goodness knows how many years.

Funny it took a Romanian doctor working in England to mention having an investigation into sleep apnoea as soon as I mentioned my symptoms, while I have been complaining about my situation and my inability to stay awake to British doctors for more years than I care to remember, only to be fobbed off, no one even mentioned the word "sleep apnoea".

So, I am now awaiting my therapy and hoping for better times.

Thank you for your interest, everyone, and I'll keep you posted.

I know what you mean! Doctors usually take the "the easiest solution is probably the right one" method when dealing with problems. "Your head fell off? Take this ibuprofen and see if you feel better. In two weeks return if your situation hasn't gotten better!"

[mrdee 1]

Hahahahahaha, LOL.But, then again, yes, I think you are not far off the real situation the way you describe it.Another one they seem to love: "you have a cut in your finger, it won't need stitches, but I advise you to give up smoking as that is probably the cause".

[rpgsearcherz 5]

Hahahahahaha, LOL.But, then again, yes, I think you are not far off the real situation the way you describe it.

Another one they seem to love: "you have a cut in your finger, it won't need stitches, but I advise you to give up smoking as that is probably the cause".

Yes, that one is awesome too. For some reason a lot of doctors try to relate everything to smoking. I was actually told that one of my issues I went to the hospital for was due to smoking, even though I've never smoked in my life.

I do agree that smoking is bad, but the ridiculous attempt to relate absolutely everything to it just gets annoying.

[mrdee 1]

My thoughts exactly.And then you have doctors, 10s of kilos overweight, who sit there with a straight face, telling you you have to lose weight immediately.Or the ones, stinking of booze, who would advise you not to drink.Or even the best one, the doctor I saw, he worked in A&E at my local hospital, and he went out every so many minutes to have a cigarette.

[rpgsearcherz 5]

My thoughts exactly.And then you have doctors, 10s of kilos overweight, who sit there with a straight face, telling you you have to lose weight immediately.

Or the ones, stinking of booze, who would advise you not to drink.

Or even the best one, the doctor I saw, he worked in A&E at my local hospital, and he went out every so many minutes to have a cigarette.

A couple of those are a "do as I say, not as I do thing." Kind of like how people will attempt stunts on their motorcycle, knowing they could be injured and/or die from it. They know the effects and are willing to take the risks associated.

[mrdee 1]

Yes, or "Listen to my words, but do not look at my actions" .I would not personally associate it with the stuntmen on the motorbikes, it is of course right, they know the risks (or, they should know the risks), but they are willing to take the risk, but in their case it is more like advising people what to do and what not to do and going totally against their own advice themselves.But sometimes, they get it right too, like the doctor who says to an old man who has come to see him: "you will certainly live until at least 85", the old man says "I am 85 already", to which the doctor answers "You see? Didn't I tell you?", then the doctor goes on "Do you smoke", the old man "No.", the doctor goes "A pity, or I would have forbidden you to do so".Or, a more serious case: A doctor and his wife have been on holiday for two weeks.When they come back, the doctor says to his wife "We are ruined, totally finished", his wife asks "why, what happened?", to which he answers "you know, that young doctor I asked to replace me during our holiday? Well, he cured all my patients".(Or just to say a doctor's life is not always moonlight and roses).