I am back i have been through so much

[mikeydt1]

i have not been on here for a long time but during the time i lost both my parents and then to top it the elderly person i am with ended up having 2 heart attacks then last year stroked out on me, still here but now has found out he has bladder tumours

i spent all last year and in to this trying to get him better then when i went to the dentists something was seen and then went through my own cancer scare.

i was also born with a leaky heart valve that went undetected till some years ago but after having some issues this year it looks like i may be suffering from heart failure i am going for a heart scan to see what changes have taken place and to back up what my doctor now suspects (b.p is all over the place), ecg showing something left side.

one good thing is that the above can be managed but it is costing me my mobility.

i just don't know how much of a battle i have got in me but will keep battling till whatever.

i just have not known anything like it.

any advice for me would be welcome i just get so down at times,

mike

[Cornwall]

Hello Mike and welcome back, it's lovely to see you again.
I'm so sorry for the loss of your parents and all yours and your friends health problems. Hopefully things can start to improve slowly but surely for you now.


Wishing you all the best.

[nukecad]

Hi mikey, sounds like you have been through the mill there.

Obviously I'm no doctor but what you say about the heart sounds like a restricted artery on the left of the heart.
The leaky valve is not that much of a problem, many people have them without even knowing. I have one myself.

If it is a restricted artery then it's a simple procedure to correct.
It's called angioplasty and it's a doddle.
If it's only one artery then they may even do it at the same time as the scan/angiogram.

I've had it done twice now, once as an emergency through the wrist and then later a planned job where they went through the groin.

You are conscious throughout, you don't feel anything. (and if you're not squeamish you can even watch the scans of your heart on the screen as they do it).
They thread a tube through your arteries up to the heart and the inflate a 'balloon' to open the restricted artery.
They will sometines fit an expanding mesh tube, called a stent, to keep it open.
It takes between 30 mins and 2 hours depending on how many arteries they are working on, and you can usually go home the same day.
Less bother than going to the dentist.
Read more about it here: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronary-angioplasty/


If you do have that then you'll feel much better once it's done.

[mikeydt1]

many thanks for the kind messages.

when i was born there was not the machinery to detect such things so it went undetected till recently, i was okay up-to a few years ago then something started going wrong. instead of seeking help i put it on the back burner to look after the elderly gentleman, one of the many thousands of unpaid carers.

a recent heart episode i had prompted me to see a doctor, they all ready knew i had a leaky valve from a previous scan but i was shocked to find out they now suspected heart failure.

i will be glad when i go for the scan, the referral has now been done and i think it is on choose and book system.

once done i will get back with the diagnoses.

next week i am having a mini op and the elderly gentleman is also going for tumour removal so it will be all go here and a worrying time.

hugs all,

mike

[barbiejane]

Hello Mikey.Now things have been diagnosed for you hopefully you will get the right treatment.My hubby has been living with heart failure for many many years so try not to worry to much.He had a heart attack when he was 38 and he's 67 now.He had an Angigram and Angiplastey years ago and it made a hell of a difference to him.He has a enlarged heart or whats left of it after the Heart Attack killed nearly half of it.As Nuke has said things have moved on so much in the medical world.
I hope things improve for you and things will go well for your friend.
None of my business but has your friend tried to claim attendance allowance? It he is successful in getting it you could maybe claim Carers allowance for looking after him.
A friend of mine who's hubby is going through Cancer and treatment didn't have a clue about anything like Attendence or Carers allowance until I told her.They went to CAB and got some help and when I saw them yesterday they were both in a state of shock because a brown envelope had popped through the letter box saying that they had got the top rate AA.They were reluctant to apply (pride) but as I said to them you've both worked all your lives and paid all your dues and demands now it's maybe time to get something back.I'm so pleased they took my advice.

[mikeydt1]

well my mini op only got cancelled, i telephoned on the morning before going to hospital and was told that they might not be able to do it but still come down, went down only to be sent home and it cost nearly £20 in taxis so was a bit annoyed to say the least.

in respect of carers i did look in to it but was advised not to claim as it would of affected HB and CT and basically would not of been viable in my case.

[nukecad]

well my mini op only got cancelled, i telephoned on the morning before going to hospital and was told that they might not be able to do it but still come down, went down only to be sent home and it cost nearly £20 in taxis so was a bit annoyed to say the least.

Have you tried ringing NHS patient transport in your area?

They took me to/home from both my procedures, and one that got cancelled because the scanner broke.
No other eligibility was needed other than going for a heart procedure and being on benefits.

It's run by the ambulance service and is free, but you may have to share the car with others going the same way.

I'm not sure where you live but if you just google 'patient transport' you should find your local NHS scheme.
Here's a link to the North West ambulane one that I used: http://www.nwas.nhs.uk/our-services/...lity-criteria/

There are also local volunteer schemes that will provide transport for about the cost of the petrol so much cheaper than a taxi.
These can be used for almost any journey, not just getting to hospital.
Talk to your council about schemes available in your area.
Here's the leaflet from Cumbria, there is sure to be something similar in your area.
http://cumbria.gov.uk/eLibrary/Conte...2096153215.pdf

[mikeydt1]

got my echo scan coming next week but have found out the results may be looked at by someone i complained about years ago.

basically the guy more or less said that my heart problems were made up by looking on the internet yeah and then sometime after an angiogram and echo later on showed real problems going on, some narrowing left side and left heart chamber not emptying properly, so from been made up like the guy claimed it def was not, thankfully the latter was done by someone else.

reasons unknown i never got check ups and was more or less left in the clouds and now something is def going wrong resulting in loss of mobility and problems performing simple tasks.

i just hope to god this guy doesn't get his hands on my results.