You will remember I had a heart scare and I consulted emergency doctors who recommended an ordinary X-ray and an Echocardiogram.
No biggie, but here is the outcome:
I never made it to the regular x-Ray as I have been pretty much unwell since September and haven't had the ability or the confidence to travel the 1 mile to the hospital by scooter (I am ridiculously affected by changing ambient conditions like humidity, temperature and above all by any movement at all on my feet).
I received an appointment for an ECG at Southampton Hospital at 1830. Following hours of fruitless discussions with various people I had to cancel - no way could I travel 20 miles under my own steam, it was out of hours for Patient Transport and I couldn't find anyone locally. Yes I know David M would have driven the 200 mile round trip to do it, but I couldn't in all honesty
ask him to do it.
So, I had to cancel via the on-line service and request a new appointment. 2 months later, I have not yet received one.
But, all is not lost. I saw my Consultant last week and she's a diamond. She quickly organised a new appointment at my local hospital for, er, 1030 tomorrow morning. Judging by my present condition, there is no way in God's earth I can make that (haven't been able to get upstairs to bed for the past two days) but there is a chance if I could go later in the afternoon, but no. It has to be tomorrow at 1030 or Saturday at 1030, otherwise it will be the New Year.
So that my friends, is the current update on my 'heart scare'
Hopefully, (if I'm still alive) we'll find out more next year) Did I tell you by the way about the emergency paramedics that arrived in the middle of the night without batteries for their ECG monitor?
You could not make this up.
This all means I have received absolutely zero diagnosis or treatment for a suspected (by me) case of Cor Pulmonale, or in other words a progressive failure of the right side of the heart which is very common in severe COPD cases such as mine. Out of the 8 or so key symptoms, at least 6 were present in significant severity.
Now, I have always been a supporter of the NHS but in the past year, it's gone to hell in a handcart.
Why anyone would want a 'public health service' and have it run by incompetents (the so-called 'Managers & robbed by thieves is beyond me. (Foreign unqualified Consultant robs NHS of £500,000 in fees)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ef-misled-Commons-gagging-whistleblowers.html
America, be warned.
