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Heart Disease/Issues?

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  • IdleHans
    IdleHans Posts: 11,257
    LargeAddick said:
    Recently diagnosed with atrial flutter. Left ventricle only working at 20% capacity. Heart rate approx 140 bpm. Started meds yesterday to hopefully bring it down. If not then Consultant said I'd have a cardioversion too. Didn't/don't have any symptoms, was picked up only because I decided it was time to buy a smartwatch. Consultant said the watch may have ultimately saved my life.
    Best of luck, Large. 20% is pretty low but the medical staff have always said to me that it's not the number, it's how you feel. Mine was somewhere in the 20s too, but they havent been concerned enough to bother monitoring it for a couple of years, they put me on Entresto and left it at that.  I'm not reallly restricted though a long walk up hill takes it out of me now.
  • LargeAddick
    LargeAddick Posts: 33,469
    edited March 2025
    IdleHans said:
    LargeAddick said:
    Recently diagnosed with atrial flutter. Left ventricle only working at 20% capacity. Heart rate approx 140 bpm. Started meds yesterday to hopefully bring it down. If not then Consultant said I'd have a cardioversion too. Didn't/don't have any symptoms, was picked up only because I decided it was time to buy a smartwatch. Consultant said the watch may have ultimately saved my life.
    Best of luck, Large. 20% is pretty low but the medical staff have always said to me that it's not the number, it's how you feel. Mine was somewhere in the 20s too, but they havent been concerned enough to bother monitoring it for a couple of years, they put me on Entresto and left it at that.  I'm not reallly restricted though a long walk up hill takes it out of me now.

    Thanks. I was just happy that the echocardiogram came back showing no heart disease or blocking of the arteries. Atrial flutter/fibrilation seems a pretty common condition and in most cases easily treatable (as Stuart Pearce found out last week).
  • Bournemouth Addick
    Bournemouth Addick Posts: 16,330
    hoof_it_up_to_benty said:
    Bournemouth Addick said:
    Apologies for the bump. I've mentioned this on the running thread before but last year I was diagnosed with AF and underwent a cardioversion in May. Which was initially successful in getting me back into rhythm, albeit I never felt 100% right afterwards tbh.

    They changed my meds but this didn't help and unfortunately the cardioversion hasn't held and I've been back in AF since before Christmas.

    Saw the consultant this week and, given how debilitating I'm finding it, he's recommended we go for an ablation now (waiting time is around 6 months which is a bugger, but at least something is happening). 

    Just after some feedback from any Lifers who've had it really. Anyone care to share their experience? Painful or not? Recovery time? Did it blummin' work, because I'm fed up having the energy levels I have and wheezing like an 90 year old asthmatic? 
    My wife had an ablation done to treat an irregular heartbeat caused by the condition wolff parkinson white syndrome - seemed to work okay and boosted her energy levels. Quick procedure and short recovery time.
    Good stuff Hoofy. I'd never heard of that before. 
  • Bournemouth Addick
    Bournemouth Addick Posts: 16,330
    LargeAddick said:
    IdleHans said:
    LargeAddick said:
    Recently diagnosed with atrial flutter. Left ventricle only working at 20% capacity. Heart rate approx 140 bpm. Started meds yesterday to hopefully bring it down. If not then Consultant said I'd have a cardioversion too. Didn't/don't have any symptoms, was picked up only because I decided it was time to buy a smartwatch. Consultant said the watch may have ultimately saved my life.
    Best of luck, Large. 20% is pretty low but the medical staff have always said to me that it's not the number, it's how you feel. Mine was somewhere in the 20s too, but they havent been concerned enough to bother monitoring it for a couple of years, they put me on Entresto and left it at that.  I'm not reallly restricted though a long walk up hill takes it out of me now.

    Thanks. I was just happy that the echocardiogram came back showing no heart disease or blocking of the arteries. Atrial flutter/fibrilation seems a pretty common condition and in most cases easily treatable (as Stuart Pearce found out last week).
    Are you sure you never had any symptoms @LargeAddick? I'd never in a million years would have guessed I had a heart problem before I got the diagnosis. Mine only got picked up when I went to the doc's about a persistent ear infection and mentioned how tired, lightheaded and breathless I'd been and could it be related to the infection?

    The practice nurse said no, but stuck an ECG on me to check me out and there it was. It was her last appointment of the week, late on a Friday, but I'll be forever grateful she did that, even if I did make her late home. She's my wife's flipping hero, because left untreated who knows where it ends.
  • ElfsborgAddick
    ElfsborgAddick Posts: 29,911
    Had my yearly check up results come through yesterday and all came back with a clean bill of health.
  • LargeAddick
    LargeAddick Posts: 33,469
    Bournemouth Addick said:
    LargeAddick said:
    IdleHans said:
    LargeAddick said:
    Recently diagnosed with atrial flutter. Left ventricle only working at 20% capacity. Heart rate approx 140 bpm. Started meds yesterday to hopefully bring it down. If not then Consultant said I'd have a cardioversion too. Didn't/don't have any symptoms, was picked up only because I decided it was time to buy a smartwatch. Consultant said the watch may have ultimately saved my life.
    Best of luck, Large. 20% is pretty low but the medical staff have always said to me that it's not the number, it's how you feel. Mine was somewhere in the 20s too, but they havent been concerned enough to bother monitoring it for a couple of years, they put me on Entresto and left it at that.  I'm not reallly restricted though a long walk up hill takes it out of me now.

    Thanks. I was just happy that the echocardiogram came back showing no heart disease or blocking of the arteries. Atrial flutter/fibrilation seems a pretty common condition and in most cases easily treatable (as Stuart Pearce found out last week).
    Are you sure you never had any symptoms @LargeAddick? I'd never in a million years would have guessed I had a heart problem before I got the diagnosis. Mine only got picked up when I went to the doc's about a persistent ear infection and mentioned how tired, lightheaded and breathless I'd been and could it be related to the infection?

    The practice nurse said no, but stuck an ECG on me to check me out and there it was. It was her last appointment of the week, late on a Friday, but I'll be forever grateful she did that, even if I did make her late home. She's my wife's flipping hero, because left untreated who knows where it ends.

    Yes, no symptoms. Except I'm always tired, can drop off at the drop of the hat, Consultant thinks I may have sleep apnea which can be a cause, but other than that, none. No shortness of breath, tight chest, chest pains etc .
  • Arsenetatters
    Arsenetatters Posts: 6,187
    There’s a new GP at my surgery who has actually taken me seriously and looked past the ‘nutter’ label. I’ve been having palpitations for a while now and had a couple of ECGs which were fine - because they took 5 minutes and I didn’t have any palpitations. 
    This doctor listened to me saying that there is a genetic cardiomyopathy condition in the family. I’ve never been tested. 4 of my cousins have been tested and 2 have it. I’ve asked for it before and the old GP said he didn’t know of a test and it was fine if I didn’t have palpitations- and sent me for an ECG! The genetic condition is on my Dad’s side but my Mum had heart problems- had a heart attack at 57. 
    Anyway, this doctor has referred me to cardiology to have 24 hour ECG and echocardiogram. I think there’s a long waiting list though. - but it’s a start.
  • msomerton
    msomerton Posts: 3,330
    My blood pressure recently has jumped up, I have stent in one artery, but what did I get , a referral to the practice pharmacist. So after telephone conversation I am prescribed an increase of 5mg a day of the Enalpril.
    This has brought down the BP slightly, but believe GP`s here can not refer directly to Kings cardiac department.
  • KBslittlesis
    KBslittlesis Posts: 8,904
    Arsenetatters said:
    There’s a new GP at my surgery who has actually taken me seriously and looked past the ‘nutter’ label. I’ve been having palpitations for a while now and had a couple of ECGs which were fine - because they took 5 minutes and I didn’t have any palpitations. 
    This doctor listened to me saying that there is a genetic cardiomyopathy condition in the family. I’ve never been tested. 4 of my cousins have been tested and 2 have it. I’ve asked for it before and the old GP said he didn’t know of a test and it was fine if I didn’t have palpitations- and sent me for an ECG! The genetic condition is on my Dad’s side but my Mum had heart problems- had a heart attack at 57. 
    Anyway, this doctor has referred me to cardiology to have 24 hour ECG and echocardiogram. I think there’s a long waiting list though. - but it’s a start.
    Thinking of you MHL ♥️
    I started having palpitations a few months ago. I never had them when I went through my menopause (mid 30’s) & they weren’t one of the many symptoms I had during my Lyme. So I went to a recommended female GP here at our medical centre who said she’d start at the worst case scenario & work down. The waiting list for a heart monitor on our equivalent of national health is over a year but it was €215 to pay for it myself. Money well spent if you ask me, so two weeks ago I had it fitted and had to keep it on for 48hrs. I definitely had a few while it was on (not during the Millwall game surprisingly). So we wait to find out what the results were.
     convinced it’s hormonal and that I’ll probably need to go back on some kind of hrt as I came off it when I moved here.
     I’m exercising more now than I have since overcoming Lyme and I never get them while doing that. Weirdly I get them more in bed. They wake me up. Weird.
    I hope you get some answers 🙏🏻♥️
  • KBslittlesis
    KBslittlesis Posts: 8,904
    msomerton said:
    My blood pressure recently has jumped up, I have stent in one artery, but what did I get , a referral to the practice pharmacist. So after telephone conversation I am prescribed an increase of 5mg a day of the Enalpril.
    This has brought down the BP slightly, but believe GP`s here can not refer directly to Kings cardiac department.
    How can/do you get referred then?

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  • Raith_C_Chattonell
    Raith_C_Chattonell Posts: 5,868
    KBslittlesis said:
    Arsenetatters said:
    There’s a new GP at my surgery who has actually taken me seriously and looked past the ‘nutter’ label. I’ve been having palpitations for a while now and had a couple of ECGs which were fine - because they took 5 minutes and I didn’t have any palpitations. 
    This doctor listened to me saying that there is a genetic cardiomyopathy condition in the family. I’ve never been tested. 4 of my cousins have been tested and 2 have it. I’ve asked for it before and the old GP said he didn’t know of a test and it was fine if I didn’t have palpitations- and sent me for an ECG! The genetic condition is on my Dad’s side but my Mum had heart problems- had a heart attack at 57. 
    Anyway, this doctor has referred me to cardiology to have 24 hour ECG and echocardiogram. I think there’s a long waiting list though. - but it’s a start.
    Thinking of you MHL ♥️
    I started having palpitations a few months ago. I never had them when I went through my menopause (mid 30’s) & they weren’t one of the many symptoms I had during my Lyme. So I went to a recommended female GP here at our medical centre who said she’d start at the worst case scenario & work down. The waiting list for a heart monitor on our equivalent of national health is over a year but it was €215 to pay for it myself. Money well spent if you ask me, so two weeks ago I had it fitted and had to keep it on for 48hrs. I definitely had a few while it was on (not during the Millwall game surprisingly). So we wait to find out what the results were.
     convinced it’s hormonal and that I’ll probably need to go back on some kind of hrt as I came off it when I moved here.
     I’m exercising more now than I have since overcoming Lyme and I never get them while doing that. Weirdly I get them more in bed. They wake me up. Weird.
    I hope you get some answers 🙏🏻♥️
    I was told to get monitored for 48 hours once and to get the monitor back asap after the test. 

    When I arrived with said monitor the guy told me off saying it should have been returned the day before.  I protested it was a 48 hour test and he replied but this only a 24 hour monitor. Good old NHS.

    The specialist told me there were several missed heart beats, but the good news was there were thousands of good ones.  We left it there, I like to leave while I'm winning.

     
  • ElfsborgAddick
    ElfsborgAddick Posts: 29,911
    Arsenetatters said:
    There’s a new GP at my surgery who has actually taken me seriously and looked past the ‘nutter’ label. I’ve been having palpitations for a while now and had a couple of ECGs which were fine - because they took 5 minutes and I didn’t have any palpitations. 
    This doctor listened to me saying that there is a genetic cardiomyopathy condition in the family. I’ve never been tested. 4 of my cousins have been tested and 2 have it. I’ve asked for it before and the old GP said he didn’t know of a test and it was fine if I didn’t have palpitations- and sent me for an ECG! The genetic condition is on my Dad’s side but my Mum had heart problems- had a heart attack at 57. 
    Anyway, this doctor has referred me to cardiology to have 24 hour ECG and echocardiogram. I think there’s a long waiting list though. - but it’s a start.

    I'll message you my little chumette.
  • msomerton
    msomerton Posts: 3,330
    KBslittlesis said:
    msomerton said:
    My blood pressure recently has jumped up, I have stent in one artery, but what did I get , a referral to the practice pharmacist. So after telephone conversation I am prescribed an increase of 5mg a day of the Enalpril.
    This has brought down the BP slightly, but believe GP`s here can not refer directly to Kings cardiac department.
    How can/do you get referred then?
    spend 12 hours in A and E, then 8 hour later go to the urgent treatment department and get referred to the  cardiac unit ,did that 18months ago, ended up after 8 weeks and some tests in the cardiac unit being prescribed a beta blocker 2.5mg  a day by a bloke fatter than me , though 30+ years younger than me.
  • ElfsborgAddick
    ElfsborgAddick Posts: 29,911
    msomerton said:
    My blood pressure recently has jumped up, I have stent in one artery, but what did I get , a referral to the practice pharmacist. So after telephone conversation I am prescribed an increase of 5mg a day of the Enalpril.
    This has brought down the BP slightly, but believe GP`s here can not refer directly to Kings cardiac department.

    Kings were who performed my bypass, I cannot speak highly enough of them.
  • KBslittlesis
    KBslittlesis Posts: 8,904
    msomerton said:
    KBslittlesis said:
    msomerton said:
    My blood pressure recently has jumped up, I have stent in one artery, but what did I get , a referral to the practice pharmacist. So after telephone conversation I am prescribed an increase of 5mg a day of the Enalpril.
    This has brought down the BP slightly, but believe GP`s here can not refer directly to Kings cardiac department.
    How can/do you get referred then?
    spend 12 hours in A and E, then 8 hour later go to the urgent treatment department and get referred to the  cardiac unit ,did that 18months ago, ended up after 8 weeks and some tests in the cardiac unit being prescribed a beta blocker 2.5mg  a day by a bloke fatter than me , though 30+ years younger than me.
    That's awful 😖 
  • Valley Ant
    Valley Ant Posts: 507
    edited February 7
    I had the 24 hour monitor fitted 3 times during my tests to determine the cause of my palpitations 8 years ago, and I never had a palpitation or missed heart beat during any of them. Typical....
  • Arsenetatters
    Arsenetatters Posts: 6,187
    KBslittlesis said:
    Arsenetatters said:
    There’s a new GP at my surgery who has actually taken me seriously and looked past the ‘nutter’ label. I’ve been having palpitations for a while now and had a couple of ECGs which were fine - because they took 5 minutes and I didn’t have any palpitations. 
    This doctor listened to me saying that there is a genetic cardiomyopathy condition in the family. I’ve never been tested. 4 of my cousins have been tested and 2 have it. I’ve asked for it before and the old GP said he didn’t know of a test and it was fine if I didn’t have palpitations- and sent me for an ECG! The genetic condition is on my Dad’s side but my Mum had heart problems- had a heart attack at 57. 
    Anyway, this doctor has referred me to cardiology to have 24 hour ECG and echocardiogram. I think there’s a long waiting list though. - but it’s a start.
    Thinking of you MHL ♥️
    I started having palpitations a few months ago. I never had them when I went through my menopause (mid 30’s) & they weren’t one of the many symptoms I had during my Lyme. So I went to a recommended female GP here at our medical centre who said she’d start at the worst case scenario & work down. The waiting list for a heart monitor on our equivalent of national health is over a year but it was €215 to pay for it myself. Money well spent if you ask me, so two weeks ago I had it fitted and had to keep it on for 48hrs. I definitely had a few while it was on (not during the Millwall game surprisingly). So we wait to find out what the results were.
     convinced it’s hormonal and that I’ll probably need to go back on some kind of hrt as I came off it when I moved here.
     I’m exercising more now than I have since overcoming Lyme and I never get them while doing that. Weirdly I get them more in bed. They wake me up. Weird.
    I hope you get some answers 🙏🏻♥️
    Sorry to hear you are having similar problems. I'd not thought of menopause tbh - still have the odd hot flush. I'm thinking that I might pay for the ECG just to save the wait. 
    Hope you get your results soon and find out what's going on xx

  • KBslittlesis
    KBslittlesis Posts: 8,904
    Valley Ant said:
    I had the 24 hour monitor fitted 3 times during my tests 8 years ago and I never had a palpitation or missed heart beat during any of them....
    But did you end up having heart issues (sorry if you said already x)
  • Bournemouth Addick
    Bournemouth Addick Posts: 16,330
    A timely bump on this thread as I had my consultants appointment this week after my ablation last September. Sadly, I wasn't in the least surprised when he told me the heart monitor I'd had on in Nov showed that I'd gone back into AF.

    I'd prepared myself for making the case that he shouldn't discharge me because I knew I still wasn't right, but it was academic anyway.

    The plan is to try another ablation, which will be another 6 months wait, but if that doesn't work then basically it's symptom management for the rest of my life. Haven't really got my head around it yet, but I'm not yet 60 and the thought that I might never feel 100% fit & healthy again is concerning to say the least.

    Also a bit annoying that the data they worked on was 3/4 months old and I would be halfway up the waiting list had it been looked at back then, but instead I'm at the bottom and looking at another 6 months of feeling rubbish. Not the consultant's fault but AI or something looking at my monitor results would've picked it up immediately. 
  • Bournemouth Addick
    Bournemouth Addick Posts: 16,330
    KBslittlesis said:
    Arsenetatters said:
    There’s a new GP at my surgery who has actually taken me seriously and looked past the ‘nutter’ label. I’ve been having palpitations for a while now and had a couple of ECGs which were fine - because they took 5 minutes and I didn’t have any palpitations. 
    This doctor listened to me saying that there is a genetic cardiomyopathy condition in the family. I’ve never been tested. 4 of my cousins have been tested and 2 have it. I’ve asked for it before and the old GP said he didn’t know of a test and it was fine if I didn’t have palpitations- and sent me for an ECG! The genetic condition is on my Dad’s side but my Mum had heart problems- had a heart attack at 57. 
    Anyway, this doctor has referred me to cardiology to have 24 hour ECG and echocardiogram. I think there’s a long waiting list though. - but it’s a start.
    Thinking of you MHL ♥️
    I started having palpitations a few months ago. I never had them when I went through my menopause (mid 30’s) & they weren’t one of the many symptoms I had during my Lyme. So I went to a recommended female GP here at our medical centre who said she’d start at the worst case scenario & work down. The waiting list for a heart monitor on our equivalent of national health is over a year but it was €215 to pay for it myself. Money well spent if you ask me, so two weeks ago I had it fitted and had to keep it on for 48hrs. I definitely had a few while it was on (not during the Millwall game surprisingly). So we wait to find out what the results were.
     convinced it’s hormonal and that I’ll probably need to go back on some kind of hrt as I came off it when I moved here.
     I’m exercising more now than I have since overcoming Lyme and I never get them while doing that. Weirdly I get them more in bed. They wake me up. Weird.
    I hope you get some answers 🙏🏻♥️
    Although I can, and do, have them any time I notice my palpitations much more when I'm in bed. I think I'm just more aware that my ticker is doing backflips when I'm lying there not doing anything else tbh. 

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  • KBslittlesis
    KBslittlesis Posts: 8,904
    Thanks BA I did wonder if that was the case. I’m hoping the monitor will shed more light.
    Sending all my love to you with your issues ♥️
  • Bournemouth Addick
    Bournemouth Addick Posts: 16,330
    KBslittlesis said:
    Thanks BA I did wonder if that was the case. I’m hoping the monitor will shed more light.
    Sending all my love to you with your issues ♥️
    All the best to you too @KBslittlesis and hoping it's something they can resolve ASAP. 
  • Valley Ant
    Valley Ant Posts: 507
    edited February 7
    KBslittlesis said:
    Valley Ant said:
    I had the 24 hour monitor fitted 3 times during my tests 8 years ago and I never had a palpitation or missed heart beat during any of them....
    But did you end up having heart issues (sorry if you said already x)
    No problem.

    I had loads of tests over the period of at least a year but nothing major showed up despite me complaining of palpitations, although they did identify an irregular heart beat.
    I had a final meeting with the heart specialist in November of 2018 and he assured me that everything was fine with my heart and that, as I was a few years off 65, that I was more likely to have a stroke due to the irregular heart beat. So nothing to worry about.

    Just about one month, to the day, after that meeting I suffered a heart attack having walked back to my car to eat my lunch. As soon as I sat down...BAM.

    I didn't keel over, but I had severe chest pains that I just sat through until they finally calmed down after 30 minutes or so. Unfortunately, this was not a good decision by me. I even tried to go back to work after my lunch break was finished. What a clown.

    The only advice I can give is, if you ever feel chest pains, the call an ambulance IMMEDIATELY. Don't wait to see whether it clears up on its own.

  • Valley Ant
    Valley Ant Posts: 507
    Bournemouth Addick said:
    KBslittlesis said:
    Arsenetatters said:
    There’s a new GP at my surgery who has actually taken me seriously and looked past the ‘nutter’ label. I’ve been having palpitations for a while now and had a couple of ECGs which were fine - because they took 5 minutes and I didn’t have any palpitations. 
    This doctor listened to me saying that there is a genetic cardiomyopathy condition in the family. I’ve never been tested. 4 of my cousins have been tested and 2 have it. I’ve asked for it before and the old GP said he didn’t know of a test and it was fine if I didn’t have palpitations- and sent me for an ECG! The genetic condition is on my Dad’s side but my Mum had heart problems- had a heart attack at 57. 
    Anyway, this doctor has referred me to cardiology to have 24 hour ECG and echocardiogram. I think there’s a long waiting list though. - but it’s a start.
    Thinking of you MHL ♥️
    I started having palpitations a few months ago. I never had them when I went through my menopause (mid 30’s) & they weren’t one of the many symptoms I had during my Lyme. So I went to a recommended female GP here at our medical centre who said she’d start at the worst case scenario & work down. The waiting list for a heart monitor on our equivalent of national health is over a year but it was €215 to pay for it myself. Money well spent if you ask me, so two weeks ago I had it fitted and had to keep it on for 48hrs. I definitely had a few while it was on (not during the Millwall game surprisingly). So we wait to find out what the results were.
     convinced it’s hormonal and that I’ll probably need to go back on some kind of hrt as I came off it when I moved here.
     I’m exercising more now than I have since overcoming Lyme and I never get them while doing that. Weirdly I get them more in bed. They wake me up. Weird.
    I hope you get some answers 🙏🏻♥️
    Although I can, and do, have them any time I notice my palpitations much more when I'm in bed. I think I'm just more aware that my ticker is doing backflips when I'm lying there not doing anything else tbh. 
    I find that I am more likely to feel my heart beating when I lay on my left side in bed. If I move over to my right side it goes away.
  • KBslittlesis
    KBslittlesis Posts: 8,904
    Valley Ant said:
    KBslittlesis said:
    Valley Ant said:
    I had the 24 hour monitor fitted 3 times during my tests 8 years ago and I never had a palpitation or missed heart beat during any of them....
    But did you end up having heart issues (sorry if you said already x)
    No problem.

    I had loads of tests over the period of at least a year but nothing major showed up despite me complaining of palpitations, although they did identify an irregular heart beat.
    I had a final meeting with the heart specialist in November of 2018 and he assured me that everything was fine with my heart and that, as I was a few years off 65, that I was more likely to have a stroke due to the irregular heart beat. So nothing to worry about.

    Just about one month, to the day, after that meeting I suffered a heart attack having walked back to my car to eat my lunch. As soon as I sat down...BAM.

    I didn't keel over, but I had severe chest pains that I just sat through until they finally calmed down after 30 minutes or so. Unfortunately, this was not a good decision by me. I even tried to go back to work after my lunch break was finished. What a clown.

    The only advise I can give is, if you ever feel chest pains, the call an ambulance IMMEDIATELY. Don't wait to see whether it clears up on its own.

    Wow VA I'm so sorry. I hope you're getting all the help you need now? I haven't had any chest pains so far but I definitely will do as you say.
    Sending all my love your way ❤️ 
  • Peter_G
    Peter_G Posts: 881
    As reported on the Lifers Cancer Updates thread, I had two serious health events last year. A tumour on one kidney resulting in its removal almost exactly a year ago, then I was hospitalised in June with bad heart failure. The failure was a sudden weakening of my left ventricle which reduced my “ejection fraction” (the amount of blood and oxygen being pumped out by the heart) to 15%, which is alarmingly low.
    Since then I have been on a well established regime of meds known as the four pillars. They have the effect of lowering blood pressure and the reducing the workload on the heart by slowing it down and relaxing blood vessels. My symptoms have been greatly relieved by these meds.
    So today I had two appointments:
    1) a repeat blood test at my GP surgery to measure my kidney function; a routine blood test just over a week ago showed a low reading (efgr of 43);
    2) telephone appointment with my heart failure nurse (Princess Royal Hospital). I told him about the repeat blood test and he was able to reassure me that the efgr of 43 is actually not too bad considering that when my heart failure was first diagnosed, my efgr dropped to 39 and has not been much higher than the forties ever since. The balancing act of medicating the heart failure with only one kidney is tricky.
    He wants to await the results of the new blood test then he will discuss my case with my heart consultant. I await further tests and possibly a heart MRI scan, but for the time being I just keep taking the tablets and try to live as normal a life as I can. Much has been changed by my heart failure. I am strictly limited to the amount of fluid I can consume (one and a half litres each day) so my days of supping copious pints of best bitter are behind me, and I’m told to avoid flying anywhere because of the cabin pressure and lower oxygen levels. But it hasn’t stopped me from being at The Valley for all our home games and I’ve renewed my Kent Cricket membership for 2026.
    As the lovely @Redmidland (Malcolm) always said: Live, laugh, love and be happy! 
  • KBslittlesis
    KBslittlesis Posts: 8,904
    Got to hang on to the positives Pete 🙏🏻♥️
  • Arsenetatters
    Arsenetatters Posts: 6,187
    It looks like I will be joining a long waiting list for the 24hour ECG and echocardiogram. 
    I’ve been looking at the cost of having the tests done privately. It looks like I could get both done for somewhere around £750 (very approx).  So assuming they find out what’s causing my palpitations if it’s nothing to worry about all good. However if it means I need treatment then from what I read I’m back to the beginning of the nhs waiting list. So unless I do a ‘go fund my expensive heart treatment’ the only advantage of having private tests would be that I’d know what I was dealing with earlier. Is that correct?

  • ElfsborgAddick
    ElfsborgAddick Posts: 29,911
    Arsenetatters said:
    It looks like I will be joining a long waiting list for the 24hour ECG and echocardiogram. 
    I’ve been looking at the cost of having the tests done privately. It looks like I could get both done for somewhere around £750 (very approx).  So assuming they find out what’s causing my palpitations if it’s nothing to worry about all good. However if it means I need treatment then from what I read I’m back to the beginning of the nhs waiting list. So unless I do a ‘go fund my expensive heart treatment’ the only advantage of having private tests would be that I’d know what I was dealing with earlier. Is that correct?

    Best £750 you'll ever spend.
  • Peter_G
    Peter_G Posts: 881

    @Arsenetatters When I was referred for an echocardiogram I waited a few days for an appointment, but, having heard nothing and feeling quite unwell, on 9th June last year I just went in person with my referral letter to the cardio dept at the hospital (the Princess Royal in Farnborough) and asked the receptionist for an appointment. I was given one just two days later. When they did the echocardiogram on 11th June I was admitted immediately. If you have a referral letter it might be worth trying the direct approach?
    I then waited several months for the 24 hr ECG monitor, and thankfully it didn’t reveal any new horrors, but it was the echocardiogram that was the key test for me. 

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