| Derek F. 2004-10-26, 7:27 pm |
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"Dan" <forlorm.hope@ntlworld.com> wrote in message
news:kxqed.48$5A4.8@newsfe3-win.ntli.net...
> Thanks for your replies.
> Derek, I would be very grateful for local information. I e-mailed you
> yesterday - did you get my post? If not (I've had problems with Ntl) I'll
> try again using Yahoo.
> MB, I'm trying to manage without the anti-histamines for a few days, using
> a
> nasal spray, and we'll see how it goes. I have year- round rhinitis which
> is
> very irritating without medication. As far as quality of care goes, as
> Derek
> said, the National Health is geared towards giving excellent care in
> emergency situations but you tend to be put on the back burner once you're
> no longer classed as in danger. It just does not have the resources to do
> speedy tests on patients who aren't critical, although in time I may get
> some of the ones you mentioned. As I said in my first post I'm going to
> ask my GP to refer me to a consultant and if he recommends any of these
> tests I will find the resources to pay for them to be done quickly.
> Kevin, Thanks for such a long, interesting and detailed post. I was
> particularly interested to read what your urologists had said about a
> floppy
> bladder being able to recover after a period of ICC. When I get to see
> the
> consultant I will ask about this. Good luck with your fight against that
> infection, it sounds like a trial to live with.
> To all, I'm sorry about my irritating mis-spelling of 'catheter' all the
> way
> through my first post - in future I will check what I've written before
> posting!
> Dan
>
Perhaps a bit off topic but an example of the NHS in times of emergency and
ignoring what the patient tell them .
On the evening of 30th September my wife developed a pain under her left
breast and towards her waist. The next morning she said it was painful when
she took a deep breath. As the day went on the pain got worse but she would
not phone the doctor. I was beginning to think pulmonary embolism but other
symptoms were missing. She got through the evening but could only sit in a
very upright position to be comfortable. She went to bed at midnight and
woke up an hour later in severe pain. She also felt cold but sweaty.
I phoned the newly set up NHS24 who deal with out of hours problems as our
GP's now only work 9 till 5. I described the pain to the nurse who I was put
through to and was told
to give her two paracetemols. I said that the pain was more severe than one
to be cured with that. I gave the phone to my wife who gave an update on the
pain which was getting worse by the minute. The nurse said that she would
send a doctor to see her within the hour. The pain was still getting worse
and she then said that she would send an ambulance. Within five minutes two
paramedics arrived in an ambulance, followed by two more in a car, followed
by two more. The bedroom was getting a bit crowded. They did an ECG which
was OK and gave her two aspirins to chew before fitting an oxygen mask. The
ambulance took us to hospital and fortunately it was a quiet night for them
with only a cardiac arrest patient before her. She was examined and another
ECG was done which was again OK. She then had a chest X-Ray and some blood
tests. The X-ray did not show anything so we waited for the blood results.
The young doctor said that while they were not negative for signs of a blood
clot they were only slightly positive. She gave her a shot of Heparin and a
pain killer and said that the consultant would see my wife in the morning
and decide if a CAT scan should be done. The CAT scan was done in the
afternoon and showed nothing wrong and around 7pm she was told that she
could go home. ER was by this time chock a block and patients on trolleys
and wheel chairs were lining the corridor outside the assessment ward. I
protested at her being released without a cause being found for the pain
which was by now slight. We were told that 60% of patients admitted with
chest pain did not have a cause found for it. From the position of the pain
we had never been convinced that it was cardiac related and it seem too low
down to be in the lung. The discomfort in the area continued and by the
Monday my wife felt nauseous and had vile smelling breath and a nasty taste
in her mouth. Several times after eating small meals she wanted to be sick.
Last week she went to her GP who prodded the area which made her jump. His
first thoughts, gastritis or an ulcer and set the wheels in motion for an
endoscopy but in the meantime arranged for a barrage of blood tests. I asked
why not use the blood tests already done by the hospital but he said that
they had only done ones that were cardiac and lung related. His other
expectation was a positive for Helicobacter Pylori.
The blood tests did show Helicobacter Pylori and he has now started her on
triple therapy to clear it and any ulcer she may have.
Derek
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