Any survivors on here, cardiac arrest, heart attack, cancer....

[classic33]

Blimey. There are some survivors on this forum!

As per my intro in the new members section I too had a super fun time last year going from relatively healthy to 50/50 chance of survival in a whirlwind 4 days. This was all due to something as simple as a blockage of my common bile duct, most likely by a gallstone. This caused acute necrotising pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas leading to interruption of the blood supply and death of the organ tissue) which lead to multiple organ failure, an ambulance ride, 11 days in ICU, 3 months in hospital, sepsis, 2 operations and 6 months off work Funny how things pan out sometimes..! I think I managed to achieve pretty much every complication possible in my road to recovery and truth be told I'll never quite be the same again but I'm still here, kicking and screaming

Keep the screaming down will you!

 

[classic33]

@flatflr I’ve little doubt things vary from one area to another but this may help. For me cardiac rehab was organised by the team who provide it, not the GP. I had a visit before discharge by the rehab team with all the relevant info.

Getting the prescriptions right can be a bit of a trial. Once it’s correct get put on repeat dispensing and you may be able to simply order by email monthly direct to the pharmacy. You know you’re entitled to free prescriptions?

Regarding the turbo. If I walk at a brisk pace, by this I mean as fast as I can and still call it a walk, my HR is 92. In my view you might get more benefit out of a walk than a turbo session.

Be aware of changing temperatures having an effect on you. I wasn’t told of this until I raised it with the rehab team. For some cardiac patients moving from a warm house to cold outdoors and vice versa can be very uncomfortable. Obviously it’s not cold yet. The solution I found was to dress for outdoors and then wait in the house for ten minutes till I had warmed up. I also covered my mouth and nose with a scarf to avoid breathing in cold air. When I returned to the house I would again wait a few minutes before taking off coat etc. to allow my body to adjust to the indoor temperature.

How many could afford to carry on, if they'd to pay for what they needed to survive?

I know I couldn't even at prescription charge price.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

How many could afford to carry on, if they'd to pay for what they needed to survive?

I know I couldn't even at prescription charge price.

Being in Australia currently we have had to pay for some things then claim it back from our insurance company.

• My doctors appointment that day in July this year was $192 because it was a very long appointment apparently (I have no idea).
• The ambulance was cheap because although it was a 40 minute emergency ride to the closest hospital with me needing constant attention just to keep me alive, we didn't cross any stage boundaries so it was only $590 (if they had taken me across a state boundary then it would have been more than double that).
• I then needed immediate and constant support to stay alive and ended up being an air ambulance transfer across state boundaries... Luckily because it was classed as an interhospital transfer, there was no charge but if they had come to collect me from my doctors surgery... But we heard it was upwards of $5,000 for that 15 minutes flight...
• I then needed isolation in icu on life support for a day, 6 days on a respirator and spent 12 days in icu alone... Figure pet day. Not a clue.
• The hospital also charge you $58.90 a day if your stay is longer than 35 days of non-acute stay. Luckily for me despite being in hospital for longer than that, the 12 days in icu and the 3 weeks in acute rehab didn't count...
• Some of my meds were not available to the hospital, so they had to write prescriptions for them for my husband to collect from the private pharmacies. You pay for those meds. It varies from pharmacy to pharmacy what you pay... The ones they couldn't get hold of were $150 per item and one is simply not available in Australia at all (it's only €16 in Spain over the counter though!)
• I also have to pay for my meds here (though we are able to claim some of it back on the travel insurance through my husband's work)... Anything from $6 for the really common cheap generic stuff to $178.00 I think it's the highest I have seen and that's my time release morphine and that's only 28 tablets at one a day. We pay around $400-500 a month for my medication. that's just the meds that need a prescription or are available in Australia. Not all my meds are. Luckily the Aussie government have a system by which when you meet a figure of something like $3,000 starting from 1 January, you only get charged $6. something per item after that until the end of the year. It appears to apply to the entire household, so my hubby only pays $6 let item now as well. It still costs us upwards of $150 pm despite that help.

1 aussie dollar is roughly 60p in sterling.

 

[classic33]

Still enough to pay out though.

 

[PaulSB]

How many could afford to carry on, if they'd to pay for what they needed to survive?

I know I couldn't even at prescription charge price.

Which without getting all political is why the NHS is such a wonderful institution. None of us give a medical visit or appointment any thought in relation to cost.

 

[Colin_P]

Crikey, lots happening sadly in this thread, a few words of advice;

You are not and never alone !
and
Keep fighting and never let it win !


A mundane'ish update from me after my visit to the "pacing" clinic today and as I'm a bullet point kind of mood;

• I have an ICD (Implanted cardioverter defibrilltor) and have done since 2013 as a result of a rather nasty virus.
• It has saved my life five times now with dropping dead Nrs. 4&5 happening in late April with the subsequent being shocked back to life happening about ten seconds or so after the ICD detected me being dead.
  
• I was swapped over and started on a very toxic drug back in April and about to have blood and other tests for thyroid, liver, lungs and eyesight so toxic this drug is.
• The good news is that no further events recorded and the battery is showing 8.5 years remaining despite all the work the ICD has had to do.
• My third six month medical driving ban is likely to end but is not guaranteed, I need to await news from the DVLA. However I'm not sure I really want to drive again even if I could and this is coming from a proper petrol head.
• Part of the tests today were to check the lead integrity, the ICD box itself is on the surface just under my left collar bone and the leads are threaded a main vein, past a heart valve and then bored internally into my heart muscle.
• First test was where they increase your heart rate. Sounds inocuous enough doesn't it but not when you leap from 62bpm to 90bpm instantly. That had me on edge.
• Second test, my favourite was the same for the lower lead. This one makes your heart beat upside down, literally and always freaks the hell out of me but today especially. The sensation is exactly like the one I get just before dropping dead! Needless to say, my so called sympathetic nervous system (look it up it really does exist) doesn't know the difference between this test and dropping dead. Massive adrenaline dump as the fight or flight reflex is activated and suddenly you are on the verge of a panic attack. I don't like that test.

End of the bullety points bit. Hopefully my bloods will come back all good which would mean the toxic drug that stops me dropping dead in the short term isn't actually killing me in the longterm.

 

[classic33]

It's odd how much affects the vision.

So long as you don't get headbutted, you should be okay.

 

[flatflr]

Quick update:

On the advice of my Dr I've been doing some very light turbo sessions keeping my heart rate below 80bpm over the last few weeks (I found easy to control the heart rate on the turbo and wanted to get back in the saddle especially as I'd just had a bike fit done).

Last week I had my first Cardiac Rehab session with some very light exercises (picked up a good warm-up routine). Had some good chats with the trainer and the cardiac nurse and they've said I'm good to get back out running and riding as long as I take it easy. So I headed out for my first ride since my heart attack on Saturday, a very relaxed and flat 11 miles. Felt really good to be back on the bike

Going to take it easy with more relaxed turbo session and a few short slow runs.

 

[classic33]

Wasted morning, MRI scan has been requested. And I've been referred back to the surgery(that made the Urgent referral), so that they can refer me onto someone else.

Got it confirmed in writing, that I've been referred back, to be referred onto another specialist with regards the leak.

MRI scans show "a cavity", further investigation will be done under another specialist. Referral has been made, so possibly next year?

Glad that it was classed as urgent. Nine months and counting.

 

[JtB]

About 3 years ago and “out of the blue” my heart kept stopping every time I fell asleep. Within a 24 hour period it had happened over a dozen times. I went to A&E a couple of times and they couldn’t find anything wrong, so each time they sent me home. Then about 11pm my wife took me back to A&E and dug her heels in so they were left with no choice other than to check me in for the night and wire me up to their monitors. As soon as I fell asleep I set off their alarms and they saw that my normal heart activity was stopping for about 40 seconds, so about midnight they wheeled me up to the cardiac ward. Knowing what I then knew I was too afraid to drop off to sleep again, so I stayed awake all night until I was seen by the doctor doing the rounds the following day (who I later found out wasn’t even a cardiologist). He had a load of students following in his wake and his expert diagnosis was that I had simply fainted during the night, nothing too concerning. By then I was feeling a bit miffed with the system so I decided to fall asleep again before the doctor had finished doing his rounds and when I came round he was there white as a sheet giving his students a completely different diagnosis. I don’t think the doctor was liked much because behind his back the nurses were giving me the “thumbs up” and telling me “excellent timing”. Later that day I received a pacemaker but not before falling asleep and setting off all the alarms one more time.

 

[slow scot]

Thank you all for responding and everything counts !

How are you all on your bikes? Are you as slow as me ?

Check my CC name for an answer! Just keep getting out.

 

[roadrash]

appointment sunday 26th November at Salford royal to review my broken neck, c4 fracture

 

[classic33]

appointment sunday 26th November at Salford royal to review my broken neck, c4 fracture

Will you be going as well?

 

[classic33]

About 3 years ago and “out of the blue” my heart kept stopping every time I fell asleep. Within a 24 hour period it had happened over a dozen times. I went to A&E a couple of times and they couldn’t find anything wrong, so each time they sent me home. Then about 11pm my wife took me back to A&E and dug her heels in so they were left with no choice other than to check me in for the night and wire me up to their monitors. As soon as I fell asleep I set off their alarms and they saw that my normal heart activity was stopping for about 40 seconds, so about midnight they wheeled me up to the cardiac ward. Knowing what I then knew I was too afraid to drop off to sleep again, so I stayed awake all night until I was seen by the doctor doing the rounds the following day (who I later found out wasn’t even a cardiologist). He had a load of students following in his wake and his expert diagnosis was that I had simply fainted during the night, nothing too concerning. By then I was feeling a bit miffed with the system so I decided to fall asleep again before the doctor had finished doing his rounds and when I came round he was there white as a sheet giving his students a completely different diagnosis. I don’t think the doctor was liked much because behind his back the nurses were giving me the “thumbs up” and telling me “excellent timing”. Later that day I received a pacemaker but not before falling asleep and setting off all the alarms one more time.

They never like being proved wrong.

In A&E, many years ago, left arm had somehow moved and was now hanging down the side of the bed. I've got to assume he didn't like the colour, pulled the sheet up over my head, whilst shouting about me being left there.

It was at this point that I moved, pulling the sheet back down. The doctor moved a bit quicker though.

 

[classic33]

Got it confirmed in writing, that I've been referred back, to be referred onto another specialist with regards the leak.

MRI scans show "a cavity", further investigation will be done under another specialist. Referral has been made, so possibly next year?

Glad that it was classed as urgent. Nine months and counting.

Appointment came Thursday, for the end of next month.
The following day it was cancelled.

Anyone know how much CSF you have & how much you can "safely loose"?