Stents? Anybody with experience of them? My brother is having one implanted today....

[MARYROSE02]

...This morning at St Vincents public hospital in Darlinghurst (Sydney) 0815 now as I'm typing and he was booked in at 8am.

I didn't even know he had been experiencing chest pain until he asked if I had any antacids two Saturdays ago. Then the following day he decided to go to the doctor and I Googled and found a seven day** one at Bondi Junction. The Friday following he went to see a heart specialist who confirmed he has angina, and a week later, today, Thursday, he's having a stent put in. (as a public patient too so I don't know if that implies it was an urgent job.)

He's 58 which is 5 years younger than me. I've been taking statins (5mg) for a few years now and the specialist prescribed them for him (10mg). I don't know if it runs in the family. My dad had angina too and had a tablet to put under his tongue but he was in his 80's then. My brother has smoked all his life though he changed to E-fags a couple of years ago but I gave up 40 years ago.

I suppose when someone in the family has something potentially serious you start to think about your own health. Am I drinking too much? Yes though nothing since Sunday but I've had a cold.

Let's hope he's OK anyway.

** When I left England in 2008 most GPs did not work weekends. Didn't the government negotiate a contract giving them the right to opt out of providing out of hours services? Anyway, at least in the capital cities, you can get access to a GP seven days a week, bulk billing ones too. I know one in Bankstown that is open 7am to 10pm 365 days a year. I've managed to quell much of my anxiety and just go to see my regular GP Monday to Friday but it's nice to know that you can see one after hours and weekends. There was a time when I would have gone with my brother to that GP in Bondi Jn with several things to waste their time on.

 

[newjez]

We have a 24 x 7 drop in gp at our local hospital. They are usually foreign. Not sure what they will do after brexit.

My wife's uncle had a stent. All very routine, but they are mucking around with the heart, so I guess it's never routine.

My father had a stroke yesterday. Nearly 80 and he rides a hundred miles a week. Waiting to hear what's happening. They say it's a small one, and they got it early. But if he can't ride his bike he'll drive my mum mad. You notice the distance when loved ones are ill.

Edited May 31, 2017 by newjez

[MARYROSE02]

Just now, newjez said:

We have a 24 x 7 drop in gp at our local hospital. They are usually foreign. Not sure what they will do after brexit.

My wife's uncle had a stent. All very routine, but they are mucking around with the heart, so I guess it's never routine.

My father had a stroke yesterday. Nearly 80 and he rides a hundred miles a week. Waiting to hear what's happening. They say it's a small one, and they got it early. But if he can't ride his bike he'll drive my mum mad. You notice the distance when loved ones are ill.

Thanks, my brother just texted me to say he's waiting for angiogram at 10am. One of our mates, who is a nurse, said he should have gone straight to A & E as soon as he experienced chest pains and they would probably have done it all there and then.

Sorry to hear about your father. My dad was still cycling into his 70's and he was OK into his early 80's but the last four years or so before he died just before his 89th birthday were not good but at least I was there to help him.

Both my brothers are here in Sydney and the family at home are cousins.

[Guest The Pom Queen]

Sorry to hear about your brother Dave. I thought it was St Vincent's I spent 6 months in but it was St Lukes. Both are good hospitals so hopefully he will be ok. I'm sure there is a 24/7 bulk billing in Ultimo, well there was when I was down there. 

I had a stent but mine wasn't for the heart and it didn't work.

I'm currently under a cardiologist and will probably have a pace maker by the end of the year. I'm only 45. I keep having mini strokes at the moment but I'm plodding along.

Lots of hugs and prayers for your brother, please let us know how he goes. 

 

[Guest The Pom Queen]

3 hours ago, newjez said:

We have a 24 x 7 drop in gp at our local hospital. They are usually foreign. Not sure what they will do after brexit.

My wife's uncle had a stent. All very routine, but they are mucking around with the heart, so I guess it's never routine.

My father had a stroke yesterday. Nearly 80 and he rides a hundred miles a week. Waiting to hear what's happening. They say it's a small one, and they got it early. But if he can't ride his bike he'll drive my mum mad. You notice the distance when loved ones are ill.

Sorry to hear about your dad @newjez hope he recovers ok. Hugs ? 

[Quoll]

Good luck to your brother, Dave! My dad had a stent in 2011 (one reason why we stayed) he was then 87. Took him to A&E at 9, he'd been ambulances to Papworth by lunch time and stent in by 3. His heart's been pretty good ever since but now has the CHF of being 93.

 

Newjez, sorry to hear about your dad and his stroke - they're very good at dealing with them as far as I can see - my dad had one the day I arrived in Australia for my holiday recently (my DH said not to return and he visited every day!). He's had a couple before but this one has slowed him down a lot. Its struggle city at the moment and I think the day is fast approaching when he needs to be in care.

[MARYROSE02]

Thanks for the kind thoughts. He just texted me a photo of his hand and wrist (which I thought was of his leg). He is just having the one stent inserted. It's 1550 now and he should be home by 730pm. I wasn't planning to be home but as I took a sickie yesterday for a cold I will stay home today too. I did not think about taking leave for the two days either for some reason, possibly not realizing that it might be serious. It's proibably good that I am here anyway just in case he feels ill.

I suppose if he had gone straight to A & E or called an ambulance when he first started experiencing the chest pain it would have seemed much more serious (whether it actually is serious or not.) My nurse friend told me earlier that many people, probably confused by the public/private/health insurance or not questions, do not realize that if it something serious the public hospitals will treat you immediately whether you are insured or not. So, in my brother's case, which my friend thought is "semi-serious" he has been operated on within a week of being seen by the specialist. I suppose if it was "serious-serious" he would have been sent straight to A & E?

This reminds me of both my Mum and my Dad when they had accidents (Mum) or were taken ill (Dad) and in neither case did I call 999. I'm not laying all the blame on myself. Mum was knocked over by a dog in our driveway and neither my Dad, me, nor the owner of the dog who was a nurse thought it serious enough to ring for an ambulance, but WHY not? We called our local medical centre and the doctor came out and said she needed to go to hospital (after we tried to lift her out of the chair we'd sat her on in the driveway and she screamed. So, i look back sometimes and think dumb, dumb, DUMB. All with hindsight but we should have left her lying in the drive, with a blanket and pillow and rang 999 immediately.

My Dad was complaining of pain in his right arm but he was always stoic and I went off to work, came back nine hours later at 10pm and he was still in pain. I rang the NHS help line and eventually the nurse told me to either ring for an ambulance or call 999. (My Dad had suffered heart failure and my Mum had broken her hip.)

Now it has happened a third time with my brother although he did not tell me and he thought he had heartburn. But again, it never occurred to me on that Sunday when he said he had chest pain to say "Lets go to A & E."

[ScottieGirl]

Smoking is a big risk factor for heart disease. Well done on giving up,  hope your brother recovers quickly.

[Quoll]

I think a lot of older people believe 999 is only for "really serious" - my parents would never call 999 and when we got dad to agree to go to A&E he wouldn't agree to 999 because "there are some really sick people out there". A&E told us off for not calling 999! I think left to his own devices dad would have maybe taken a Panadol and gone to lie down! Nowadays I have no hesitation calling 999 but not frivolously, I always consider 111 first.

[newjez]

5 hours ago, The Pom Queen said:

Sorry to hear about your dad @newjez hope he recovers ok. Hugs ? 

Thanks, just heard from my brother. Apparently my dad is up and about with no ill effects. Hopefully they will put him on some prevention meds. I can only think it's his blood clotting as he has always suffered from low blood pressure. Good to see that prompt action can end up with a good result. If in doubt call an ambulance.

I know when my wife's father had a heart attack they walked the five miles to the hospital. The doctors weren't impressed apparently.

Different times.

Edited June 1, 2017 by newjez

[Guest The Pom Queen]

I take Corolan (ivabradine I think it's called elsewhere) it seems to help but not enough. I have low blood pressure it can get to 60/40 quite often and my resting HR has reached over 200 at times but with the meds it's also dropped it as low as 40. I kept losing the right eyesight in both eyes if that makes sense and didn't bother to tell anyone until it slipped in to conversation with my cardiologist and he said it was something called TIA I think they use such big posh words.

I am so happy both your dad and Dave's brother are doing well. Dave, I can't believe they are sending him home the same day.