Follow up Angiogram

[bogbrush]

Hello everyone

I've just had a phone call from a radiographer at Southampton General Hospital to say that he has a request card to do a cerebral angiogram and that it seems to have slipped through the net and is therefore overdue! I've been booked in for Friday at 1030. I also have to go to Southampton tomorrow (Tuesday) for pre-assessment, whatever that is. It's all a bit short notice really, but I guess it has to be done.

I understood that the first follow up angiogram would be performed at between 1 and 3 months post SAH, and as I'm only 7 weeks post SAH, I was not unduly concerned that I had not heard anything.

Does anyone know what the pre-assessment is all about? How long will I be at the hospital on Friday? I've been told to be there by 0800.

Anyway, 7 weeks on...

I'm having a bad week. After a week of quite rapid recovery, I seem to have gone back about 3 weeks. The headaches are worse and I am more tired than I was last week. Perhaps my brain is telling me to slow down.

I hope you are all OK.

Best regards

Keith

[Louise]

Hi Keith

I wouldn’t worry about it a similar thing happened to me & there was nothing to worry about, I used to get my card to go about 3 months before which meant it was at the back of my mind all that time 5 days is a far better way I think, you can ask all your questions tomorrow at your pre-assessment I don’t know what the pre-assessment is about except that all hospitals seem to work differently as far as I can see, when I got my angiogram I was there most of the day.

Yes one good week & feeling as though you’ve gone back the way remember that feeling well the brain could be saying you maybe did a bit too much last week if you were feeling good that is.

Well hope that all makes sense to you.

Take care

Louise.

[Karen]

Hi Keith,

I didn't have my follow up angio until about 7 months post SAH. I was a bit worried about having it done, so they agreed to give me a light sedative when I went to the pre-assessment. It all went fine though and wasn't as bad as I thought that it was going to be.

The pre-assessment is nothing to worry about ..... they have a chat with you, do a blood test and test your reflexes, heart, lungs with their stethescope etc. I can't remember them doing anything else......but it was all okay and like I say, nothing to worry about (even though I was at first!!). I think it only took about 1 hour, but I was first on the list ..... most of it was waiting around for the Doc and then the nurse for the bloods. When I went, there was another 3 people having the same.....it's done on a day ward, with 4 beds. I wouldn't imagine that you would be there for longer than a couple of hours?

Sorry, though that you're having a bad week ...... perhaps you have been doing too much ..... you're still very early into your recovery and the fatigue can kick back in with a vengeance, along with the headaches. So take it easy Keith and rest up.

Hope that it all goes well tomorrow and Friday.....will be thinking of you..

Take care,

Love K x

[Louise]

Hi again

I never had a pr-assesment but Karen you've explained what they did before I got the angeogram done I got that & they told me what to expect all in the same day.

I'd actually had angios done when I was in but didnt remember so when I went it was like my first to me.

Take care

Louise.

[bogbrush]

Hello

Thanks for the replies.

The radiographer said to me on the phone that I would probably remember the pre-assessment etc. from when I had it done before, but when I explained that I came in with a SAH he appreciated that I would not remember!

I can vaguely remember having an angiogram a few days after my coiling (also an angiographic procedure) and also having to sign a consent form which I probably didn't understand at the time, telling me I might have a stroke or die or something but I now understand that the risk is very low.

Anyway, as I'm not supposed to drive (hurrry up, DVLA!) my wife has to take me there so we've frantically had to arrange for someone to pick up the kids from school and look after them until we get back.

Regards

Keith

[Louise]

Hi there

I cant even vaguely remeber getting mine done at all when I was in hospital, but I did have the same thing when they asumed that I knew what to expect & I didnt, I found it really funny that they think it 'strange' I could forget something like that, & it being the Neuro unit too...

Yes the concent form I had to sign it the last couple of times but the first couple my husband signed them I belive.

I have never driven so the DVLA has been one thing I havent had to bother about

Well lets know how things go tomorrow with the pre-ass

Take care.

Louise.

[Skippy]

Hi Keith

I'm seven weeks post SAH and all I have is an out patients appointment arranged for 8th November. I've been told that I'll have a check up 6 months, 12months and 18 months post SAH and that I'llhave scans rather than angios. I didn't have an angio after my coiling but in the time I was in hospital and then readmitted a week later I had scans all the time.

I think you're body is asking for a little rest. I know when I'm working if I don't rest then my head throws a hissy fit and I have to take pain killers and shut my eyes for ten minutes or so. I don't want to sleep during the day though cos it knocks my body clock out.

Have you tried the sports drinks that Karen and I favour? They give you a little more energy and also count towards that all important water intake which in turn helps the headaches anyway.

Take care

Love Sami xx

Hope it all goes well.

[Karen]

Hiya Keith,

How did you get on today at the pre-assessment?

K x

[bogbrush]

Hi Karen

I was at the hospital for a couple of hours. A doctor who said he'd seen me several times (he looked very young and I didn't recognise him!) asked about my recovery and I asked him some questions about my aneurism and coiling. The angio procedure was explained and I had to sign a consent form. I had blood samples taken, a few basic neuro tests, blood pressure (v.high) etc.

I'm supposed to be nil by mouth from 0400 friday morning, so I'll have to get up at 0300 for that full English fry-up.

My aneurism was on the left Posterior Inferior Cerebellar Artery (PICA) and involved the whole circumference of the artery (fusiform type aneurism). Because of this the entire artery was coiled to block it off completely. Due to redundant circulation via other arteries, this has caused no problems so far although they were not sure what the outcome would be at the time.

Regards

Keith

[Karen]

Hiya Keith,

Glad it went okay......If I lived closer I would pop over and join you for a full english.... (I like my bacon crispy!) .....3.00 - 4.00 am seems to be my wake up time at the minute! They gave me a sarnie at lunchtime when I was in for the angio, so hopefuly they will do the same for you.

If your blood pressure is very high, does that explain why you've been getting the headaches and feeling a bit low?

Well Keith, the best of luck for Friday, hope everything goes well .... don't forget to set your alarm for that fry up!!

Speak to you soon,

Love K x

[bogbrush]

Hi Karen

My blood pressure is always high. It's something I need to get sorted out with the doc.

Re the fry-up, It's my wife who needs to set the alarm so she can cook it for me ...

I think that if I asked her to do that, the angio would be the least of my worries and I would probably require other hospital services!

Regards

Keith

[Karen]

Hi Keith,

Yes, I could well imagine your Wife's reaction .... you would probably have a date with the casualty dept!

Are you on any meds for the blood pressure? I don't have high blood pressure, but I'm on beta blockers for heart palpitations and anxiety. They seem to help and I haven't had a migraine since being on them.

I was first in the queue for my angio....so had it done at about 9.00am....they were waiting to take me down, before they had given me the sedative......I certainly wasn't going anywhere until I had that!!.... Think that I finally left the day ward at about 2.00pm to go home......I had to wait a bit longer than normal because my blood pressure was low....as soon as it came back up, they let me walk out.

My leg was a bit stiff and bruised around the site of the angio for a couple of days, but I felt okay, just had the odd headache.

Anyway, hope that you're feeling a bit better today.

Catch you later,

Love K x

[bogbrush]

Hi Everyone

I had my angiogram yesterday at Southampton and all went well despite having the worst headache for several weeks.

For those who have had this procedure, the following description will probably be old hat, but for those who have not, here it is:

I arrived at the hospital just before 0900, the procedure having been scheduled for 1030 - second on the list. At about 1045 I was told there would be a delay due to an emergency admission, so I was given some codeine for my headache as the paracetamol I had taken an hour previous had no efffect. In fact the headache was getting worse.

At 1250 I was wheeled down to the angiography suite, where I enjoyed a visual feast of hi tech equipment like something from a sci-fi film. Preparation took about half an hour - getting all the equipment ready, preparing the catheter entry site, draping, etc. My headache had subsided somewhat due to the codeine and the fact that my mind was occupied fully with everything that was going on.

The procedure started at about 1330 with the worst part - the local anaesthetic 8O - which hurt for a few seconds. A catheter was then inserted into the right femoral artery through a small incision at the top of my leg and was steered up to the aorta and finally into the left vertibral artery using a guide wire and real-time x-rays. I could feel nothing except a bit of movement and pushing at the top of my leg. Note: I was fully awake during all of this. I had not been given any sedative.

Now for the main purpose of this procedure. the two x-ray cameras were moved very close to my head and a contrast agent was injected into the catheter so that the arteries can be clearly seen on the x-ray pictures. I was told that I may have a warm feeling at the back of my head and see flashing lights in my eyes, but I experienced none of this. A series of pictures were taken at various camera angles to show the blood circulation and the artery previously occluded by coiling.

This was the end of the procedure. the catheter was removed and the entry site pressed for about 10 minutes to start the healing process. during this time I was shown the pictures which clearly showed the arteries and the coils blocking the artery where the aneurism was. In my case, it was not possible to coil just the aneurism due to its shape, so the whole artery was occluded by coiling.

I returned to the day care ward at 1415 where I had to lie flat for 2 hours with blood pressure measured and neuro obs every 30 minutes. I was given a sarnie which, although welcome, was difficult to eat lying flat.

At 1615 I was able to partially sit up, although I had to remain in bed for a further 2 hours to allow time for the wound in my leg to heal. During this time I sent my wife Karen out for essential supplies (Snickers bar!).

I was finally allowed to go home at 1815, and during the journey my headache came back with a vengeance.

After a good nights sleep - 8 hours - I feel fine today. No headache!

Sorry if I've bored anyone with such a longwinded description

Regards

Keith

[Louise]

Hi Keith

Glad to hear the angio went well, maybe your headache was maybe being tense & not eating I had that.

Your description of it is very good.

They dont give a sedative they need you fully alert.

I had the warm/hot feeling & the flashing lights.

Yep its hard to eat lying flat I found that I only had a couple of bites & waited till I was able to sit up.

Glad to hear you feel fine today & I think that your description of it is brilliant I find thats something that I'm not able to do decribe with such Accuracy.

Take care bye for now

Louise.

[Karen]

Hi Keith,

Glad to hear that you're feeling okay ...... A great description of the angio and thanks for going into detail, as I'm sure that it will help others using this site who can't remember the angio first time around.

I saw the flashing lights behind my dodgy eye...also felt a warm feeling in the eye......but it wasn't anything horrible or painful!

Anyway, thanks for describing it so well and hope that you're having a relaxed weekend.

PS Louise - I did have a sedative as I'm a big baby....but it was only a light one!

Take care,

Karen x

[Louise]

Hi there

Karen, I meant when Keith said that he was fully awake during all of this. & had not been given any sedative. They need you awake to be able to monitor how your doing.

And I'm sure your not a big baby at all.

Bye for now

Louise.x