Big Sigh

[Guest Beth1957]

As I suspected, the hospital appointment yesterday was a complete waste of everyone's time.

I saw a different guy; one of the registrars. When I went in he announced that I had an aneurysm. I said "Yes, I know that. Quite a big one". He seemed mildly bemused & asked if I'd had an angiogram. When I said I had he pulled the films up & had a look <sigh>. I said that I wasn't sure why I'd been called in for the appointment & he said presumably it was to discuss treatment options. I replied that I'd already done that with the neurosurgeon & the neuroradiologist, & decided on stenting/coiling. He discussed them at me anyway. I basically just told him, in the end, what we'd decided & he wrote it on a card for me to take through to organise my surgery date. He said they'd probably fit me in before Christmas, it being quite urgent because of the size/position of the annie (my eyesight is still deteriorating).

Then we trundled off to the X-ray department, which was where I had to hand my card in. They told me that there was a 6 week waiting list. When I said that the operation was pretty urgent, they told me that the chief neuroradiologist, who will be performing it is on annual leave until 5 January & has a pretty full list for that entire month <another sigh>.

The guy I saw today actually managed to wind me up quite a bit (I was already quite agitated wondering why I'd been called back to Outpatients anyway). Unlike the chief neurosurgeon & the chief neuroradiologist he somehow lacked a reassuring air; he told me exactly the same stuff about the difficulty in carrying out the coiling procedure (because of where the aneurysm is), the risk of the operation itself leading to a stroke (he initially said 10% but later modified that to 5 - 10%), and the risk that coiling won't work and that they may have to do a bypass & clipping, but made the whole thing sound much more alarming than the other 2 had!!!!

I did get a better look at the angio pictures (I was too busy talking to the medics after the angio to take more than a cursory glance). It's not exactly a berry annie after all; it's wide-neccked, which I knew, & is at the junction of the right post-carotid and something else - the post communicating artery is my guess.

Ah well. :?

Posterior communicating artery?

[Tina]

Hi Beth .....oh dear i am so sorry you had such a horrible time at the hospital.....doesnt make you feel good does it xxx I know they are very good at what they do ...but some have no bed side manner at all!

I suppose at least you will not be in over Christmas, as the specialist is away......but the waiting must be awful for you xx No wonder a big sigh!!!!!

I have been clipped....but i had a berry annie that ruptured. Please try not to worry....and enjoy your Christmas....bless you...take care...thinking of you.

Lots of love Tina xx

[Sasbo]

Hi Beth

What an awful time you had. The national health service is fantastic in so many ways but so incredibly frustrating and worrying in lots of others. A real dichotomy....So sorry you had such a worrying and horrible time. Hopefully it will all be sorted soon which doesn't help you right now, I know.

I think I may have told you but I had a ruptured berry aneurysm clipped and then, 12 months later (last October), had a second berry aneurysm, unruptured, clipped. They found the second one whilst scanning me post-SAH but wouldn't do both at once.

Sending you loads of love, hugs and thinking of you.

Sarah xx

[tennissmithy]

Hi

I'm sending huge hugs. I know how frustrating registrars are as well, I had one that didn't understand anything and found it amusing to take calls etc and then forgot who he was with and what he was doing!

I hope they get it sorted soon for you and try and enjoy Christmas as best you can.

Love and hugs

Laura

xxx

[jess]

Hi there sorry you had a horrid time with the registrar, Hope it is all sorted for you soon. Jess.xxx

[Guest ElaineW]

Oh what n appointment (there are no sigh icon's)!!!!!! I don't think its good enough to say he is away on annual leave until January and hardly fair Try to keep your spirits up - any good on getting your GP to insist on a sooner date?

Elaine

[Karen]

Hi Beth.

Think that everybody has said the same as what I'm feeling ..... so, sending love and hugs to you xx Try to enjoy christmas and hope that you get things sorted soon.... if only these guys could walk a mile in our shoes.....xx

[Guest pam]

Beth I am really sorry to hear about the horrid time you had. Sounds as if they made an admin error, called you in when you shouldnt have been called in and you ended up seeing someone less qualified, I wouldnt get alarmed, go by what you were told by your neurosurgeon and neuroradiologist. As I mentioned before I had the same neuroradiologist as you are going to have and he is an expert, its just such a shame that in his absence you had to go through this unsettling expereince.

pam

[Guest Beth1957]

Thank you everybody; I've calmed down now lol. It was annoying though

Elaine; I could go to my G P (she's very good) but really I want the op done by the guy who has gone off on holiday; As Pam says he's a real expert in this field!

Lots of love,