Been ill since April

Thank you Karen i was really ill when all this started i was in bed for almost 3 weeks if not in bed laid on the sofa i didnt seem to get much better at all i was on antibiotics and steroids for a month i have never felt as ill in my life i couldnt breath was coughing couldnt walk far at all. then i began to pick up began walking a little further each day if i took it slowly i was ok but at the beginning of July i struggled to walk at all as when i did i had real bad back pains and out of breath this has remained the same if not worse i can only stand for around 5 minutes and have to sit down. i had a blood test 3 week ago and the doctor said the thyroid may be with being so unwell so to repeat the blood test early October and also hopefully by this time i may have an appointment for the heart specialist. the doctor constantly says take it easy rest i have told them the more i sit the worse i am but i also cannot walk more than 50yd without stopping for a rest if i cannot stop i have to have my inhaler as soon as i can and then relax for a few minutes. its hard when i was so active was walking miles every week to shuffling about. i was wanting to get a second opinion but havent the faintest idea where to start x

 

Hi helen! Thank you for replying , Same here with the walking I cant walk very far am lucky if I reach 8 or ten meters without stopping bones hurting legs knees thighs arms back & neck & also to take inhaler its hell I know how you feel! Id go back & see the same Dr & hear what the Dr says if your not happy you are entitled to a second opinion else where or with another Dr in the same practice or can you go to a walk in clinic you might get a different opinion, or the Dr your seeing might refer you to a endocrine clinic that deals with thyroid & diabetes & I'm not sure what other conditions they deal with, but you will get it sorted eventually! If you need someone to talk on your behalf with or without you at the time if your not sure how to approach them or forget a lot like me you can get an advocate to help you & other things they may be able to help you with like go with you to your appointments you can get one! You can refer yourself & tell them the problem only what you feel comfortable with, you can or someone you know can look up advocacy online get the number for where you live,call them & they will call you if you leave a message & an appointment to see them will be made! I'm not a 100% sure but I think they visit people who are housebound or very unwell! I wish you the best of luck, please if you can let us know how you get on & there are lots off caring people on this site your in the right place! X

Thank you Karen its nice to know there are people out there that do care x

Hi Helen

They have got to get that fluid off of you.  It is possible that they've put you into congestive heart failure CHF with all the meds used last spring, assuming you didn't already have it.   It sounds horrid but most people live with it for many decades so It's not imminent failure implied by the name.

All the fluid has got to come off.  Yes, go back to your doc & tell him he's got to speed up those other appointments, thyroid & heart, but in the meantime he MUST do some research & get a better drug to eliminate that fluid.  It makes breathing, walking, talking harder, along with not being good for your heart.

Hope you get some help soon.

Thank you aitarg i have been considering phoning a local out of doctors surgery as i am getting worse by the day what i cant understand is why the doctor didnt treat the under active thyroid and just said to repeat the blood test in October.i asked if things could be speeded up at all ie.. the heart appointment or blood test again he just smiled said no i said i have been like this since April and getting more depressed and weaker by the day its ridiculous x

 

!@#&  I'd let go a stream of profanity but it wouldn't help.  What an incompetent!  That fluid is dsngerous.  Frankly, I wonder if he'd be blowing you off if you were white male.   That happens here a lot.  My heart issues are not treated as urgently as my ex's, even when they've been more serious, but my poor "mom" is 97, Brit-African from Montserrat and they ignore her completely.  All at the same ER.

Have you got a friend or loved one who can go with you?  If they blow you iff, your friend pipes up & asks about pulmonary edema, CHFand general danger to all systems of not getting that fluid safely off & trying to stop it.

You are in my prayers.

Thank you yes my husband will be going with me he will say something if i dont he says its getting ridiculous now x

 

Yayy got a response at last went to doctors yesterday as i was feeling really down and pain in shoulder blade and chest also needed water tablets increasing. it was a new doctor and said to get in touch with the hospital as this needs sorting now i explained what had been happenning and waiting for cardiology appointment he said i have fluid on lungs again increased the water tablets and i phoned the hospital they said my appointment would be in next few weeks unless the doctor notified them needed earlier he phoned them up and told them it is urgent i go tomorrow in the meantime hospital said if i get any worse or feel i need seeing before get an ambulance hence i am now off work until this is sorted x

Fantastic!  Am keeping you in my prayers.

That other doc is an idiot tho I wouldn't say that unless/until you found someone more knowledgeable.

i did say some of the things to the doctor what you have said yesterday and he agreed saying yes it is dangerous and needs to come off he was really nice and said its hard treating anything when i am waiting to see the heart specialist but with how ill i appeared said needed to be seen sooner rather than later made me feel so much better than someone just smiling at you when you say anything x

 

Good!  Yes, it is hard but that 1st quack was willing to let you drown, or just didn't care whether or not you did.  I did not want to terrify you when you didn't have any medico listening, but people do drown in their own fluids.  Doesn't happen nearly so much nowadays, not to people still spry enough to be on support forums, because we've got ways to get the fluid off.

You are still in my prayers.

after having an ECG blood tests urine physical examination blood pressure etc the Doctor i saw was very good explained that it looks like i am in heart failure he is doing more tests in the next few weeks i will be going for an echocardiogram i think its called in the meantime he said if i get any worse at all not to go to my doctor i am to go straight to hospital x

Thank goodness on that clear statement about what to do!  Yes, there is such a thing as an echocardiogram and I've known people to have them in this circumstance.

The doc may have said heart failure or perhaps he said congestive heart failure?

I am so glad & thankful that you found the right doc.  Will keep you in my prayers.

I am so tired at the moment but when i go to bed the last 2 days i get woken with my heart pounding and sweating profusely i have had an awful feeling of nausea too i think these are all symptoms of heart failure but not sure how far to let things go before i seek more medical advice the doctor at the hospital said to go straight there if i get worse which when i came home confused me as everyday is worse than yesterday eg.. more tired less appetite less ability to do anything more chest pain as in feels really heavy as though someone is sat on it i dont know what to do for the best x 

Helen:

Go straight to the hospital, now. 

I'm sorry I couldn't get to emails earlier.  My advice would've been the same:  Go now.  

Take a cab if you need to.

Do not attempt to walk there.

Go now, sweetheart.