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Yet another Diagnosis (maybe)

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dannie17173
dannie17173

Firstly apologies because I feel this is going to be a long read but apart from anything else I feel such a need to put all this down in writing.

My partner of 28 years who is now 81 started feeling dizzy a lot and very very tired last Springtime. He was always very active especially in the Garden but because how he was feeling spent most of the Spring and Summer laying on the garden bench.

There were numerous visits to the Dr's being continually told to remember his age and to slow down even though it was explained he was falling asleep a lot during the day.

One Dr sent him for blood tests which showed lacking Folate but wasn't Anaemic. He had a course of B12 shots to increase the Folate they said and after the course was different again. Back to his normal self but after about 3 weeks (if that) the fatique and dizziness zoomed in again. I spoke with one of the Dr's asking about the shots but was told his blood tests were okay now so no more shots needed.

In November he appeared to have some kind of "turn". Speech a bit slurred and not making complete sense, I called the Ambulance and they felt he had a TIA. This episode resolved itself

If ever he's in Hospital he becomes so disorientated to the extreme and always has but when he 's discharged home  that confusion leaves him.

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  • spursangie
    spursangie dannie17173

    Posted

    Hi. I am so sorry to hear about your partner's health problems. I am not a health professional but have experiencing of caring for my parents n the past, both of whom developed dementia.

    The TIA's are a concern because they can lead to vascular dementia, which my mum had (she had a stroke some years beforeheand.)  The specialist will be able to do some tests, but the only thing that showed my dad's dementia was a CT scan of the brain. which showed that he also had vascular dementia. If Clopidogrel and aspirin are improving his dizzines slightly, it sounds to me as if it may be some sort of cardiovascular problem. Has he had any tests on his heart (ECG, echocardiogram, etc?)  Heart failure would usually result in swollen feet and ankles, but can also cause extreme fatigue and dizziness (again, my mum had this.)  She was also very confused after coming out hospital when she had to go in, perhaps it's the change of environment which is more difficult to cope with as you get older. 

    Hope he is feeling better very soon.

    • dannie17173
      dannie17173 spursangie

      Posted

      Spursangie. The last time he was in Hospital after having a TIA in February I asked them if he could have an Appointment at a great Hospital specialising in Heart Conditions .I've asked at the local Dr's Iv'e lost count but while he was under someone elses care I tried to take advantage of that but the answer was the other Hospital was not necessary. In the end though I tried to keep my cool it ended on a sour note. For the life of me I cannot understand why none of them will allow the one appointment. I get so frustrated about it I could scream and I have 100% faith in the Hospital. That;s exactly the reason I keep asking also if they don't suspect Heart problems why put him on a drug which they said increases the bloodflow to the Heart called ADIZEM-XL. unless it's related to him having three TIA'S since November.

      He has an appointment due with a Specialist. I 'm wondering if I will believe what he has to say because of all that's been going on .

      I'm sorry to hear about your Mum and Dad.It's a very painful  to witness the horific Dementia

      Thanks for your input and hope you too are having a good Bank Holiday.

    • AFW
      AFW dannie17173

      Posted

      OK dannie, my grand dad had a doctor that was saying there was nothing wrong with him. he said that for two years. we had to argue to just get an appointment. my grand dad had started to shake and the doctor was saying he just needs to eat better and drink the nutition drinks he had given him.

      at last my mom and uncle got tired of this and drove him to emergency of a big hospital. they found him to have last stage lung cancer. at the time we found out, there was nothing we could do anymore.

      if they are telling you hospital is not necessary, just take him to an emergency. the emergency room is obliged to do an investigation.

    • dannie17173
      dannie17173 AFW

      Posted

      That really is shocking AFW AND I;M very sorry  I'M guessing there wa a lot of anger to have to cope with as well as the grief and i wonder how often this is happening .Dr's like that shouldnt bein that line of work

      He has been in Hospital three times with the TIA's. It was two different Hospitals but being given different reasons as to why he has these symptoms, The Hospital we would really trust to give an accurate diagnosis they keep telling me is not appropriate. With everythngh that's beeen going on the past year it's the only Hospital now that I could trust. It has gone through my mind sevearl times to just drive there and appear with him.I'm up extra early today because I'm going to the Dr's today  about the Appintment they made for him. I rang yesterday and got really annoyed but I need to see them face to face.Something has to move. He had a horrible day yesterday feeling absolutely drained and queesy.

      Thhamks for sharing AFW

  • Tezes
    Tezes dannie17173

    Posted

    What specialism is the doctor in that you are waiting to see?

    Also drugs have different actions so can be used to treat many conditions. For e.g I take an anti epileptic drug ( I haven't got epilepsy) to treat dystonic movements and reduce migraine. I also take a beta blocker ( my blood pressure and heart are fine) to treat tremor).

    When you meet with the specialist or GP ask why your husband has been prescribed the drugs he's on, what symptoms are they acting on etc.

    If then you are not satisfied and or told he has a heart problem ask for a referral to a cardiologist, if no joy can you afford to go private ?

    All the best

    • dannie17173
      dannie17173 Tezes

      Posted

      Hello Tezes. They.ve refered him to a Dr who apparently specialises in the elderly.

      He was put on Aspirin a long while ago after the great HOspital i really trust did a procedure to unclog and artery due to plague build up.

      When he had the three mini stokes Clopidogrel was added to the Aspirin to try and prevent any more. Three weeks ago he was feeling queezy so they prescibed Lansoprazole saying the Clopidogrel must have inflamed his stomach but yesterday the horrible queezy feeling came back so I rang and now he's on Cyclizine(anti nausea) which did take the horrid feeling away but a catch 22 they made him feel even more tired

      He's been on Ramipril since unblocking the artery so he's been on that a long while.

      A few weeks ago he was put on Adizem XL. I asked what they were for and it was to help with the blood flow to the heart because of dizziness which they have improved slightly.

      I could be thinking the wrong way here but that's why i keep on about him being referred to the Cardiologist,

      I was fuming yesterday because the Appointment "they" made with a Dr who deals with the elderly another letter appeared with it saying he had "chosen" the Hospital and the Specialist. No he did not so I rang about that. The Appointment is for June 1st and it says he "may not" see the actual Specialist but it might be a member of his Staff

      This one local Dr who made this Appointment is wondering if he has PD but he added it could be hundreds of things.

      I know there's long waiting times. There are other people unwell but today I'm asking for full blood tests ,urine test and a chest x ray. When he feels more off than usual I'm going to call Dr's out,weekends as well. I'm also going to "repeat" that I would like him to be seen at the Hospital where he had the artery unclogged ( i think it was about 4 years ago)

      The times over the past year I wish we had paid  monthly so he could go private because no we can't go private

      Even if it wasn't Heart related and this Dr was correct in feeling he had PD this Hospital could diagnose that too so I wonder why there's so much resistance about my repetitive request.When i asked why he couldn't be referred there I was told that they wouldn't do much more than Dr's have already done.

      What an utter load of bull. Withthe Dr's they take his Blood Pressure and pulse .Of course they would do more investigations than that.

      Wow i;m really ranting away but i'm so annoyed

    • Tezes
      Tezes dannie17173

      Posted

      Hi Dannie

      Well the app letter the hospital has sent you is a standard one. They always say you may be seen by one of the team but if it's a new referral you do usually see the consultant on the first visit.

      I don't know why you can't go back to the hospital of your choice but if you go on the internet you will be able to research the specialist that he has been given an app for. It may be that this is the best one to see but doesn't hold clinics at your hospital of choice. It is frustrating, in some areas you can choose and book your own app's where you choose but not everywhere does this. I can do it in London but not in Kent. I have 3 hospital app's this month at three different hospitals. One is over an hours drive away but the consultant I'm seeing only has clinics at that hospital so no choice really, it's worth the drive because she's really good. I would ring the specialists secretary and ask if you can be slotted in if there are any cancellations. I

      Good luck

      Theresa

    • dannie17173
      dannie17173 Tezes

      Posted

      Tezes. The Dr at last agreed that he could be seen by Papworth yesterday. I feel a bit in a daze because of asking so many times and then I felt later I wonder if i dreamt that he agreed. I've got such faith in this Hospital . No kidding it;s ike i;m in another world . I'm hoping of course they can help but if for some reason nothing could be done I will know in myself that everything possible was explored

      I'm glad your seeing someone good too. That's so important in my opinion to really have faith in the people

      Good luck to you too Theresa

  • dannie17173
    dannie17173

    Posted

    Hello Everyone

    An update. It's some while since I last sent anything through but been waiting for two Appointments. One he has been to last week which was with the Specialist for Neurological Disorders.

    We had the written paperwork yesterday which states it's "felt" he has a form of Parkinson but unsure as to which type. Just one comment that it would not be Lewy Body.

    He attended this Appointment at the outpatient Clinic in the same Hospital where he was admitted when he had a couple of TIA.s

    When he was in there he had an MRI and CT Scan. On his Discharge Notes it says that the Scans showed Atropothy and in their opinion he had some kind of Dementia possibly with Alzeimers. This was February. Since then no more TIA's .but on this report it says" He was seen by a Neurologist who felt it was"not"suggestive of Dementia"I need to take this up with them.

    Two sets of paperwork here

    One saying in February in their opinion he had a type of Dementia

    The second from the Specialist arriving yesterday saying that in February they had NOT felt it was suggestive of Dementia

    Im also going to speak with his local Dr about this too.

    The Specialist has given him the option to try Sinemet CR."If he suffered the side effects " of this drug  these side effects are what he's experiencing now. Dizziness,but added to that Nausea and Hallucinations.

    I'm not willing tohand this drug to him especially as he has not been called to the Cardiologist Appointment yet. Today I'm going to ask again about that too.but the main reason I'm not going to hand him these drugs is because of the massive contradiction in the two reports I have here.

    Why put in a Report in the past two weeks that the Neurologist in February had "not felt it was suggestve of Dementia"

    But the Discharge Papers are here saying they felt he "had".I badly need to ask questions about this!

    My confidence in these people he is seeing is probably as low as it can be.

    Sorry I've ranted on but their doing my head in

    Dannie

     

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