MarilynParker

By MarilynParker

Black & blue!

Went for my CT Angiogram coronary arteries and they had 6 attempts to site a venflon before managing it. Full of bruises. It didn't help when most of the time they left the tourniquet tight as they removed the needle. The tourniquet was on very tight for so long I thought my fingers would drop off, my hand was totally dead! I have never before had anyone struggle to get a venflon in or get bloods, so this is a new problem.
Went in for the scan and having to lie flat always causes a problem for me, not just the reflux but I feel I can't breathe when I am flat. They seemed to think they had given me a pillow but it's one of those useless things that goes totally flat as you put your head on it. The scan started and I managed to tolerate the lying flat but it was very uncomfortable with your arms up above your head as well - I have arthritis in both shoulders! After some scanning she said to put my arms down while she got the doctor and in he came. He asked me if I had had beta blockers before and I said no. He asked did I use my ventolin inhaler - well, I don't know what answer he expected from an asthmatic! I told him my asthma was well-controlled but I did the need ventolin most days, once or twice a day usually but not every day. He said my pulse was 80 and they need it to be 60 so they usually give a beta blocker but they cannot give it to me as it may trigger a full-blown asthma attack. I couldn't tell him to risk it could I?! I doubt I'd have had a full-blown attack - not had a big one in a long time, probably decades, but had some lesser attacks. Not needed a hospital trip re asthma since the 1990s. Anyway, he said that the scan without the dye was not good enough to see clearly and they can't give me the dye so he will write to my consultant and tell him. He said maybe they will do a different test but not to worry, they will come up with a plan for me. 
The venflon and all the bruises were for nothing! Great. It's a pity they didn't do the test when I first started on the diltiazem because my pulse was 48-52 the first 2 weeks! I don't know how many people have a pulse of 60 at my age with bad chests and investigations re angina but I'm sure a lot of people would have a raised pulse after 6 goes with a (green, ie not small) venflon.
Anyway, I was somewhat p*ssed off but such is life.
Only took a couple of photos today - our acer in the side garden is looking good, so I chose that.

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