Day 18 continued - Deja vu at Ipswich Hospital. Baggy has a Mini-Meltdown.

Fifty minutes early to the waiting room for a 1.30pm appointment. Baggy was finally called in at 2.10pm, with her heart boomedy, booming again. First thing the same Nurse as we saw on Monday says, is that she still doesn't have the letter to say that Baggy's heart is okay to have surgery next Thursday. She has been chasing the Consultant's secretary to confirm that she'd received it, hence the delay in calling Baggy in, but still nothing. Seriously?!? Clever Bird explained that she had personally spoken to the GP on Monday, as had the Heart Unit of the hospital and requested that the letter confirming that Baggy's 24-hour ECG showed no need for further action, should be faxed to the Consultant that afternoon. Apparently it wasn't. Seriously, how hard can it be? The Nurse said that Baggy would in any case need another ECG today as they don't have one on record. They don't? Clever Bird said that apart from the two instant ECGs that had been done on Baggy in the previous twelve weeks by her GP and the 24-hour ECG from last week, she had also had one done at the hospital four weeks ago! But fine, if she needed another one, so be it (yet more money). More phone calls to the Consultant's secretary. Still no sign of a letter. But the Nurse decided to take Clever Bird's word for it that she'd been told that there was no problem, so she would call Baggy if there was. "Does this mean that my operation is still next Thursday then?" asked Baggy, "Yes, unless you hear differently". "Great, so still not 100% certain", worries Freda Fretter.

Half way back to the car it occurred to Clever Bird that the required ECG had not been done, so she dragged Baggy back to reception. "The Nurse said that I needed an ECG done today, but it hasn't been, did she change her mind?". Five minutes later. "You don't need one as you had one a few weeks ago", well yes Baggy did, as we told her. Ah well, presumably she found it.

Clever Bird was bullied by Freda Fretter in to visiting the Doctors on the way home. She spoke to the receptionist, who spoke to the secretaries office, whose computers "were down" so they could check nothing. Seriously? Are they trying to give Baggy heart failure? Baggy had a mini-meltdown at reception. Apparently this time instead of going very pale she went a beetroot shade of red. She managed not to cry, but it was an effort. What is the matter with her? The receptionist suggested that Baggy speak directly with the secretary. Good plan. Slightly hysterical explanations followed from Baggy. The secretary said that maybe she could pop downstairs to reception and check on their computer. Really? You think? And breathe. "Okay, yes I'll do that and call you (Baggy) later". "Errrr, no", says Clever Bird, "I am getting more stressed by the minute and cannot risk my surgery being cancelled, I'll wait here for you". Ten minutes later a secretary arrived with a print out of the letter supposedly sent to Baggy seven days ago, saying that Baggy had ectopic heartbeats "which was very much what was thought at the outset after your recent surgery". Interesting, considering both the hospital Doctor and the GP said Baggy had heart arrhythmia (maybe it is the same thing), but these "additional heartbeats are of no concern.........There is no need to take further action". Baggy had not received this letter. Clever Bird asked if it had been faxed to the Consultant on Monday as requested by Baggy and by the Heart Unit at the hospital, both of whom were told that it would be. "Well no it wasn't", keep calm Baggy, "Why not?", "Because it says in the notes from the Consultant, patient (Baggy) to confirm whether she is fit for surgery". "Well yes" explained Clever Bird, "because the Consultant was worried that Baggy might feel too poorly after her surgery to remove a durmoid cyst (Lawrence) three weeks ago. If you look at the date, this is five weeks before any mention of a heart problem". And breathe. "As both I and the Heart Unit explained on Monday, no surgery can take place while there is investigation of a heart problem going on, which was why this letter had to be faxed over". Mini-meltdown number two. Cue hot flush. Right Clever Bird, stop Baggy from losing her temper. Boom, boomedy, boom, boom. Another promise that the letter would be faxed this afternoon.

When Baggy got home with her heart boom, boomedy, booming again, Freda Fretter decided to look up ectopic heartbeats on the NHS website, as it sounds as though that was what was on both the instant and the 24-hour ECGs and Baggy has been able to feel it doing it every hour or so since the Lawrence surgery. The NHS site confirms that indeed, they are nothing to worry about UNLESS that is, they are associated with other symptoms, such as dizziness, breathlessness or heart pain, then it is likely to be a heart problem. So the dizziness and serious breathlessness with shaking hands that Baggy has been talking about for three years and been to the Doctors about twice and clearly explained to the Doctor once again last week, doesn't warrant any further investigation then? Is this another occasion when Baggy actually ought to listen to Freda Fretter? Clever Bird thinks so, but rightly or wrongly, she's going to leave it until after next week's cubital tunnel surgery as she's not prepared to put that off for a further four months. If the symptoms have not gone away by Christmas (when the stress of all this surgery will be over), Baggy will go back to the Doctors once more. So stop your fretting Freda. Deep breaths Baggy. Cuddle a cat Furry Mama. Think about happy things Clara.

Time to get those Christmas decorations out...........