Things that make you SAD thread.

[Loki]

Echo the above thoughts. Horrible for anyone who has to witness it taking hold of our loved ones too.

 

[Dire Wolf]

I lost my dad to vascular dementia. It was so hard seeing him knowing that he rarely had any idea who we were.

 

[Alan]

Y’all are breaking my lil heart with these anecdotes.

Can’t offer anything real but so, so sorry that y’all have had to go through that.

 

[leedswolf]

I lost my dad in '96 to dementia. He subsequently died in '98. Still hurts...

 

[Wolf Hunting]

My wife's granny Dorothy, died of old age. Jack her lovely husband, got dementia and like some of you guys have written, didn't know who his family was. 3, 4 years after Dorothy had gone, Jack would stand at the window watching for her coming home.
Then he went into a lovely care home, then one wet and windy evening, he got changed into his pyjamas then one of the carers came looking for him cause he'd forgotten to toddle down for his dinner. Then he headed off back up to his room.
About an hour later the warden got a phone call from the Police...
He'd got lost on his way back to his room, walked out of the fire escape door which blew shut behind him and he'd spent the next 45 minutes toddling around in the pissing rain, in his pyjamas calling out for Dorothy.
Old age can be a real bastard.

 

[Derby Wolf]

I lost my dad to vascular dementia. It was so hard seeing him knowing that he rarely had any idea who we were.

I tried to prepare myself for the moment my gran was robbed of knowing who we were but early days into her diagnosis when she was still 'in and out' with her lucidity she asked who I was and my dad prompted her and I'll never, ever forget the look of horror on her face that she could forget. For context I was her first grandchild, a proper blue eyed boy.

It's haunted me ever since. The initial look and then her sitting there quietly afterwards, I cant imagine the doubt and fear racing through her mind.

 

[Paddingtonwolf]

Lost Janine’s uncle to that hideous condition. The last month was horrible

 

[AndyWolves]

The Lucy Letby trial, i really try hard to avoid reading about it but i do and it's horrendous. i'm off to hug my little one....

 

[sycophantia]

Bit of an odd day on Wednesday. Been having a few chest pains, occasionally down my left arm for a few weeks so thought I'd probably ought to get it checked out. Went to docs, checked my heart rate, BP, oxygen levels etc, all fine apart from BP a bit high 156/93.
They decided to take some bloods and do a ECG.
My ECG was 'different' to the last time I had it done so they sent me to the AMU at Princess Royal. They did all the same tests plus a chest xray. After about 8 hours there the consultant decided I wasn't gunna keel over with a heart attack so sent me on my way with a prescription for anti indigestion meds and an order to check my BP twice a day for 14 days and get my cholesterol sorted.
Today I had a text to make an appointment with our practice pharmacist for a chat and probable stating. Having done my BP a few times I expect to have to do summat about that.

No idea why I'm telling you lot all that except maybe as a reminder to other old farts not to let any odd medical things to go on too long.

 

[EpsomWolf]

Bit of an odd day on Wednesday. Been having a few chest pains, occasionally down my left arm for a few weeks so thought I'd probably ought to get it checked out. Went to docs, checked my heart rate, BP, oxygen levels etc, all fine apart from BP a bit high 156/93.
They decided to take some bloods and do a ECG.
My ECG was 'different' to the last time I had it done so they sent me to the AMU at Princess Royal. They did all the same tests plus a chest xray. After about 8 hours there the consultant decided I wasn't gunna keel over with a heart attack so sent me on my way with a prescription for anti indigestion meds and an order to check my BP twice a day for 14 days and get my cholesterol sorted.
Today I had a text to make an appointment with our practice pharmacist for a chat and probable stating. Having done my BP a few times I expect to have to do summat about that.

No idea why I'm telling you lot all that except maybe as a reminder to other old farts not to let any odd medical things to go on too long.

Funnily enough just this morning finally got round to booking a GP appointment for a ‘well man’ check, PSA, BP, cholesterol etc.

Always (touch wood) been relatively lucky with fitness/weight etc but for a long while like many others (59 in a couple of weeks) am forever getting up in the night for a pee, noticing a few other changes that are probably (hopefully) perfectly normal age related stuff but would be crazy not to get checked out. Still have a sore left shoulder and weak left arm from the Lymes but the right elbow and hip are finally 100% now so hopefully the last bit will all sort itself out eventually too.

The wife has despaired at my lack of action in making an appointment but I dunno, it’s always just been a ‘Yeah, I know, will get onto it this week…’ kind of thing. Why do men do that, it’s ridiculous.

Good luck with everything, I hope you are able to get back on track without too much trouble and thank goodness for the healthcare professionals. And indeed, the message to everyone not to let medical conditions drift on too long also, gotta keep banging that drum at every opportunity too.

 

[sycophantia]

Funnily enough just this morning finally got round to booking a GP appointment for a ‘well man’ check, PSA, BP, cholesterol etc.

Always (touch wood) been relatively lucky with fitness/weight etc but for a long while like many others (59 in a couple of weeks) am forever getting up in the night for a pee, noticing a few other changes that are probably (hopefully) perfectly normal age related stuff but would be crazy not to get checked out. Still have a sore left shoulder and weak left arm from the Lymes but the right elbow and hip are finally 100% now so hopefully the last bit will all sort itself out eventually too.

The wife has despaired at my lack of action in making an appointment but I dunno, it’s always just been a ‘Yeah, I know, will get onto it this week…’ kind of thing. Why do men do that, it’s ridiculous.

Good luck with everything, I hope you are able to get back on track without too much trouble and thank goodness for the healthcare professionals. And indeed, the message to everyone not to let medical conditions drift on too long also, gotta keep banging that drum at every opportunity too.

Yep it's best to get checked out even if you mostly feel OK.
Think now I'm in 'the system' I'll be ok. Haven't really got time to have a heart attack or stroke, I've got stuff to do.

 

[Paul]

I had similar when I was getting out of breath and sweating profusely, just doing the minimum of exertion, had all the usual checks and paid privately for an MRI (ten days rather than in excess of six months on the NHS, ironically with the same consultant, amazing how a gap in his calendar opened up when your throwing money at him). On top of being a chronic asthmatic (30 years of smoking, who'd have thought it) It transpired I had left ventricle Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, (remember Marc-Vivien Foe)
Now it turns out it's hereditary as my brother has been diagnosed since, but if you're in any doubt don't leave it, get yourself sorted, I put it down to the fact I'm overweight and rationalised the symptoms that way but the consequences of ignorance could have been fatal.

 

[BillyDee]

I had a text from my GP asking for me to submit my blood pressure reading to them, and to get in touch if I didn't have my own blood pressure monitor.
Is it really that common to have a home blood pressure monitor that it's assumed you will have one?

 

[sycophantia]

I had a text from my GP asking for me to submit my blood pressure reading to them, and to get in touch if I didn't have my own blood pressure monitor.
Is it really that common to have a home blood pressure monitor that it's assumed you will have one?

When I was at the hospital the other day, as the consultant said it was nothing to worry about and discharged me said to take my BP readings for a few weeks and said you can get a monitor from Boots, which I did. They ranged in price from £20.50-£99.99.

 

[Sniffer]

Fell asleep in front of match of the day a few weeks back and must have given myself whiplash or something when suddenly waking. The next morning my neck was killing me and after 10 days of maxing up on painkillers I booked a drs appointment. Could only see the practice nurse and the first she did was take my blood pressure (she did ask about the neck after!) Anyway it was sky high and she asked if I had a monitor and if not to get one as she wanted a week of results. So I’ve had to buy one (Kinetic for £25) but fortunately the pressure started falling as and when I took less of the pain killers.
The neck still hurts each morning though.

 

[Wolf Hunting]

I have a yearly check up and for the last 2 years running, I've had every one of my 32 parameters smack bang in the middle where they should be.
We have a BP monitor, works great. Got it off Amazon came 2 days later. You don't need a fancy one, just Blood Pressure and Pulse.
Interesting little aside, the nurse starts off reading from the screen, eventually gets to, "Do you drink?"
"Of course I do!"
"Ah, now you've answered 'yes', I have a few questions to ask..."
And away she went answered honestly, 'no' to them all.
Then she said, "How much do you drink?"
"I'm the cook, so I'll have a pint of stout (Beamish) whilst I'm cooking, and another pint once I sit down to relax after dinner and Susie's in bed. Probably a whisky or an extra pint or two at the weekend"
"So that's 2 pints a day x 5 and say 3 pints x 2?"
That's around 30+ units a week, that's rather more than the recommended allowance! I strongly recommend you give yourself at least 2 days alcohol free a week...."
So when I got home with my print out of all my tests, my liver reading was better than perfect, (Should be less 55 and was actually 25!)
Last year the limit was higher and I asked the nurse, "What number against my liver reading would cause you to tell me I have a serious drinking problem, or my liver was in distress, what would that number be?
"Around 68"
On my printout it was 21. Happy days!
They have to tell you generically to give yourself a couple of days off, that's the advice.
My printout tells me I'm better than fine! Woohoo!

 

[pagey]

When I was at the hospital the other day, as the consultant said it was nothing to worry about and discharged me said to take my BP readings for a few weeks and said you can get a monitor from Boots, which I did. They ranged in price from £20.50-£99.99.

Well worth the investment if you can afford it.

Went to Dr's about 8 years ago with some strange symptoms, dr took bp and sent me to hospital by ambulance, bp was 220/160. Took meds for years and basically forgot about it.

Started have aches in left arm when walking about half mile and Mrs made me go docs about 2 years ago, since then I've had to have a triple bypass 18months ago, and spent a week on stroke ward with a double blockage basilar artery (main feed for the brain). Still suffer symptoms of having a stroke nearly daily.

If in doubt get checked out, wish I had sooner.

 

[Jabbawolf]

I had a text from my GP asking for me to submit my blood pressure reading to them, and to get in touch if I didn't have my own blood pressure monitor.
Is it really that common to have a home blood pressure monitor that it's assumed you will have one?

If it’s a one-off reading, many pharmacies offer a free BP check if you’re over (I think) 40.

 

[BillyDee]

Turns out me mam has one, so I've borrowed that. Maybe it's more normal to own one than I thought...

 

[Sniffer]

Turns out me mam has one, so I've borrowed that. Maybe it's more normal to own one than I thought...

I found out that my parents had 2 sat in their cupboard doing nothing after forking out for one.