It was a Saturday morning and looking out the window I saw that it had been snowing during the night. Along with my neighbours I went out to clear the snow from the road and pavements. While doing this I began to feel a bit breathless which I thought unusual as I keep relative fit & healthy. I went into the house and began to feel worse as my chest was getting tighter and knew something was not right so asked my wife to phone 999.
The ambulance came within 30minutes and after tests took me to the Royal Infirmary in Edinburgh with a heart attack. I was taken straight away to have a stent fitted. I stayed in the Royal for 2 days then was transferred to the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy. I was discharged the next day.
After a while I went to see the Cardiology Nurse at the Queen Margaret Hospital in Dunfermline. I saw the nurse several times before being referred to the Fife Community Cardiac Rehabilitation Nurse. During this time and along with my GP my medication was monitored to ensure that there was no side effects. There were several blood tests along with keeping an eye on my blood pressure and heart rate. It proved just as well as the type of statins had to be changed as the original one had an adverse effect on my liver.
At the Cardiac Rehabilitation I met other people in a similar position to myself and it was good to talk to them. You did exercises and were shown how to warm up and cool down properly. They also took your blood pressure and checked your heart rate. It was very enjoyable, relaxing and empathetic. This helped my physical and mental health.
Throughout the whole experience, from the 999 call, the ambulance staff, the staff at the Royal Infirmary, the Victoria Hospital, the Queen Margaret Hospital, the Fife Exercise Cardiac Rehabilitation and my GP the attention and care I was given was excellent. I don't think that anything could have been done better.
"The attention and care I was given was excellent"
About: Fife Community Services / Community Cardiac Specialist Service Fife Community Services Community Cardiac Specialist Service KY11 4UW Queen Margaret Hospital / Cardiology Queen Margaret Hospital Cardiology KY12 0SU Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France / Cardiology & Coronary Care Unit Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh at Little France Cardiology & Coronary Care Unit EH16 4SA Scottish Ambulance Service / Emergency Ambulance Scottish Ambulance Service Emergency Ambulance EH12 9EB Victoria Hospital / Cardiology Victoria Hospital Cardiology KY2 5AH
Posted by Cardio70 (as ),
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