"Heart fail diagnosis journey"

In early November I noticed that my breathing was a little faster than normal and my daughter commented about it when we were talking on the phone. During November I started to feel a bit tired and didn't feel like doing my usual activities. My son also noticed that my breathing was getting quicker and suggested that I go and stay with him for a week, so at the beginning of December I went to stay in his house.

The next morning my son rang 111 and we consulted with the doctor and it was decided for me to go into Boston A and E and I arrived at about 10 o'clock. During the course of the day I had blood tests, x-rays, an MRI and several other tests and an injection of antibiotics and was told I would be staying in the hospital overnight.

The next morning when the doctor made their rounds they told me that I had water in the lungs and was sending me home and to take two furosemide tablets a day for two weeks and to contact my GP as early as possible. I made an appointment with my doctor who came to see me at home in mid December and checked me over and arranged for me to have some blood tests and an ECG which was done just before Christmas.

My breathing became very difficult and one night at the end of December I could not sleep and used 111 line. My son took me to A and E Queens hospital that night where I was seen quite quickly and had blood tests some anti-biotics and several more tests during the course of the day.

After about an hour I was transferred by ambulance to City Hospital Papplewick ward. My medication was altered. On my water ward rounds they told me that my heart was worn out which they could do nothing about due to my age but they could give me their best medication and was sending me home to the care of Heart Failure Nursing service, I came home at the beginning of January 2022.

I have been weighed, blood pressure taken, they listened to my lungs , and blood sample taken for testing. I found the hospital experience excellent and the nurses and doctors were easy to get on with and gave good advice when asked. I was very pleased that the doctor told me bluntly about my heart and that I would be looked after by the heart nurses on my discharge from hospital. The hospital food was very good.

The heart failure nursing service was also excellent and I thought the nurses did a very good job every time they came. They were very easy to talk to and gave me a lot of very good advice on how to keep myself in good shape which I am still following and am feeling better now than I have been for a long time.

I give the NHS ten out of ten. Thank You.