January 13th 2016, It’s been over a week since my angiogram and I have to go to New Cross hospital to speak to the consultant about their findings. Since all this has come to light there have been so many friends and relatives who have told me stories of people who have had stents or a bypass.” They all come out of it well and there is no reason to worry and that’s the end of it”. Except that isn’t the end of it. All the stories and experiences of others DO reassure me of the outcome but as for not Worrying..
At the Hospital I am called into the consultants office. He introduces himself and I sit down. He fills me with confidence and on first impressions comes across as someone who knows more about open heart surgery than me. At this point I still haven’t been told I have to have the triple bypass and I still cling to the faint hope I can get away with stents. After a brief examination we watch the Angiogram on his monitor where he points out the blockages in the arteries then he deals out the news.
There is no sugar coating or plastic models of dolls with their entrails hanging out. he just says ” you will need a quadruple bypass” ! Somehow the mention of a quadruple and not the triple bypass has really taken the wind out of me. He tells me because I am young and healthy the results should be good. It’s funny how many times I am getting told I am young and healthy now I am rotting from the inside out. I am told the waiting list is around 3 months but he wants to get me in earlier if possible as I am at high risk of a heart attack. How did I get to this point ?
January 19th 2016, It’s a Tuesday and I’m at work. I can’t see any point lounging about at home feeling sorry for myself. I have worked with the same people for the last 25 years and they are more like family. My boss has had a triple bypass 12 months ago so there is no better person to understand what I face and if I’d took the decision to stay at home he would have understood. My phone rang and I was surprised to find it was my doctor. They had been looking at the x-rays that I had done when I went to A&E and have just noticed something and they are sending me for a CT scan ! A few days later I go to my doctor for a repeat prescription and to discuss this new finding. He confirms they are suspecting that what they are looking at is a 2-3cm tumour but need to wait for the results of the CT scan. I can’t be that unlucky can I ?….
Phil's Quadruple Bypass 