I had a stroke about a year ago and was wondering when I should expect a follow up appointment. I had a R test done in June last year but have no idea what the results are and my GP cannot find any record of it. Is this normal?
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Hi Elmo
The stroke team should follow up within six weeks of your discharge.
Call the hospital asked to speak to the stroke team and let them know that you’re waiting for them to see you immediately.
They forgot me for eight months so you really need to push for follow up appointment.
hope it goes well.
Amanda
When I had my stroke 3 1/2 years ago, before I left the hospital they told me to make an appointment with my GP, a neurologist and a cardiologist–which I did the first week home. It was up to me to make these appointments. No one called me about it. The cardiologist discovered I had afib–which had caused the stroke, and I am having treatment for that. This is standard procedure in the US, but I don’t know how it is in the UK. It sounds like they left it up to you to make the necessary follow-up appointments . 
Jeanne
I had a brief telephone appointment with the stroke nurse at 2 weeks after discharge but didn’t really discuss much. I will be having a six month review with her next week. Meanwhile I am fortunate that my GP is excellent and have had a couple of appointments with her and follow up blood tests to see if there is a medication related cause of my fatige (there isn’t - it appears from what I’ve read here to be sadly normal for Stroke)
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Hi Mahoney,
Hope your doing well. These team’s, whose job is to provide the correct treatment, make my blood boil. They are required to have your 1st follow up within 6 weeks, as per the medical council guidelines. Those follow ups are vital as they indicate the correct treatment for that individual that needs checking. I wont go into all the rubbish it has taken to get a follow up (10 months) and why I now have a formal case against them. Main thing is people are informed of dates and plans for that patient. Sorry for the moan.
Hi Loshy,
Crazy right. I went formal with them, I wrote everything to the complaints team for that hospital. Not because they will help anything, but better to have everything down so the solicitor has complete information. Complaint went in in August, still not dealt with although admitted by the team, many mistakes. They have said end or March for resolution (havent gone legal yet, next step). Luckily for me nothing they can turn around, no follow up, although reminded by nurses. when informed still no follow up (bruised ego’s). My GP shouted at them and ended up with follow up 10 months after discharge. That was awful 10 mins with a doctor and I ended up in tears. So I let them play their delay game, its not funny and I have not been treated, so in the end I will take it further. Sod em and I am smiling except when they get mentioned, then I am 
Hi Loshy,
A big one in Birmingham. I will never go there again.
I am surprisingly calm and fatalistic about this, once I stopped wondering what I had done wrong to be treated so badly and realised they are at fault I felt fine. I can deal with this and every letter from the complaints team is a laugh (there were lots of other issues) and I then ask why this and so on and off they go to see what to answer. I would always say do not chat to the complaints team and get everything by email or letter. Keep it clear, stick to relevant points, give them deadlines and note when responses are/not received. Of course if you are talking to the complaints for a minor issue or suggestion, then of course chat away but not when legal may be involved.
I am in grrr mode for them but really happy and calm, which is a bit of a change for me and amazing to feel in control in my life. Stroke bonus I guess just feeling calm most of the time.
Amanda
I had my initial follow up at 6 weeks. It would have been longer but they had a cancellation so called me and offered me a same day appointment. They said they would follow up again at 6 months. Reading some of the comments above I think I have been quite lucky with my appointments. I am still awaiting an ophthalmologist appointment though………guess I have joined the very long queue.
Hi
I’ve AF which seems to have caused the small bleeds in the brain. I’m on blood thinners at the moment and will have a 6-day ECG monitor beginning April. How is your AF being treated? Any other advice?
The hospital staff were all absolutely brilliant- I was treated very well, as were the other patients. Sorry to hear of less happy stories.
Magga
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The above from Magga was addressed to
anxr911
But being a newbie didn’t tag him/her
Or
Was the message to that reference???
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Hi Magga-- My afib was treated with medications. They tried beta blockers first, but they made me feel crummy. Then they put me on diltiazem 180 mg ( timed release) . I take one a day. That is a different class of drug–calcium channel blocker. That doesn’t bother me at all. It did slow my heart rate down, though–which was the point, in order to stop the afib. But because my heart rate stayed so low , around 43, they put in a pace maker to keep it up to at least 60. It knows to go higher if I’m walking, etc. They are very sophisticated. That experience was fine. The pacemaker was done as an outpatient and doesn’t bother me. I did go a couple of times to get the response rate adjusted. They doc does it remotely. I’ve had no afib since. 
Jeanne
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Magga-- This is Jeanne again. I just wanted to add one thing. The cardiologist also put me on Eliquis and baby aspirin as blood thinners. Since I’ve had no afib in 3 years, he is considering stopping the blood thinners. Personally, since I have no ill effects from them I just as soon stay on them–just to feel safer.
Jeanne, I’ll remember that. Thanks. In 3 weeks time I’ll have a 6-day 24-hr ECG monitor, which I hope will diagnose the type of AF.