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
Hi @Elmo, your GP should be able to contact the hospital to find out the results of your R test if he hasn’t received them.
Usually you get a follow up appointment with the stroke team about 6 weeks after discharge, then a further appointment about 6 months later. If you haven’t had any follow ups, you need to get in touch with them.
As @Amandaso says you need to contact the hospital stroke team to get them to make you an appointment, you could also ask to be put through the cardiology team for a copy of the results of your R test or ask them to send the info to your GP.
Best wishes
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@Elmo hi I second everything @Mahoney And @Amandaso have just advised through experience. I really feel it is up to us to push for our results or we can wait a very long time. Lots of luck to you best regards, Loraine
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.
@Amandaso great to let it out!! My blood boils all the time with specialist doctors. I was misdiagnosed for 3.5 weeks I’ve wrote 4 letters of complaint s and they turn it all around on me. Good luck keep smiling 
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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.
@Amandaso no all ours is letters by email. They certainly spiel some crap! I just cannot be bothered now I’ve kinda give up and just letting it go so I can feel less stressed. I’ve rattled the consultants bones so to speak and I’m now with a different team! I just think if it’s not black and white the consultants don’t know how to react. Good luck 
As the stroke I had happened during covid, I had a telephone conversation with the stroke consultant that lasted minutes, that was my 6 week follow up appointment, at the end of which he discharged me to the care of my GP. Can’t get a face to face appointment with the GP for love nor money. GP says I don’t need a review for a year!
So, quite surprisingly, I’ve received a letter saying I have a 6month follow up appointment with the stroke nurse, again however by telephone. Sometimes we need face to face to discuss issues, as over the phone I feel fobbed off and they can’t check any vitals, take blood or see you as you are, how you manage etc covid lockdowns may be over but health care doesn’t seem to have reverted to pre- covid standards.
I have to admit I thought stroke aftercare would be better than I received.
@Amandaso, sorry you had to take your complaints formal, but sincerely hope you get the aftercare and treatment you need.
Best wishes
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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.