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2006 - November 1st - Wednesday

JH sent a cheeky hippo birthday card to Kathy for tomorrow, and enclosed copies of page 1, and page 26 of her Donation Document so that Kathy would have a List of JH’s Investigations – almost to the day of JH’s first offer!


 

2006 - November 2nd - Thursday

JH’s attended an appointment with Dr Stuart Hateley, her GP, at 9.10am.  JH explained that she was concerned about her B/P being high each time she went near a hospital as a patient, ie, as a potential donor of a kidney!  JH had apprehensions that she might present herself at the RLH and that everything might need to be put on hold again – because her B/P shot up.  Furthermore, JH explained that on one occasion, when she had her B/P checked (7 August 2006), that the B/P machine had bleeped because her pulse was recording at only 38; she had had her pulse checked occasionally since and it was always discovered to be more or less the normal rate, and regular but, on departure from the PIU, it had been 51.  Gratifyingly, Dr Hateley said that a slow pulse could be considered a sign of good health!
 
JH observed that, whilst she was chattering on, Dr Hateley was busily pumping up the cuff and writing down a list of JH’s blood pressure readings – in all he recorded 4 readings and subsequently observed to JH that her blood pressure did fluctuate between normal levels and abnormal levels - the 2 readings he particularly mentioned was a systolic of +/- 164 and a diastolic of 94.  Dr Hateley then auscultated JH’s chest, and stated that JH was having ectopic ventricular beats – which he explained by calling up an ECG trace on his computer; JH felt sure that she recognised the trace – of a premature wave followed by a slightly longer pause - from looking at her ECG trace up at Derriford; furthermore she recollected that she had really felt that her pulse was irregular when she endeavoured to feel it herself (but nobody else had mentioned an irregularity).  Dr Hateley said that ectopic beats were not of clinical significance unless JH was getting symptoms such as shortness of breath, or some such; JH said that she was always rushing at the last minute to catch buses but that she was not really convinced that the situation had changed much over the years!

JH said that she occasionally heard a bruit, particularly in her right ear and in association with her pulse – which JH thought might be because her ears were clogged up due to swimming (and in view of past problems); Upon inspection JH’s ears were, indeed, found to be clogged up with wax.

JH was given instructions to make two appointments, one for having her ears syringed and one for having more bloods taken and another ECG performed at the Surgery.  Appointments were made for Ear Syringing on Monday – but JH subsequently altered this via telecom to Tuesday 7th at 3.00pm (so that she could call in on her way home from the Talk at the Museum), and an appointment for 10.15am on Wednesday 8th for the blood work-up and ECG.

JH rang Lyn Headon but Sara Stacey was scrubbed-up all day so JH explained the situation and Lyn said she would let Sara know, if possible, that JH would like to speak (yet again) to her - Sara.  JH rang Mary Andrews to ask advice – after having to explain the situation as Mary did not know about JH’s slow pulse – with regards as to when the point should be to tell Kathy about a potential setback to JH’s donating a kidney: Mary, as usual, was a very good listener; she accepted JH’s contention that, really, JH did not feel ill but, in fact, felt better for having lost 1½ stone in weight; however, Mary did observe that JH seemed more puffed when walking up hills than Mary herself did; JH explained that she had never been athletic and had always huffed and puffed (her huffing and puffing having already been observed over the years by other people) and she (JH) had, of course, got older - over the 30 years since meeting Mary!  JH explained that Kathy’s ‘pushiness’ in trying to extract results of JH’s screening before it had actually been done, was somewhat disconcerting to JH: but that’s how Kathy is, after all!  Mary said that Kathy should be told on an ‘as and when need to know’ (JH’s phrase) only.  JH felt very despondent.

At the beginning of the consultation JH had mentioned that she was ‘Miss’ not ‘Mrs’ – as she had been called the latter: Dr Hateley gave a genuine apology as he did look at my (computer) record before coming out if his surgery to call JH.  As JH was leaving St Neot’s Surgery, she expressed a thought to Dr Hateley that he had a rather unfortunate name for a GP – to which he courteously replied that he had, quite happily, lived with his name for many years; JH said that, after his receipt of JH’s remark, he could call her ‘Tipsey’!  JH had also explained that she had been on forename terms with Bill Hill, now retired, as she had worked with Dr Hill when he was an SHO in the Special Care Baby Unit: perhaps JH should invite Dr Hateley to call her Jeanette?



 
 
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