Well, what do you know?
The Muay Thai guy didn’t want me training yesterday due to my tachycardia. He said I should see the doctor. I explained I’d already tried twice and got nowhere, the last one saying it was nothing to worry about. He wasn’t having it. I was a sad bunny. Not just because I’d started that club, but because I was worried all the clubs might react the same. In which case I can’t prepare for the fash. And I have to live in fear. Bad, bad, bad.
I rang the doctors this morning. Our doctors is basically an overpriced triage centre now. I don’t think they have actual doctors there any more, just those fake ones. If you can get an appointment at all.
I rang at dead on 08.00, when the ‘phone lines open and was third in the queue. I was quickly answered and they referred me to Guardian Street medical centre (in town) for 09.15, to see a real doctor!
Unheard of! I was suspicious and waiting for the other shoe to drop. I got there and it was a young man who was indeed a real doctor. He took it all very seriously. He took my pulse (healthy slow) blood pressure (ideal) and listened to my heart (all good). I have recent bloods on record so he checked them and said they are all fine as well.
He said he’s book me in with my surgery for a baseline ECG and write to Warrington hospital to have them fit me with a heart rate monitor for 24 hours. The ideal is to have a normal reading first, then try and catch an episode over the 24 hour period. That should be simple enough. Neck a cup of coffee then do a one mile, flat out, sprint. That should trigger it.
An hour or so later I got a text, I’m booked in for the baseline ECG on Saturday!
The doctor said it sounds like SVT (supraventricular tachycardia), the NHS website says they can control it with drugs, electric shocks or cure it completely by sticking a wire up your vein and burning out the faulty bit of the heart. I am going to be pushing hard for the latter. I had honestly resigned myself to enduring this for the rest of my life. Now I’m hoping they are going to fix me. It would be so great!
It goes to show how far the NHS (GPs service) has been destroyed that this seems almost unbelievably good treatment.
Anyway, if I can get properly fixed, the training is back on and I stand a much better chance at cracking sub 3 for the marathon if I don’t lose minutes to tachycardia every time I go out fast.
I so hope this works out. And quickly.