or

The non-existent health care system in Norway

and probably everywhere else too.

Introduction:
On my own behalf

and actually not just "my own behalf"

because many other people feel the same way as me.

September, sometime towards the end of the month

My heart was acting up and as with so many things I didn't really notice it at first.

But it was stumbling more and more often, and extreme sleep problems and shortness of breath were added to that.

So I made an appointment with the doctor. Rather reluctantly, as I've never been a doctor-goer. In the 11 years that I've lived on my farm, I've been to the doctor 4 or 5 times and only because it really couldn't be avoided.

The oxygen level in my blood was measured, as was my blood pressure and pulse, and an ECG was done.

After that, I was given another appointment for a blood test a few days later and I felt like I'd been ripped off. (Forgive the crude expression, but that's how it was).

An ECG means nothing, absolutely nothing, a snapshot so to speak, especially when the whole thing only takes about a minute.

Two days later, my heart was finally going crazy, I panicked, my son called the emergency doctor and was told that we should go to the hospital, or more precisely to the emergency room.

We live in the Larvik municipality and so ONLY the hospital in Larvik is responsible for us and ONLY that is where we have to go.

A taxi was ordered for us, as we had neither a car nor any possibility of getting to Larvik. The journey time by the way was just about an hour by car.

My friend, who had also been informed in the meantime, had left at the same time, arrived here almost on the minute as the taxi, sent the taxi away and drove me and my son to the clinic.

Blood pressure, pulse, ECG, the usual procedure and I was sent home. Arrhythmia, no reason to worry. Only when I mentioned my breathing problems again did they become suspicious for a moment, felt my ankles for water retention, found nothing and that was it. More about this hospital later!

I had already made an appointment at a private clinic in Drammen, specializing in heart problems, and was there the next day. A new clinic that you have to pay for yourself, because it is private, but this was about my heart.

It was October 1st, 2024.

A short medical history, I was given the latest ECG measuring device for 24 hours and was able to return it the next day.

Diagnosis: cardiac arrhythmia, but no reason to worry. Otherwise my heart was perfectly healthy!

A misdiagnosis that could have cost me my life!

Main part:

Then came October 15, 2024 and everything was to change forever

A sunny autumn day, in all its splendor and variety of colors.

I went out with my dog to rake the leaves from the trees.

A thought flashed through my mind: such a beautiful day to die

and just over 30 minutes later, the paramedics were trying to save my life.

As I later found out from my son, the ambulance was on its way to Tønsberg, but something happened to me and the car stopped, the doctor from the second ambulance came in briefly, said I should go to Oslo, blue lights, sirens, I had a faint feeling that this must be something serious. In Oslo, in the Rikshospital, the best there is for the heart, I was immediately given 2 stents.

The pain was so bad, maybe even worse than the pain of the heart attack itself. The next morning the third stent was inserted.

On October 16th I was transferred to Tønsberg and discharged from there on October 17th.

On October 20th I was back in the emergency room, again in Larvik, because, as already mentioned, I was in a community hospital and although my son had mentioned the heart attack and the stents on the phone, I had to go to Larvik!

I told the doctor, that I have the feeling, as if there's an iron ring around my chest and that I can't breath.

And all he did was asking again and again about my pain. Totally ignoring what I was saying: NO pain, but the feeling of the pressure of an iron ring.

And then he used his hands, putting pressure on my chest, aksing if it hurts.

DAMN of course, I just had a heart attack and 3 stents inserted

I was observed there for 1.5 hours, blood pressure, ECG, the procedure, except for the blood test. And after a whopping 90, in words NINETY minutes, I was told that I had to go to the hospital for a blood test.

My son wanted to calm me down, but I had understood the doctor correctly.

I was supposed to go to Tønsberg, another hour's drive away. Because:

In Larvik they wouldn't be able to do the necessary blood test!

And you should read through this again very carefully, because I have already been to this so-called hospital! On the one hand, they didn't take me seriously and on the other hand, they didn't tell me that in the event of an emergency, they wouldn't be able to determine anything at all! And they told me that after NINETY MINUTES, time that was important, but the idiotic doctor there apparently didn't care!

So to Tønsberg, blood tests, ECG, blood pressure measurement and after 2 or 3 hours, I had lost all sense of time by now, they said they wanted to keep me there for observation and x-ray my lungs.

I sent my son home, was x-rayed shortly afterwards and put in a 10-bed room, it was around 4 a.m.

Sleep? No chance. After only 2 or 3 hours I was woken up again, blood drawn etc.

The doctor came and said that unfortunately they couldn't tell me what had caused the feeling of tightness and shortness of breath. And I was allowed to go home again.

I got the letter, which was also sent to my family doctor by computer at the same time.

X-ray results: Clear, congestion-free lungs, marked by hyperinflation!

But they could NOT tell me where the shortness of breath came from!

Sorry, but once again:

I felt like I was being taken for a ride!

Today, October 25, 2024, I received a letter from the hospital with an appointment for November 12, in TWO weeks, to talk to a doctor, nurse and/or physiotherapist to find out about cardiac rehabilitation services.

Yesterday I was just crying, I couldn't say a single sentence without bursting into tears. I have post-traumatic stress syndrome, I don't dare go outside when the sun is shining and I feel let down by this SHITTY health system.

And in 2 weeks I have an appointment, in TWO weeks!

On Monday I'm going to see the doctor here in town, not my family doctor, another idiot who thought he didn't have to take me seriously. I could write more about him when it comes to misdiagnoses, but that's not what's going on here. I am grateful for everyone who had such kind words for me, grateful for the nurses who did everything they could to help me despite being overworked, grateful for everyone who thinks of me ♥

For everyone who is perhaps curious and wondering why my family doctor and no one else took me seriously.

62 years old, around 50 kg with the constant effort to gain weight, maybe 2 or 3 glasses of red wine a year and, since I had decided long ago to say goodbye to cigarettes for good, only 6 hand-rolled, fairly thin cigarettes a day.

On October 15th at around 5 p.m. I had just smoked my third "match", kept a record of every single cigarette in a little note book, to be aware of the amount and was getting closer to my goal of finally being able to beat the addiction.

My consumption had been pretty low before, around 10 cigarettes a day, for years, and honestly, I was proud to be down to 6.

I had no idea that on October 15th I would actually smoke my very last cigarette.

As everyone can see, I'm not a typical high-risk patient, very active outdoors, long tours through nature, always in the garden, also likes to go canoeing with my son. Healthy diet, hardly ever red meat, occasionally poultry, mainly fish. And I can't do anything without fruit and vegetables anyway.

Well, I'm definitely not the typical high-risk patient and yet I expected the doctors to take me seriously.

I was sorely mistaken!

On a side note, because I almost can see the question sign in many faces.

No, I'm UNVAXXED, so I'm not the usual "suddenly and unexpected", even though the whole experience for me was suddenly and unexpected.

Ok, let's move on, it's Monday October 28th, 2024 and I've just returned from the doctor's visit, because of my panic attacks.

He was nice, really, and was listening most of the time, but unfortunately he didn't always let me finish. A modern bad habit that has been around for a long time, but damn it, doctors should still be able to listen!

With the help of my son, to whom he was more willing to listen, or so it seemed to me... (what am I, stupid little one?) he was willing to call the psychological service, but to do so he asked us to leave the room first !

WHY?

Then we were asked back into the room, I was given three telephone numbers and told to send an SMS to the first one for a call back.

And then the doc said:

I'm sorry, but your time is up, I've already used up more time than I should, for everything else you have to make a new appointment.

My breathing difficulties were noted, but he couldn't and wouldn't prescribe me an asthma spray because of the side effects.

Unless a new appointement!

Well, an anticholinergic is used not only for asthma, but also in my case with hyperinflation of the lungs.

But no, I don't get it because I'm not an asthmatic.

UPDATE ABOUT THE ASTHMA MEDICATION

There is in fact one that would be dangerous after a heart attack!

This miserable shitty “healthcare” system in Norway!

Yes, I was waiting, for a call from a psychologist, at least I think he is one.

Screenshot sms It reads: Got your telefonumber from my doc, regarding help with my panic.

Hei!

I will call you when I have the possibility bla bla bla .....

Is it ok for you on, if I call you on Wednesday.

Greetings bla bla bla

Hei and thanks, that's fine/works for me.

No one called me today!

November 1, 2024

Do I need to mention that no one called here yesterday or today?

Well, the day isn't over yet, but it's Friday and here, too, the coffee spoon is put down early, the weekend is calling.

It's the 06. of November, no call, no help so far.

But a pain in my chest, that can't be normal. And with this panic comes up again, trying to calm myself down, so my heart don't get into panic-mode as well.

For heaven sake, how about believing me for once! Or do I really have to post all medical papers here with my full name, that people don't think, this all is a lie.

I DON'T JOKE ABOUT SOMETHING SERIOUS LIKE THIS!

07.11.

That was a horrible night, impossible for me to lay down, so I slept, as far as it was possible, sitting in my bed.

And this fear, it could happen every moment.

The pain in my chest, that should be long gone by now.

Please, at least not today, so Tjorven's birthday won't be overshadowed with grief.

08.11.

What the psyche can, came clear to me in relation to yesterday. Yesterday I was in an extreme state again, but I wasn't really aware of it.

But signs and wonders still happen.

After a not so good night (I had to fall asleep sitting up again) and woke up twice because I was thirsty, I woke up this morning somehow feeling well rested.

I wasn't quite conscious yet, but conscious enough to register that my nose was clear, I could breathe without any problems and my heart was beating completely calmly.

And then I was really awake, my consciousness was like a PC booted up to 100%, my nose shut down, air only went halfway in and my heart started racing.

FUCK Psyche!

After breakfast, going out, do cardio-pulmonary training as I call it, just walk consciously for 10 minutes and breathe.

And then the text message came from the man who was supposed to call me last Wednesday for psychological help. He wrote that he was very sorry and would call today.

More here today late afternoon, after the call.

He called, he took his time, he listened and he will call me Monday again, for an appointment.

Just this talk, almost 30 minutes, helped me a lot.

Feeling much better, just because he was willing to listen to me.

My night was not so good, woke up several times, no reason at all, but my heart felt like racing.

Got some sleep somehow, woke up, just wanted to stay in bed but didn't.

Got some coffee and ate breakfast and without a warning sign the panick kicked in, I was crying and with the help from Henrik and Tjorven I slowly managed to calm down.

Luckily Tjorven thought about the little bottle we still have, a plant in liquid form. Really should have thought about that much earlier, but better now than never.

We took a walk with the dogs (having a guest with dog in the house) not very long, but almost too much at once for me.

But after all, felling better again.

Translated with Deepl, missing the energy to do it myself.

It's 27.11.2024, so it really is time to update the whole thing here.

On November 12, I had an appointment at the clinic in Tønsberg to explain what will now be done. In short, we could have saved ourselves the time, as once again everything went according to plan 0815.

Generalizations and except for the admission that I knew what I was supposed to be told, it was no gain.

After all, when talking to the doctor, the admission (or what can I call it) that I need a spray for breathing, they would inform my doctor for examination.

The appointment for the breathing test was then on 21.11. and I hadn't expected to run into my family doctor Schebesta. He was the last person I wanted to see!

But instead of a test, I was asked into his treatment room and he actually had the cheek to ask me how I was doing.

Well, he had asked and I exploded, a wonder I didn't shout at him but just told him pissed off what I thought of him and his “not taking me seriously”.

Afterwards he just looked at me and said: “Yes, you're right, I didn't take it seriously” at least in that sense, I can't get it together word for word. it together anymore. I should have recorded it!

At least the lung clinic in Skien was informed and I am now waiting for an appointment to have my lungs examined.

Yesterday, on 26.11. back to Tønsberg to the clinic.

Clarification and explanation about the best diet, once again 0815 talk about colestertol and weight loss.

These generalizations really make me angry now!

Anyway, I joined in and that was that.

Then an hour of physio therapy, which went quite well, except for my breath, but I held out until the end.

But here too, it was stubbornly pushed through for an hour, so to speak, regardless of losses.

One of the patients stopped every now and then, held on, but the therapist carried on.

Well, it's possible that the patient wasn't there for the first time and she knew that she didn't have to worry about him, but in my opinion it would have been appropriate to ask how things were going.

Another patient also took a short break and sat down, but he didn't ask anything either.

Yesterday only acetylsalisyl, today the full dose of blood thinners again and I feel like shit! I need to check with a sensible doctor to see if there isn't a better solution instead of Prasugrel and Acetyl.

29.11. I hardly slept the night before last, the restlessness in my body is almost unbearable. Chest pains again and again, but as I was told in Tønsberg: Take a Paracet.

No, I don't, so I can tell if the pain is getting worse and I might need a doctor!

Yesterday then anxiety attacks and repeated bursts of tears.

And another pretty sleepless night.

This morning to the GP, and he didn't give me or my son the impression that he had the slightest interest in really helping.

I wanted a referral to a rehab clinic, he told me that doesn't exist in Norway and we pointed out to him that there are indeed rehab clinics in Norway.

Just before we left, he said, he would read the homepage of the rehab clinic.

After all, he gave me a prescription for 5 mg Prasugrel and asked the hospital. I don't know whether I will be informed of their answer.

He mentioned the colesterol value from the hospital letter and I said that no value had been checked since the heart attack.

And then he asked if I wanted the blood to be taken.

Whether I wanted it!

I also mentioned that I had permanent dry, crusty blood in my right ear, but he didn't look there either.

The doctor's assistant who then took the blood listened sincerely and with genuine interest, something my GP should have done.

The results will be back in about a week.

In ONE week!

Well, it's Friday, the lab had picked up all the samples, as the doctor's assistant said, and the other samples wouldn't be picked up until Monday. And then the lab needs almost a week? That simply CAN'T be true!

And they didn't take my blood pressure, my pulse or the oxygen content of my lungs.

It's a doctor's damn DUTY to take care of the aftercare! But I probably should have pointed that out too, just like the colesterol level.

Well, I can see more and more why our GP is notorious as a pill pusher!

For me, it's nothing short of a miracle that I survived this heart attack.

And I'm scared, so scared!

12/01/2024

Finally got a good night's sleep from Friday to Saturday, I was so exhausted that my body just took what it needed without my head being able to interfere.

Last night, hell was waiting for me again, I sat in bed, my body was shaking, my heart was racing, at least that's how I felt. But with the best will in the world, I can't say whether it was really like that or just in my head.

But today I felt extremely restless again, heart palpitations (real or imagined?), anxiety attacks and bursts of tears.

Went up to the street with Henrik, hoping for a tiny bit of normality.

I've been told several times now that I don't need to worry, the blockages have been removed and my heart is fine.

And then I think of the words of the doctor from the heart clinic in Drammen: slight arrhythmia, no reason to worry, otherwise my heart would be completely healthy.

So healthy that I had a serious heart attack two weeks later!

Who can and may I trust?

12/5/2024

Tønsberg Clinic on December 3rd and I didn't arrive with great expectations. On the contrary, my expectations were negative and unfortunately I was not mistaken once again.

Stress and stress management as well as avoidance, and I held up the normal process with my questions and comments.

When I mentioned the lack of psychological aftercare and thought it was a flaw in the system that there are hardly any rehabilitation clinics, I was given the stupidest argument ever.

In Germany there is health insurance for things like that.

The insurance is available here too, but all are private, there is actually no statutory one like in Germany.

But it doesn't change the lack of rehabilitation clinics.

And the comment about how good we had it compared to northern Norway, because there was nothing there, was the last straw.

Oh yes, as far as psychological help goes, after all there is the LHL = Hjerte- og karsykdommer, Lungesykdommer, Hjerneslag, i.e. heart and heart vessels, lung disease and stroke.

And everyone would have been given the telephone number, with the information that they could call them at any time.

Before I could finally explode, another patient said that I hadn't been on the course at the time.

But isn't it nice, that a brochure is now being produced based on it.

This "heart school" works like a continuous cycle, new patients come every hour, while others who have completed their 6 hours simply stay away. It doesn't matter whether important contact addresses were handed out just the hour before or not.

I'm so fed up!

Today was the first appointment with someone from Larvik, from the Mestringsteam, which could be translated as Meisterungsteam.

Nothing against the young woman, she was open and honest and really nice and she listened.

BUT, she is NOT a trained psychologist, is still in training and will not be a psychologist in the sense that is expected and known in Germany.

To put it bluntly, I could have spoken to anyone on the street and asked them to listen to me.

As I said, nothing against the young woman, but I had the feeling that she was overwhelmed by the whole situation.

No wonder, she is in training and she was alone, with no one to support her.

What kind of SHITTY SYSTEM am I living in here?

Oh yes, and another small but powerful punch in the gut.

Yesterday my family doctor called to give me the results of the blood test. And if I understood the man correctly, then I have a total value of over 6, LDL at 4.1 and HDL 1.?

I wanted to ask at the practice today and get it in writing, but unfortunately no one was there because they were on a break.

I don't smoke anymore, I don't eat cheese, I eat even less meat than I already do, I only eat poultry or fish and I'm getting sick of mackerel in tomato sauce.

And then the values ??are still so shockingly high? That just can't and shouldn't be!

Sorry for all the mistakes, I used google and deepl for the translation for the days from the 27. of November until today. Will re-write it in the next days.