On Thursday 13th November 2014 I started my new medication - Fingolimod
For anyone about to start this treatment or considering starting it, here is a play by play of what to expect...
Arrive early in the morning at hospital and get your very own room. You'll also be assigned a cardiology nurse to spend the whole day with you.
ECG heart test which is sent of to the cardiologist who gives the OK to go ahead and start treatment
If all is well then off you go and swallow the pill!
You'll be hooked up to heart rate monitors all day and asked to do a urine sample at some point
On the hour every hour your blood pressure is checked and a HR reading is taken
Your heart rate is expected to drop but to be honest I didn't notice anything except for being a bit sleepy (but that may have been because I was lying in a bed all day!)
LUNCH TIME [You'll have Nando's brought to you if you're as lucky as me!]
6 hours later you have another ECG and this is sent off to the cardiologist who hopefully gives the OK. They are basically checking to see that your HR has gone back up to where is was in the morning or higher. If it's lower you will need to stay in for a few more hours until it peaks.
Take home one weeks worth of tablets and wait for a delivery of the next lot!!
Thats what happens while you're there... i'll move on to what happens after in my next post.
P x
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