Over the years, people have shared some of their personal life experiences with us, far too many to list, this was just to say I’m sure we’re all wishing you well as the support shown here for a variety of things has always been fantastic to see.
5 Likes
A particularly honest thread was deleted recently and I can understand why. I was going to respond but paused as I didn’t know what to say.
A few days down the line just thought it would be nice to reaffirm we’re all very supportive here
7 Likes
Hi @Alley_Cat.
I had last scan a week ago. The radiographer takes 2 weeks to do their report. I saw consultant on monday and are looking at operating in 3 to 4 weeks.
I am in contact with hospital. Lets see if they do what they say.
17 Likes
Rooting for you as always Dan.
5 Likes
Who’s post was deleted and what was so wrong. Guess I should probably keep my updates simple and limited.
@Dan_M it’s the waiting that I find the most frustrating. Let’s hope it’s all good news.
11 Likes
Everything crossed for you and your family
Ian
2 Likes
I had no option but to remove the thread in question. I won’t (and can’t) go into the details, but will repeat what I said back on that thread;
It’s important I feel to reiterate here that the rules of the forum and its moderation are to provide a framework that ensures a reasonably safe environment for the members to primarily share their passion for music and for Naim. This builds a sense of community and so of course there’s a desire to discuss a much wider range of topics (hence the Lounge), and also the feeling that it’s safe to seek help and reassurance amongst friends.
That’s fine up to a point, and I’m sure it can provide some welcome catharsis along the way. However, it’s worth reiterating that this is not the best place to seek help beyond straightforward guidance for mental health issues. That’s the work for trained Counsellors and Psychotherapists. While some us might be trained in these fields, this forum is not the right environment to practice. So please do share your experience here, but if you are looking for real help then I would urge you to seek out a proper accredited Counsellor or Psychotherapist. If you’re in the UK then one of the best places to start is the BACP (British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy). There you can find out more about what type of counselling might be best for you and also find counsellors in your area.
### British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy
BACP is the professional association for members of the counselling professions in the UK. We exist for one simple reason - counselling changes lives
In other countries I’m sure there may well be similar such Associations, so please do seek them out if you feel you need some help.
While we try our best to make this forum as safe an environment as possible for sharing our passion for music, hifi, Naim, etc… after much consideration I’ve decided it’s not the right or a safe enough environment for sharing issues of mental health. That’s best shared with your GP, Psychiatrist, trained Counsellor or Psychotherapist. Thanks.
30 Likes
Thank you Richard, especially for posting those wise words again.
My sentiments posting last night extended more generally than to just the thread which required moderation and to more than a few forum members over the years. I’ve consequently edited the initial post and title.
If there’s a danger this could become a ‘Part 2’ of the moderated thread please lock or otherwise as appropriate.
I’m not sure if it would sound corny, but maybe I should have entitled it something along the lines of:
'A group hug to anyone who needs one’.
2 Likes
I had a dinner date with a qualified mental health counsellor.
The first hour was ok, just general chat and stuff. The second hour was not only the worst date I’ve ever had, it was the worst human interaction experience I’d had in my life. It ended up me being grilled and her actually getting very highly strung. There wasn’t a second date.
Just an objective view. If anyone is or has seen a counsellor, you may have done so in a vulnerable state. If you have come away from the meeting with doubts or bad thoughts, just bear in mind that the counsellors are just people like you and get things wrong. If in doubt, perhaps see a different one.
Maybe a good thread to start; Bad first dates 
3 Likes
I said my piece at the very start of that discussion thread and was supported.
Richard echoed a few of my points but let it run.
It was always going to be a car crash and not before time.
There is a time and place for everything so let’s keep the armchair experts discussing HI Fi and music on the platform generously provided and moderated. 
4 Likes
plus gardening, photography, cars and each other’s pets
6 Likes
I’ve had a summer of health issues, but I didn’t really see any value in seeking advice here.
I have atrial fibrillation, diagnosed following a series of palpitation episodes. Apparently one in ten will have this post-sixty (I’m 56) most of whom find out via the mechanism of having a stroke. Something about which my cardiologist was plainly unable to contain his surprise hadn’t happened to me. I slept through my heart rate reaching 200bpm - while strapped up to all the various devices and monitors.
But I did get a mildly amusing anecdote out of it. After all the tests for this, that, and everything. I saw the cardiologue four times (and I have been seeing him for about five years). On the last of these, he turned to me and said:
“Would it be helpful for you if we discussed this in English?”
Five years! It turns out his wife is English and his children study at the International School. His English is fluent. Five years!
It’s quite flattering in a way - although I cannot believe he thought I am French. My French is pretty good these days, and a lot of medical/technical jargon is either the same in both languages, or a mystery to me in either.
But there are subtleties and nuances, best heard in your mother tongue.
I really wanted to establish whether anything about my lifestyle may have provoked this, and whether changing something might mean these drugs need not be ‘forever’ (not really * and not really respectively.)
*Caffeine and alcohol both catalysts I know.
I won’t get any sympathy for this next one, but I had to withdraw from a marathon, because I tore the AC Ligament in my knee.
Getting off a yacht.
(The tender in which I had one foot got taken by a small wave and I sort-of ended up doing the splits between the two boats). Fortunately three months of physio and gentle exercise (coinciding with a heatwave which would have made marathon training not-funny in any case) and I am nearly there, and back to running 10km and cycling fifty.
I could have spent the summer swimming, but I got an ear infection which perforated the drum. Antibiotics to the rescue…
I am so grateful that all this is behind me (or at least under control) now. Back to the music.
15 Likes
We are also OK now.
A succession of adverse health events occurred that was not good.
When things started worsening, it was decided that the most critical diagnosis should be revisited using a more complete technique, and it was decided that the original diagnosis had actually been a false positive - things were not, in fact as as it had originally appeared. In the mean time just before the second tests were done, one of the main troubling issues had actually healed itself; if it had been a true positive the subsequent healing could not have occurred. The other additional symptoms were caused by non-damaging events that had obscured matters, further interfering with the original tests, but these had also cleared by the subsequent tests.
Now we can get on with trying to resolve the chronic pelvic pain and see if anything can be done about the hearing loss, but these are things which we can adequately handle without considering extreme measures.
A visit to our wife also stabilised things. Hopefully our psychologist will also soon return from maternity leave.
8 Likes
My ex wife is a psychologist 
3 Likes
Hi Rod - I too have atrial fibrillation - initially intermittent (mostly set off by running) - but now permanent. It was initially diagnosed in my late sixties after I talked to my GP about my problems with breathlessness when running. I take apixaban to reduce the risk of stroke but otherwise live with the AF. As you say it’s largely undiagnosed, as the symptoms may well simply be associated with ageing - the doctor who initially did the diagnosis said that during AF cardiovascular effectiveness declined by around 10-15%, which would not be particularly noticeable in everyday life. My diagnosis more or less coincided with tearing cartilage in my knee and after surgery I was advised not to run as damage was likely to recur. So I gave up running but carried on cycling, although improving fitness and getting up hills is hard now with the AF. Has there been any suggestion that you could have an intervention to stop the AF - that is reset your sinus rhythm?
3 Likes
This Forum has supported me by its constancy and variety through some difficult events. I don’t tend to share details at the time, or even afterwards much but I have definitely found it to be a ‘safe’ and helpful distraction for example when my wife had major health issues a number of years ago.
This summer my parents died within a few weeks of each other. I found I posted a bit more and tried to be positive and helpful for example in the HiFi room (which is generally not my favourite area) during that spell. Interesting.
Bruce
12 Likes
Thanks Clive.
Yes the cardiologist did say there was a surgical intervention that could be tried, but for the moment the risks (of any operation) outweighed the benefits/need.
He prescribed “Flécaïnide” and “Rivaroxaban” (as well as the statin I take anyway - lots of heart issues in my family alas)). One is to control the heart rate and the other is an anti-coagulant in case, presumably, the former does not work.
Although we are/were both runners I think my situation is different in that all the arrhythmia episodes were when I was ‘at rest’ (or indeed asleep), which is what worried me about them. Running no issue now my knee is better. Although cycling is better recuperation in many ways.
It’s all getting old I guess. Still, as he said ’ better to know’…
Feeling a bit numb … an old friend messaged me at the weekend to tell me that she had found her daughter dead in bed at home. She was distraught. I was lost for words.
I spoke to a mutual friend to tell him, which was tricky because his best friend had died suddenly last year and who was due to celebrate his 50th birthday. He could not talk about it at the time and still finds it hard to talk. Again I was lost for words.
Today I had lunch with some old friends who just wanted to show support. For which I’m very grateful, but the tragic loss still leaves me numb. I can’t think of a better word, but talking helped make sense of these two events.
9 Likes
Hi Rod,
I also have AF, since 2015. Initially put on a beta-blocker and my choice of the type of blood thinner, I chose Rivaroxaban. After a cardiogram I was offered a DC cardioversion which reverted me to a normal sinus rhythm. That lasted for six months before AF returned. They did it again and then put me on Amiodarone, an apparent wonder drug but with side effects. In 2018 I had an ablation, cauterisation of the electrical bits of the blood vessel leading to the heart to stop the pre-beat happening. All was brilliant and normal until recently, when I had a rather bad stressed period and AF came back.
I am waiting for a cardiology appointment to see if the ablation will be repeated.
It can make you very tired but they do tend to monitor you well.
It will be interesting to hear what they do differently in France to the UK
1 Like
So sorry to hear of your parents’ passing Bruce.
Mine both died within a few months of each other coming up to 5 years ago now in November, and I’m only starting to realise how much it affected me, and being unable to deal directly with things I’d planned to the following Spring due to almost 2 years of Covid restrictions certainly didn’t help. There were multiple complicating factors involved which delayed ‘closure’ for several years, things I’d probably thought I would be immune to.
1 Like