So, I have high blood pressure, (like rediculously high), I am only 20 years old, and I have had it since I was 16 (that I know of, I never really had it checked before then). I have been messed arrounf by the NHS alot and it has been under investigation for those four years, and they still havent got to the bottom of the cause after a million tests. They think at the moment that I have renal artery disease, and and that is causing my arteries to get scarred and damaged and narrow, so thats causing my blood pressure. I havetried to make lifestyle changes, but there isn't really that much I can do to change, I excercise gently every day, (walking my Feodore, and I walk everwhere as I don't drive), I watch my diet, and I only weigh eight and a half stone so weight isn't an issue. I take Calcium Channel Inhibitors (Amlodipine) to manage it which I will likely be on for the rest of my life. They make me feel reallt dizzy and out of it though, and I have to admit, I stopped taking them for three weeks last time I had uni exams, cos they make me feel out of it and unable to focus and I was scared I was gonna fail my exams.

I have had more blood tests than I can shake a stick at, I have had two ultrasounds of my kidneys but they arent detailed enough, all I know is that one of my kidneys is tiny and doesn't function well, I had an MRI scan but I had a bad alergic reaction to the metal contrast tracer and had to be taken out and have oxygen.

So now I have to have angiography. They have to inject a contrast directly into my kidney vessels, via my ....groin. I't might sound weird but I don't really like being touched on my groin, my stomach, my neck, I dunno why it just makes me feel vulnerable. I am not scared of needles or anything, I used to be a regular blood doner before they stopped letting me cos of my health. last time I was in hospital in July though I just freaked out and was crying, its a horrible hospital that I am in now, it is a disgusting humiliating kind of place. I cried to the doctor like a baby and irrationaly said I was just not having it done, cos I seriously didn't want to go back there ever again, certainly not to have an old male doctor toughing my groin. So they gave me some crazy people meds lol to calm me down on the day I get it done, (some temazepam). If this confirms that the problem is what they think it is then they will do ballon angiplasty to enlarge my blood vessel, and put a stent in. (Thankfully because of the godawful NHS this will probably end up being in like 2012 so I'm putting it to the back of my mind).

My appointment just came through the post today to get it done, and its on 22nd of september. This is during freshsers week of my final year of uni which im really gutted about too, I had to have an operation on my gum bone in my first freshers week and I really wanted to make the most of my last one. I am in for an overnight stay this time aswell, I don't really know why cos it should be quite a small prcedure, Im assuing they just want to monitor me or something. I am really dreading it soooo much. I know I'm being a bit of a baby here and people have to deal with things a hell of a lot worse than this (even some some of you on here will be sitting there thinking this is nothing compared to your problems). But I am completly bricking it and I don't want it done, it's really stressing me out and I feel another embarrasing childlike crying fit coming on when I have to go in for it.

Has anyone else had this done that can reassure me? I am cracking up here like the numpty I am.

p.s sorry for the massive rant, I don't really talk to any of my friends about it and I just need to rant :.(

__________________

Ok sweetie, I deal with this all the time. We do angiography's and stents on a daily basis at my hospital and I'm a nurse and do the before and after care so I know exactly what you are going through. I'm a cardiac nurse, so it is slightly different - but only in the location of the organ. Yours is kidney instead of heart.

They will sedate you for the procedure, so don't worry about that. Sounds like your doctor is already aware that you are really nervous, so it shouldn't be an issue at all. Since you had a reaction to the contrast dye, they will pre-medicate you for that so that won't happen again.

When you are in the procedure room, you are fully draped and covered. They only uncover one little part of your groin so that they can get the pictures that they need when they thread the stylet into your renal arteries. You will be sedated and believe me, you won't feel it and you won't care. You will be relaxed and sleepy. You will still be able to hear people talking, but it's like in a dream if that makes sense.

Once they get their pictures and once they put in a stent if needed, you'll go back to a recovery room and they will monitor your vitals signs and the puncture site (it's just two very tiny punctures in the groin, no sutures or anything) and then you will get to go back to the hosp room. They will want you to lie still for a few hours. You'll have just a small bandage on your groin, kind of like a big bandaid. They will keep an eye on you overnight and then you'll get to go home in the morning.

You will feel so much better after it's done and your body can handle your blood pressure in a normal way!

It's OK to be scared. Just know that it's a very routine procedure that they do all the time and I'm sure they are good at what they do. I bet you will come through it just fine!!!

__________________

"Having heard all of this, you may choose to look the other way.....
but you can never say again that you did not know." William Wilberforce 1759-1833

So sorry you are dealing with this, my Hubby has high blood pressure, and is on 2 medications now to control it (Altace & Lisinopril --just put on the 2nd one) to manage it.

__________________

Thank-you Sugarbaby for my awesome siggie!

Oh hollie you poor thing!! I have no clue about it but I struggle with the nhs daily with my little girl!! She has whit coat fear too which i think is normal when you get prodded abd poked so much.

Do you smoke??? I know you are at uni and drinking is heavily involved not sure if you're a drinker but that's prob worth cutting back on if you do.

I've been sedated but I don't do well with sedation or anaestetics so need a elephant to sit on me to knock me out and I chuck up everywhere BUT I can say I had a colonoscopy (camera shoved up my arse into my colon and a biopsy and I didn't feel a thing coz I was sedated.

Sounds like yours docs understand you're nervous so hopefully they will assist in keeping you calm!!

I hope it all goes well xxxx