Major Hospital pharmacy did not provide HIV medications.

[Terry]

For me last Friday 10/06 started out to be a wonderful day. I had an appointment with my ADAP rep. to do the yearly re-sign-up for medications. He (Danny) was impressed with my stats, CD4=1147. 39% VL undetectable. Then I finished every chore that I needed doing while out on the town. Later on in the day I visited my 95 y/o neighbor for an early evening cocktail. I went back home and made myself a nice dinner. That night, around 11pm I started feeling odd. Tried to sleep but that wouldn’t happen. So around three am. I took a hot shower to try and calm myself down. That didn’t work either. So I just stayed up and around 4am I put on a pot of coffee. Around ten o'clock I went to gas up the car (Prices have finally dropped below $3.47 a gal.) while driving, the pain in my chest and jaw got worse. So I made a u-turn and headed back home. I then read through a ”self-care guide“ Handbook that I had from when I was a member of Kaiser Permanente.

Finally, around 2 pm. I decided to drive myself to Palm Drive Hospital in Sebastopol. (I really felt it was nothing more than indigestion or acid-reflux.) But, for some reason I thought I should just check it out anyway. Before I left home I thought of bring my daily meds with me but I didn’t. I’m usually a very organized person. In my wallet I carry information of whom to call in case of an emergency and the type/kinds/names of medications that I take, which is the first thing you’ll see when opening my wallet.

Without hesitation the doctor on staff admitted me into the emergency room. A little over an hour later they took me by ambulance stat to Santa Rosa Memorial hospital-cardiac-care-unit. Apparently I had had a heart attack. They took me into surgery to perform an angioplasty. Wow, seeing an image of your own heart beating on a monitor right next to you is pretty earth shaking. Not to mention watching the dye go through it. The cardiologist wasn't able to tell me what effect, if any, years of taking antiretroviral may have contributed to my having a heart attack.

As it turns out, I have three small blockages that caused the attack. The doctor decided we should treat the blockages with medications due to where the blockages are located and too difficult to reach. (Atenolol, Lisinopril, and Lipitor plus I need to carry Nitroglycerin with me at all times.) The surgery was painless. I was then admitted into Memorial Hospital for a few days of observation. (Dam they do not allow you much sleep, every fifteen minutes someone wants to do something to you.)

Here’s where I got upset.  I was asked if I were taking any other medications? I said yes. I then gave them the list of meds from my wallet. (Viread, Ziagen, Viramune and Acyclovir.) All they could provide for me from their pharmacy was Acyclovir. Tuesday, my doctor, whom by the way the hospital staff never informed that I had been admitted into the hospital, told me that they should have gotten my medications for me.

 I’m home and doing fine. I have already set up appointments with both of my doctors, well really three doctors; I’m also waiting for the results of a prostate biopsy I had done earlier in the month. This has not been a fun year for me!

Something did happen to me while I was in the hospital that emotionally; I'm having difficulty coming to grips with. Or better yet, I should say the memory of it brings me to tears. And anyone that knows me well knows that I keep my emotions pretty much to myself. My roommate in the hospital was a 42 y/o man (F****ing drop dead gorgeous looking.) he’s married with a beautiful wife and a 15 y/o son, great parents and in-laws.  Friday, while he was taking a shower at home he suddenly had a stroke. He is now completely paralyzed on his right side, face, arm and leg and he is unable to speak coherently. 

I have always been appreciative of what I've obtained/enjoy throughout my life. His situation just made it even clearer for me. I realize that I am more fortunate than I acknowledge at times.

My main point to all this is, anyone that is already on meds, make sure you have enough meds with you or know someone that can get them for you incase of an unexpected emergency. In the over twelve years of my being on meds this is the first time I ever missed a dose. I missed two day’s of meds to be exact. And my numbers prove that adherence is the way to go. 

Now to search/Google for Low Fat/Cholesterol Diets. 

[Longislander]

Terry, I'm glad you were able( and smart enough) to get to the hospital. I hope the damage was minimal. Good luck with the new healthy regimen!!

The hospital not being able to give you those meds is astonishing.

Thanks for the little reminder. Even though I have HIV, I know many people that are far worse off than me.

Take good care of yourself buddy.

Paul

[penguin]

Terry -
sorry to hear you've been having such a rough time, both with your health, and the pharmacy's inadequacies...

this site, british heart foundation,has some good, practical info -
http://www.bhf.org.uk/hearthealth/index.asp?secID=1&secondlevel=78&thirdlevel=350

hope things are soon better
Kate

[Christine]

Hi Terry,
So glad you are doing better, and that you listened to your body and got to the doctor.

I have also had similar experiences with my meds. I go to a major university hospital, and they have in the past not carried all my meds. My Mom or my husband has to run home and get all my meds if I am hospitalized.

I also take my own meds while in the hospital. That way I can stick with my adherence.

Hope your feeling better soon!
Christine

[Eldon]

Hello Terry,

I must say WOW what an experience you have had. It is a good thing that you did follow your mind to follow-up with the situation at the hospital. I am glad to hear that you are home and you are doing fine. You definitely want to change your diet from the fatty foods and such. Do whatever you can to keep your cholesterol level down.

I also find it quite alarming that the Hospital (of all places) did not have your meds. What an eye opener.

Make the BEST of each Day!

[randym431]

Its well known the meds can cause heart problems with throwing the Cholesterol levels out of whack. I worry about that now that my last labs show my Cholesterol is rising over the boarder line. If labs are unchanged at the end of Nov (my next labs), then I hope they put me on something. So far the doc says to watch what I eat. But dropping dead before the age of 60 is common for men in my family. my gramps died of a heart attack at 48, and my dad had his first at 55. He never smoked nor does he drink. So I think about it all the time, and more so now with the meds.   

[Lis]

Terry...

If you make me cry 1 more time... then the affair is OFF!!!  (LOL)

Please keep close watch on how you feel... you are too special to me... and there will be NO DEATHS.... thats an old trick.. its been done WAY too many times..

love you man!!


lis

[Jeffreyj]

Terry,
So sorry you had the heart attack. Damn, it was a good thing you trusted your instinct and got some help! glad you are feeling better. It is crazy that they didn't get you the meds. That is crazy!
Best of luck, and wish you a speedy and full recovery!

[Poz Brit]

Terry, sorry to hear off your heart problems, and horrified to hear about the Hospital Pharmacy being unable to supply your meds.
wishing you all the best, in your recovery.

John(UK)

[J.R.E.]

Hi Terry,

I am sad to hear, that you've had a heart attack, But I am also very glad that you you saw the signs, and got yourself to the emergercy room. Hope things continue to improve for you. Take care of yourself , and take it easy !! As far as the problems with the Hospital pharmacy....Why doesn't that surprise me for some reason.( valuble lesson here for everyone). When you mentioned about your roomate in the hospital, all I could think of, was we can not take each and everyday for granted.




Hang tough--------Ray