You’re first appointment at Adult Lipid Clinic

Last month, I attended a hospital appointment at Bristol Royal Infirmary (BRI) hospital for the first time and noticed some differences compared to the Children’s hospital. As I was fortunate to be diagnosed with Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) when I was only fourteen years old, I have had at least two annual hospital appointments in the Children’s hospital for the last few years.

The first difference you will see is the outside architecture of the two hospitals. From the outside the children’s hospital has the famous fun hoops (it reminds me of quidditch hoops!) However, the adult hospital is more mature with simple architecture fit for purpose.

The first part of the appointment was checking your weight, height and blood pressure. You might have already experienced this if you have previously had an appointment at the Children’s hospital. Some people think that getting your blood pressure is like a python suffocation. But don’t worry there is nothing to worry about it’s a lot more timid than a dangerous python and it only takes a few minutes!

You will have a blood test with a needle similar to the Children’s hospital. As a patient with FH I have had many blood tests to measure the cholesterol in my blood however, I am still nervous of needles. Does’t everyone at least have a small phobia of needles? The nurse gave me a few suggestions on how to cope with needles. She recommends you talk to your nurse and express your feelings. They meet multiple people a day with a phobia of needles therefore they will know how to help, so open up and express your fears to them. Perhaps you could also listen to an upbeat song and close your eyes to pretend it’s not happening.

So you’re probably expecting a lot of new health related experiences when you first transfer. One particularly strange new experience was having an ECG recording which measures the electrical activity in my heart. You will only have to experience this once as it is used as a baseline and is kept for the NHS. Many small, sticky sensors (known as electrodes) were attached to my arms, legs and chest. Being attached to all those wire made me feel like I was in a strange SiFi movie. You know the ones? Before the electrodes are attached, you will be asked to remove your upper clothing, for instance tops, coats and jackets. So my biggest piece of advice is to wear something you feel comfortable in girls, perhaps wear a sports bra or beautiful bralette as it has no metal? Try not to feel self-conscious. I know what you’re probably thinking but I’m shirtless in front of a stranger HOW CAN I NOT BE SELF CONCIOUS. But the important thing to remember that nurses see many different body shapes and sizes every day and besides they are concentrating on the task at hand NOT YOU!

Then I was whisked away to the other part of the ward to talk to my doctor, who is a specialist in FH, Dr. Baily. We spoke through family history, as FH is a genetic cholesterol condition. Before the appointment I suggest doing a bit of research to find out who in your family has the disease and if they are getting treatment. Just like in the Children’s hospital you will have a check up on the medication you are currently taking with reference to a prior taken blood test. (ANOTHER blood test as I told you FH patients can never have enough of them!)

When you attend your first appointment in the BRI you will be offered a meeting with the dietitian. Make sure you up take this opportunity as you will only get this chance on your first appointment. The dietitian will want you to explain your diet to them. It would be a good idea to keep track of this and perhaps keep a food log for a few days before your appointment? The dietitian will explain the different food groups and suggest some food swaps which you are probably familiar with from school. You know the ones! Chocolate to fruit. Chips to new potatoes. Crisps to humus and carrots. Small swaps can make all the difference.

Have you learnt something new? Have you ever had a similar hospital appointment? Let me know in a comment! Please share this post to help more people going through this experience and keep checking back as more posts are on their way on a range of topics!