Next steps; grip-relaxing bimbling, and avoiding the temptations

tiddles

I hope all goes well for you, SL xx

trix-a-belle

You are in my thoughts, & I am squarely with you on the one part vs holistic frustration, it has been the route of many evils for me for several years now & why I've ended up doing so much research and trial & error myself. The other gem i've had is trying to scare with research papers and medical thinking that are nearly 15 years old and has long since been disproven.

rtandon27

Sending supportive vibes to you SL & agreeing 100% with the holistic approach to your care.

Suffolk_lass

So inevitably, my appointment was with a (different) male consultant. I probably gave him more explanation than he wanted but when he said so you have this that was discovered at x point, I helpfully chipped in to explain, no, it was back two years from that but when the team did this procedure, I was told not to worry about that thing still happening, it was caused by x building during the pandemic that went untreated and it would stop in due course but would take several months. He literally rolled his eyes. I said I waited for nearly 3 years until I went to my GP about something else and saw one of the final year med students we help train at our surgery. She initiated investigations (thank goodness) and I had full blood tests then. He can see those but questioned why I had not had a specific blood test.

I said that I had only really become aware of that test recently, or I would have asked. As far as I know, I have never had that one. He sent me for that one yesterday, although stressed that the monitored condition it is associated with was not worrying (just keep looking every 4 months for changes) - the other thing, which I asked the sonographer to record in my notes, is the thing he wants to treat. I chipped in and said when I looked it up, the NHS Health trusts where my AI tool found the references, all said this is the most likely type to cause the problems they have been looking at since 2021. So he was very respectful and took it in his stride that I had used AI to research everything I could.

Oh yes, when he asked my why I was there, I said I was phoned yesterday and asked to come "for a first appointment" with no explanation, but that I had rung the secretary of the other consultant a week prior, to query whether he had seen the latest scan (and I explained again, that the new appointment system admin person had made the appointment at the wrong hospital, I had spent the afternoon of 23rd December trawling round four diagnostic imaging clinics that day before we found I had come to the "right hospital" but the appointment and the consultant to whom it had been allocated was someone I had never seen, at the "wrong hospital" and would not have known why he had got my scan results as he could not see my records). This consultant was switching between the new system for what is happening now, and the old system, to check what I was telling him. They confirmed that allocated consultant has no access to my records and would have been looking cold.

I did apologise for elaborating but I said I think it is important that I take responsibility for myself in an active way. He and the nurses (3 of them) all agreed. Then we went on to "why are you still on HRT?" So I explained - it is good for my bone strength, mobility, flexibility and wellbeing (and I still have great hair - to which he smiled) - I cited my spinal fracture (shattered L1 in a fall) and how important it was to not develop osteoarthritis and (as previously recommended) I stay on HRT as long as possible as I am hypermobile. To his credit, he never suggested I come off it, or taking a biopsy or cutting anything without a general anaesthetic, as local anaesthetic does not work for me. I suspect my previous experience was logged by the consultant two years ago as we were both upset about it.

So the upshot is that I am being scheduled for the removal of the thing causing the problems, and the necessary removal and replacement of the nearby HRT associated device. It will be in about 4 months and I said, I good, the bees should be through swarming by then - to which he reacted, if the timing is wrong for you, tell them to move your appointment back and tell them I said this was OK to delay.

I feel most reassured, and he was lovely. I have the pre-surgery questionnaire and letter to my GP already, and it's obvious he was listening. I'll come back and post my routine stuff later, but I also wanted to thank you all for your good wishes. It means a lot.

KajiKita

Wow, that was quite a conversation you had with him. Well done for holding your own. So relieved that it doesn't seem to be scary-urgent and you can do things at a pace that suits you.

Sending hugs for any after-effects for all the adrenaline etc. x

KK

Watty1

I am in awe that you were articulate in a very stressful situation, spoke up for yourself and had a consultant that listened. Great job advocating for you.

I know this will have been stressful, but, great job. Sending positive vibes.

Merlin's_Beard

Well done to both of you for having a productive conversation that took everything into account, up to and including the bees. Sounds like you held your own well and he respected that!

EssexHebridean

Well done you for advocating so well for yourself - but you do have to question why on EARTH an apparent medical professional in a women's health area is asking why someone is "still" on HRT - it shouldn't be any sort of mystery to him what the benefits of this are for pretty much anyone, and specifically someone with your history! I'm glad he listened, and was reassuring and positive, but that sort of comment might make a less well informed woman think "perhaps I should stop it" - which would almost certainly be a bad idea!

beanielou

Glad that your consultation went well. 🤗

thriftmonster

Glad that you were listened to and that there is a result you are ok with.