Hi, I’m Carol and looking for my perfect hip......oops wrong website😂

carolcart66

Well at least I still have a sense of humour. If I don’t keep laughing I’ll cry a lot and more.

i have avoided talking about my pain to anyone, although my move to morphine, for pain relief, has made me realise that I need to talk about how this disease is wearing me down. After my knee replacement in 2018 I was looking forward to leading a normal life again. Just 12 months later my hip started to hurt. GP was as helpful as a chocolate fire guard and his response was as dismissive as when my knee pain started. In short if I hadn’t threatened to complain on both occasions that I was diagnosed with osteoarthritis, I would be still waiting for help. When eventually I was referred and seen by consultants they immediately put me in for surgery for my knee in 2018 and now my hip in 2020. My surgeon wrote a letter to my GP stating the severity of my arthritis that they hadn’t even read when I contacted them for pain relief. They listen now though! I make sure of it.

Has anyone else had a similar experience with their GP?

I have edited your post as naming a doctor or surgeon is not allowed on this forum.

ChrisK

Good morning to our Versus Arthritis online forum. Here you will find our members are friendly, helpful and empathic. They will answer any of your questions/queries as these relate to their own conditions.

You have been having problems with your GP, who did not take your conditions seriously until you had to point out to them your diagnosis. Quite often GPs do not refer people with osteoarthritis to a rheumatologist, they are the people who continue to monitor your condition. As you have had your knee and hip replacement I see your GP is now working with you to help you manage your condition.

If you are still concerned about your treatment by your GP, you could perhaps change your GP to another one. If you would like to talk to someone about the way you were treated, Versus Arthritis has a freephone helpline which operated from 9am to 6pm Monday to Fridays. the link below will take you to the helpline:

Helpline | Versus Arthritis

I look forward to reading your latest post and hearing how you are getting along. Take care

ChrisK

Lilymary

That’s so disappointing @carolcart66 , I have seen others with similar stories on this forum. Some GPs seriously need reeducating. My GP was one of the really lovely ones, but even she wouldn’t put me forward for further investigation until I could barely walk, by which time, like you, the X-ray showed the OA was so bad I went straight onto the list for hip replacement.

This is why we need organisations like Versus Arthritis to advocate for us, both in raising awareness with the government and medical profession, as well as in the wider community, eg employers, friends/family and local authorities ( ref disability policy, local support etc).

But this REALLY should not be necessary with GPs. I guess a big proportion of patients they see have some degree of age or wear related pain, but for heavens sake, there are treatments available! So they should be investigating how far it’s gone so that they can recommend an appropriate treatment path and get us back on our feet and productive again, as far as is possible for each patient. To just fob us off saying ‘wear and treat is normal, get over it’ makes me mad. Even my elderly cats get better treatment than that!

Jona

Hi Carol,

Welcome to the forum i started with arthritis in 2013 in my knees since then It’s been found in hands, spine and shoulders and neck, I fought tooth and nail to see consultants as my inflammation markers were high I’ve paid a lot of money to see them and been dismissed as depressed and the one I love the most is wear and tear love that one oh and anxiety I was having constant urine infections and could hardly walk I even had one dr tell me I was a serial attender and marked on my notes as such my blood pressure is high and I’m very low in iron but still I’m ignored.

I am seeing a dermatologist tomorrow to do a biopsy I have an inflamed skin condition that is secondary to autoimmune and they are still not addressing it I’ve been telling the doctors for years there was something wrong but I don’t tick their check box and they just don’t listen they know best in their opinion I’ve probably had this condition for years I know they are not gods but a lot have huge egos

I’m afraid I have lost a lot of faith and respect in them and if they think it’s free it’s not I mean why pay NI

I know get the eye rolling and long sigh whenever I see a medical professional at least when I welcome people into my home it’s with a smile and a cup of tea they have made me feel like I’m a nuisance so I honestly know how you feel

Theres lovely people here though always a lovely welcome

Stay strong

love Jona 😊💪

vanessa7

I'm so lucky in that I have a very understanding GP who is extremely easy to talk to. My rheumatologist (just one appointment under my belt so far) seems thorough, but didn't explain anything about the conditions she diagnosed me with. Mind you, that could be as much my fault because I didn't ask questions - I was too shell-shocked by the diagnoses!

Jona

I’m afraid once I’ve seen the dermatologist tomorrow and the biopsy doesn’t show it’s affected my lymphatic system which is what I’m hoping for that it hasn’t then I’m done with medical professional s

I do know however listening to people here that there are some doctors who do try and help I’ve just been one of the minority the stigma of serial attender sticks even though all appts were confirmed infections

I’ve wasted too many years so I will now live my life the way I want to, there are many definitions of hero and people dealing with constant pain in my opinion are the real hero’s

carolcart66

Thank you all for your kind words, it means a lot x

Jona

Arrived for the appointment at the exact time to be told by an obnoxious receptionist that it had been cancelled and should have been informed and there’s nothing she can do as they only rent the rooms there would need to contact dept, did so to be told my gp should have told me

contacted my gp nope that’s not how it works they don’t tell me the dept informs of cancellations this I knew, been referred now to a service where there are no appts for 2 years so I advised them it is fast becoming a legal matter

I honestly don’t blame the nhs staff I do however blame government for destroying the nhs