Appointment sooner than expected

samozoa

I saw my rheumatologist on the 7th May and had my bloods and chest x ray to see if I can start methotrexate. He said I’d have a Phone Call in about 4 weeks for any questions and that before starting it, and then he’d see me again in 3 months. I’ve had a letter this morning to see the consultant again on June 6th. Could there be something wrong that he needs to see me for

Poppyjane

Just a thought @samozoa , might it be worth phoning the consultant's secretary to check if there is a confusion about June 6th. Maybe this is supposed to be the phone call?

Hope you get it sorted out.

Best wishes

Poppyjane ( Moderator)

BettyMac

Hi samozoa

I hope you get to the bottom of this and get some reassurance.

Does your Rheumatology department have a patient helpline? That can be quite a useful resource. I’ve just discovered that I can also message my team via the online hospital health record.
Things seem to vary quite a lot across the UK.

One thing I’ve found helpful in order to make the most of a rheumatology appointment is to sit down a few days beforehand and have a wee think about what I want to get from that visit.

Am I worried about any aspect of my health or my treatment?

How am I coping with the meds?

What are my symptoms? Etc, etc

Write it all down and then organise it into main bullet points, rewrite and take a copy with you. Take a pen so you can scribble down any answers or instructions they give you. Or take a relative/friend with you who can be your scribe.

I started being more organised about things after having a few appointments when I forgot to mention things that had been bothering me.

As I said to my new consultant when I met him for the first time - I may be unlucky enough to have this disease but I’m in charge of it, not the other way round!

Having said all that, we’re all different and we have our own ways of tackling things. What works for me might not suit everyone.

I hope things go well for you.