Hospital Appointment

[Deleted User]
[Deleted User] Posts: 0
edited 24. Jan 2018, 12:03 in Living with Arthritis archive
Hi everyone,

Happy new year to you all and I hope you all had a nice Christmas.

My next consultants appointment is due next week and I'm feeling nervous this time.

Since November its felt very stressful. I've not been able to get through to the hospital for when I need repeat prescriptions for the methotrexate, as my GP are unable to prescribe it until I am stabilized on it. Last week I missed my blood test call to fill my booklet in (which I was really angry at myself about because I always have my phone on my desk in front of me but because I was at work I had to put something away and missed it by a couple of seconds). I tried phoning the hospital back and when I eventually got through (2 hours later) I was told she was not there but they would get her to call me. I'm still waiting for the call. I phoned back the next day and the person I spoke to in Rheumatology had never heard of her, so that was really helpful...

I'm going to raise the prescription problems with the consultant next week. I hope they are able to give me a secretaries phone number who I can contact to get them to give me the prescriptions. They did say I may be moved on to Biologics if the Meth didn't work and I'm worried that I won't be able to get my prescriptions for that either and I'm in so much pain at the moment.

My GP practice were helpful last time and managed to get a prescription from the hospital for me but I don't know if they will always do that. I'll just hope they are always that helpful and support me.

I'll let you know how it goes, wish me luck.

Kirsty x

Comments

  • stickywicket
    stickywicket Member Posts: 27,697
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    I do wish you luck. It's ironic that stress makes arthritis worse yet much of the meds, appts etc which are intended to relieve it can, themselves, be so stressful.

    If I understand you correctly, not having your meth blood tests book shouldn't be a problem as these details are usuallymon a shared database. Possibly one less thing to worry about?

    I hope all goes well.
    If at first you don't succeed, then skydiving definitely isn't for you.
    Steven Wright
  • dibdab
    dibdab Member Posts: 1,498
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Sorry to hear you're having struggles. I wonder whether you could get your bloods done at the GP's to make life a bit simpler......my GP does mine under a shared care agreement, perhaps it's worth asking at your appointment next week?

    Deb
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    This strikes me as a rather complicated arrangement. My GP has never been involved in prescribing my meth etc. so that has never been an issue. Booklet-wise mine was completed when I went to the hospital for my injections but, since I started doing my own, I no longer have a booklet. I go to the local surgery for my bloods since that is now closer than the hospital, when we lived on the other side of town I went to pathology because that was closer. If something is up the GP or hospital contacts me, I ignore the former because they do it in writing, respond to the latter because they ring. I guess I am fortunate in that I have years behind me whereas you are relatively new to this malarkey, yes?

    We often end up having to do our personal medmin (medication administration) because those who should be doing it are overwhlemed by patient numbers, understaffed and (in my experience) disinterested: 'Computer says no' writ large. It can be so frustrating and adds to the rest of the nonsense we have to deal with. Good luck with your appointment, please let us know how you get on. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • sve170
    sve170 Member Posts: 14
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    It seems that our NHS system is totally disjointed depending on where you live in the UK.
    I get my bloods done at GP surgery every 3months by one of the resident nurses. If there is an issue with the result they phone me, fortunately only had 1 phone call in 10yrs.
    If I need a kenelog injection which is rare these days I speak with GP and he arranges this with nurse, within 24hrs I am at the surgery for it.
    As for my Meds I just phone surgery for repeat prescription, no hassle at all.

    Unfortunately my last visit to see my Rheumy consultant at the hospital was 14mths ago. I seem to have slipped off the radar, and trying to book an appointment is impossible, usual answer is can you come back in 3mths.




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  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Good luck with your appointment, I hope it goes well and that matters regarding the prescription issues can be resolved. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thanks everyone for your posts.

    I had my appointment yesterday and the consultant was brilliant. He's the best I've seen since starting treatment, so I am feeling a little more positive now. He explained everything so clearly. My mum was really impressed with him too.

    I am going to have a small procedure to help with the pain and inflammation in my hips. Its a guided injection into the joint. I've had several on my back in the past so am not feeling too bad about it, and if it works for a short while that will be good. Just need to wait for the appointment to come through now.

    He said it is looking like I have a type of arthritis like Ankylosing Spondylitis and he is going to follow up how the funding is going to get me started on Anti-TNF. I would really like to try this medication and he says I meet all of the criteria to start it and if it was up to him he would put me on it now to reduce the damage to my joints. As I have very hypermobile joints as well he thinks this is all connected.

    I'm hoping everything will start moving forward in the right direction and I also got his secretaries number so hopefully that will help me to get my prescriptions when needed.

    Kirsty.
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Thank you for the update, it's nice to have a plan of action, isn't it? I hope the guided injection helps but steroids can be very temperamental about whether they kick in or not. If you do begin an anti-TNF then the GP won't be involved at all as they come from the hospital. From my reading on here I know that some past members have had hypermobile joints in addition to auto-immune arthritis but whether hypermobility is connected I have no idea. DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • dreamdaisy
    dreamdaisy Member Posts: 31,520
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    Hello, have you heard anything about your guided injection appointment? DD
    Have you got the despatches? No, I always walk like this. Eddie Braben
  • [Deleted User]
    [Deleted User] Posts: 0
    edited 30. Nov -1, 00:00
    dreamdaisy wrote:
    Hello, have you heard anything about your guided injection appointment? DD

    Hi DD,

    I haven’t heard anything yet but I remember it took a couple of months last time to book me in. I’ve got a nurse appointment in 2 months and a consultants in 4 months. Hopefully it’ll be before then.

    Thank you for thinking of me.

    Kirsty x


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