Monday 5 December 2011

Ahhhh, annoying

Well I was not sure what I was expecting from today, but I was expecting to see someone who knew what they were talking about.

The appointment did not get off to a good start, the consultant was late (we saw him wander in 20 minutes late) and we then waited 15minutes for him to call us, he called us from the other side of the room, even knowing I have a foot problem he then walked off and we had to find him sitting in a little room down the corridor, no real greeting and no apology at all for being late. Not impressed.

He then asked to see the foot and a bit of background information, so I explained about the lump being there for year and starting to hurt 2 years ago etc etc. He didn't really seem that interested in what I was saying and then started looking at the lump. Now I am not sure what he was thinking but he just started pushing into the bottom of my foot, he knows this is painful and still did it, not only did he do it but he was not even looking at me to see if I was in pain, which I was, so he did it again, then seemed to realise so stopped.

I also gave him my letter about my ankle problem from my physio, a few quick twists of the ankle and he didn't seem too bothered, really like I was taking up time he would rather spend elsewhere, well it's his job he should be there. He then says well Surgery is an option but it needs to be a defined mass, knowing from research that I have done that fibromas are not normally defined masses and that is why they often grow back as the whole thing is not removed I was starting to get dubious about his knowledge of the disease.

He had already felt the lump and called it a fibroid mass, suggesting a fibroma right? Exactly what I think it is, what 2 other specialists and 2 GPs have thought it is. Anyway he leaves the room and comes back saying well it is not a defined mass so maybe it is not a fibroma!!!!! What the? Anyway he then says he should be able to tell where it starts and ends... I go you can, it starts here and ends there!!!! See...... Getting really annoyed now, especially as he still seems to have no interest in what I say and to be honest looked 1/2 asleep. He then says I'll have to have an MRI and see the footwear people for Orthotics.

MRI can be 6-8 weeks, so I asked what can I do in the meantime, nothing, there is nothing we can do you just have to "sit it out", not indicator or giving me pain killers or suggestions, nothing, he hands over a form to me and says see a nurse about these and basically shows me the door, well I left without saying thank you or anything. Can't believe he said "sit it out", we asked how long and he evaded the question and actually said these things normally go away by themselves, um does he know anything about this, know they don't, in the end when pushed and I mean pushed for an answer he went um, say 18 months. 18months, I have already said that I am in loads of pain, and he says I might have to sit it out for 18months, I will be literally sitting for 18 months as that is how I am coping with it at the moment by sitting, getting really really unfit in the process.

I could not believe the attitude of this guy or the way he treated me, I was almost in tears when I left because I felt not a lot had been achieved, it was like the idiot almost didn't believe how much pain I was in or how much discomfort I was in, well after he popped out the room for 5 minutes (we could see him happily chatting in the next room) he had decided that it could even be something different. He suggested Plantar Fasciitis which I almost laughed at. I have been to see a private and NHS physio both of whom said this was not that and that it was a fibroma, it is a lump not some inflammation. I am really hoping that the MRI proves this stupid man wrong.

Ahhhhhh, anyway, hopefully the MRI will help show exactly what is wrong and hopefully it is not a lump but everyone apart from this guy, including 2 physios, 2 GPs, 2 other specialist and myself who has done loads of scientific research says that it is a lump, if it is I am really going to want to take the pictures and shake them in his face.

Rant over for now though there might be more later if I or my wonderful partner who accompanied me remembers some details I have missed. 


3 comments:

  1. Was it the actual consultant you saw or a member of his team?

    The Old Bag

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  2. It sounds totally unacceptable to me. I think you should write to the consultant and explain exactly what happened and copy it to your GP. The pain is too severe to "sit out".

    The Old Bag

    ReplyDelete