I wonder how many of you ‘DREAD’ these appts.
I have one Friday which is actually today (12.40am) the time now and i should be in bed.
Usually the consultant onc only sees new patients and i assume and hope patients who are very ill. I don’t mind that one bit but the registrars she has with her i have found to be ‘awful’. NO bedside manner or interest in how i am.
Why some of them go into oncology is beyond me.
I have not been for 6 months. At the moment i am not feeling well and need time to talk to someone. I should feel relieved i am going tomorrow but instead i am stressed and anxious.
Would be interested to know others experiences.
Rx
Hi Liverbird,
Make your feelings known if you can! I know it’s tough taking on professionals but they can’t improve unless they know what they’re getting wrong. Maybe write down a couple of notes beforehand so you’re not sidetracked. Take a big deep breath and go for it, girl!
Best of luck for tomorrow.
L .
Hi Liverbird
I get the registrar too which I should be pleased about because it means they are not particularly worried about me! He is absolutely lovely, but his only fault is that he is a bit dithery, almost like he is scared to commit himself incase he gets in the neck from above. I know what you mean about some doctors. They are so engrossed in the scientific side of things, they forget they are treating people. I am doing an Master’s degree at the moment in Health Communication. The irony is I started this before before dx as in my profession (dentistry) communication can be appalling. My personal experience has given me lots of research material as I have been on the receiving end of some good and some very poor communication.
Good luck anyway
Cathy
x
Hi Liverbird - I still see my onc who is brilliant but my sister has just has a course of chemo for recurrance and after having a scan and heart echo (as she developed fluid round her heart with the chemo) She has seen a registrar twice and had the devil of a job to get answers about how her treatment has gone and if she could book a holiday. They never seem to give her a straight answer and as Cathy has said he seems scared to commit himself. …eventually she managed to squeeze out of him that the chemo had worked and she didn’t need rads (the onc originallay thought she might) and she could book a holiday - which she didn’t waste any time in doing. Hope you do have a good appointment and do not come out feeling just as bad.
XX
Thanks for above posts. I saw the registrar, thing is going every 6 months i think they must change and i have not seen her before.
It was a strange appt. She asked me how i was and i said breathless at times and my stomach is so swollen and fat and then i went on about tamoxifen side affects. I mentioned being fat and unfit and that was all she was interested in. Asked if i went to a gym and gave me a lecture about endorphins and the feel good affect.
Examined me and i told her about the recent scan and scare with a possible lump under my arm, had to laugh she said ‘oh i am experienced examining ladies who have had rads’. ’ I havent had rads’ I replied. She then looked in my notes and tore out a report and said ‘thats not even yours’ God help the person who it belonged too if it was something that needed immediate attention.
I felt she was patronising. Gave me an appt for 6 months. If i am not worried about anything then, i dont think i will go.
Oh she suggested evening primrose for flushes and i know from reading posts it doesnt work, but said nothing.
Rx
Hi Liverbird,
Your experience with the Registrar was not totally disimilar to mine some months ago. I have another appointment, supposedly with the Oncologist in a few weeks time, but guess he will play a substitute. The Registrar whom I met , was so totally removed from any affinity from my case it was absolutely un flippin believable. She asked, if there was anything that was concering me at the moment and I said perhaps there was just the one thing - the results of my bone scan! She flipped into the conversation that the scan was clear. Well , thank you so much for tossing that in as an aside -I am truly grateful that you have no f-ing idea of what I have been going through to arrive at that conclusion.
Regretably, I truly think that the medical profession, once they have done that which they need to do surgically, say sans fariane to the rest of it - i.e we are people, we have feelings,hey we exist and we truly existed before all this crap. It makes me sooo mad that they treat us like this.
Love Janeyb
x
I haven’t had any follow up as i read in the NICE guidelines that it didn’t affect future prognosis.
I can’t say i’ve missed it over the last five years
Mole
I saw onc after my surgery and then a registrar 2 weeks later to finalise my treatment plan. Both were female and both very nice and very very attentive. Was given plenty of time to ask whatever questions I had (which admittedly at that stage were very few cos I was so ignorant of what I should ask at the time). Am back for post rads follow-up in early June - not sure who I will be seeing but will let you know how I get on.
Hi Ruth
Have emailed you tonight but just wanted to talk a bit more about your treatment. This is so wrong and shouldn’t happen. Do you have a breastcare nurse? Could she fight your corner for you? Could you transfer to another hospital. I have a friend who has done this, though sadly too late for her as she is now very ill and can’t travel there anymore so is back in my Hosp, which I have absolutly no probs with. Funny that, I put it down to personalities, she had a run in with our onc, who she saw a lot but me only once fleetingly in Rads and he was unpleasant I must agree. Thankfully I haven’t needed to see him again as he has another consultant on his team that I see, lovely Irish Doc!
Seriously though, try another hosp, it’s within your rights to do that, will you GP be supportive?
Love
Irene