Did that title get your attention??
Just thought I’d share the fact that you can get “SYLK” lubricant on prescription (which for us now are of course free). Just ask your Doc.
I use both Sylk and Replens, but I don’t think I could ask for either on a prescription as my GP wasn’t happy about my oncologist referring me to a psychologist for counselling or to a menopause specialist. The latter wrote to my GP to ask him to prescribe Vagifem topical oestrogen pessaries and he sent the letter for filing marked “no action”. On account of this I saw his wife who is the only female GP in the practice and she was very dismissive of both my oncologist and the menopause specialist, saying “I’m surprised they are giving you anything hormonal post breast cancer”. I ended up telling her if she looked at my notes she would see my BC wasn’t hormone positive. It’s like they think they know better than the specialists.
I haven’t needed to see a GP for a year now, but I went in to collect my repeat prescription a couple of weeks ago. I said hello to the husband and he just about recognised me, he didn’t even ask how I was which I thought was shocking as they are always going on about how caring the surgery is in their literature.
Sorry to hear this Cherub. Have you thought about changing Doctors? Doesn’t sound like you’re getting a good service where you are?
SYLK is definately available on prescription. My doctor was great and just put it straight on repeat for me.
Fingers crossed you get a better service soon!
E:)
Great. Now all I need is a libido…
Ah yes… there is that matter to consider msmolly!
I lived away for 20 years and this was my former practice prior to moving. When I came back to Scotland 5 years ago, all of the GP lists were closed and we were allowed to join this one as I was a former patient; also other family members are registered there. I don’t really want to change as they have the best facilities in the area including various clinics, a team of nurses etc. There are 3 others in the practice, 2 of whom I’ve never seen before. Thing is, the GPs who are a couple were great all the way through my treatment, but right at the end it was a case of being told I’d had the treatment and it was time to get on with it; it felt like they were fed up seeing me. My oncologist told me they got problems with GPs all the time, the local cancer centre says they get patients with GP problems as well. The psychologist I saw had come here from a job in another health trust where she said most GPs agreed to counselling for cancer patients who needed it as standard, but she was very surprised that in this area she was finding GPs had a problem with it. I was told I didn’t need a psychologist, I just needed to get on with my life again. I actually told the GP it was easier said than done.
I also found them very ignorant about drugs, one thought Herceptin was a pill you took once a day, yet at the time I was diagnosed it was constantly in the news because women were fighting in court for it!
I’m a Scottish lady whose has unfortunately, had a huge problem with GPs. So much so that I’ve moved to a new area. I doubt if I will ever have faith in them again. However, I do have to try. Two weeks ago when I went to see a new GP in a new Practice I was quite disappointed at how little she seemed to know about the treatment for breast cancer. She also told me venlafaxine causes hot flushes and has prescribed something different. My oncologist said that venlafaxine was the best treatment for depression and it also helps with hot flushes. I’m also on Homoeopathic medicine which I usually get prescribed by my GP. My new GP said she would not be able to prescribe it until she found out who was paying for it - come back in two weeks. She made me feel like a number with no care or compassion. None of this has made me feel very good. The good thing about living in a larger area is that I don’t have to put up with it but it would have been nice to have a better start.
Wishing you well.
Jeannie
Interestingly enough Jeannie, Stirling University published a big study into the experiences of cancer patients in part of Scotland last year. They monitored cancer patients, oncologists, nurses and GPs over a period of about 5 years. One of the most striking findings of the study was that GPs admitted they were often ignorant about what was going on with cancer patients and they were happy to take a back seat and just let the Consultants get on with treating them. Many of the GPs monitored admitted this was a failing in GPs generally that needed to be addressed. The study said that most GP surgeries will only usually have about 10 patients being treated for cancer out of a huge register of patients. I personally think they need to be better informed on cancer drugs and what they do to you, they also need to be up to speed on the letters they are sent from the hospital (I saw my GP 6 weeks after being discharged from a week of hospital isolation and he didn’t even know I had been an inpatient as he hadn’t read the discharge letter).
I don’t wish to tar all GPs with the same brush as this was just my own personal experience. Another lady I know has a GP who insisted on seeing her every 2 weeks to make sure she was doing OK.
Hi
What a coincidence; this link was on the Times website today.
timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/health/article6326364.ece
It’s entitled “Doctors should break taboo on cancer and sex”
Agree Sylk in particular is worth a try, but msmolly is right, where do you get a libido from when you’ve been treated for ER+ bc? When they can solve that knotty little problem (safely), there will be real progress.
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