Today I went to Rheumatology, my appointment was for 2p.m. As usual
I arrived early i.e 1.30p.m. At 2.20 a man went to the desk to asked about his appointment which was for 1.30.
he was seeing the same nurse.

Quite quickly there were a lot of phone calls and people running around. The nurse it seem's wasn't in the hospital!!
An hour later after a lot more phone calls and discussion, and by now a number of disgruntled patients, me included,
it was found finally that the nurse must have had an urgent personal issue.

She had acted correctly and told her manager that she needed to cancel the afternoon clinic,
tomorrows and all next week (clearly a problem), but guess what - the manager didn't do anything so a whole group of us
sat in the hospital waiting room for over two hours!

When a member of staff suggested we complain, I said yes I would. That manager is incompetent and needs counselling on her skills
and responsibilities.

I have to travel a long way to get to this new hospital I now go to, and at the moment I'm b..... annoyed.

Gogs

Oh Gogs, you poor soul, that is simply not good enough, and you have every right to complain. No wonder we have flares - we have so much to contend with on top of the b****y RA.

Keep smiling,

Kathleen.x

Awful, just awful

not good enough. I feel for you .. getting pretty disillusioned myself. now day7 waiting for a call back from my nurse.. they're shorted staffed I'm told..

What a dreadful story Sue, how unbelievably frustrating and equally annoying.

I received communication from the consultant today asking me to write a letter detailing the sequence of events.
I understand that even the evening clinic patients hadn't been told, so they too turned up!!

I'm at the end of my tether anyway, fed up with this sick role, fed up with two weekly blood test, fed up with a useless physio.
I couldn't turn over in bed this morning because of the amount of pain in my back, my back was in spasms. I just couldn't move,
I didn't know how I was going to get out of bed (which I did eventually), every movement was excruciatingly painful.
By about 1p.m I got into a hot bath and finally got some respite. It remains painful but manageable.

I phoned rheumatology physio and discharged myself from them, I'm not going back to her again, I've been seeing her since early December
and I'm no better. Tomorrow I'm going to see a private physio recommended by a friend.

I've also cancelled my two weekly blood test - I've had enough. I've cancelled my docs appointment and unless it's my biannual check with the consultant
I'm going nowhere - I just can't cope anymore with this sick role, I'm tired, always fatigued and fed up with all the inefficiency.
I've been in constant pain for weeks, I've lost a lot of weight (12kgs), I'm almost skeletal now and life has no fun in it anymore.

Sorry to go on but that's just how I'm feeling.

Gogs x

p.s just thought perhaps this shouldn't be in the 'steam room'.

Hi Gogs, I read your latest message late last night and it has been weighing on my mind. Please don't give up and please don't suffer in silence. Get on the phone and tell somebody and tell them exactly what you have just said to us. Its not right and you shouldn't have to feel so down and angry and alone. I hope your new physio can help you and I urge you not to give up. I said a little prayer for you last night. Hope you are feeling better soon. Kim xx

By the way Gogs, whilst I don't like what you have had to go through to achieve it, I envy you the 12 kgs weight loss!

Gogs - you are amazing!

hi Gogs,

pleased to hear you have received due care and attention, no wonder you are in so much pain.

hope that cocktail of drugs works for you, be very careful with them all. if it were me i would write down what i had taken and at what time at the moment, especially as you are feeling fuzzy headed.

hope you manage to get your much needed break away,

let us know how things are going along,

Suzanne x

Hi Gogs, So glad you got some answers and some kind of relief. I also hope you manage to get away for your break, it will do you the world of good. Take good care of yourself. Kim xx