Help! I'm hospital phobic and have to go into RBH for asthma protocol

Hi

I have to go into RBH in a couple of weeks but am so hospital phobic it's not funny. I have to take Lorazepam to go to an outpatients appointment, does anyone know if i'll be able to come home overnight?

Thanks

Sarah

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Hi there Gloomyeeyore

No answers I'm afraid but can sympathise with you being hospital phobic.

My dad was so hospital phobic he nearly didn't come and see me when I was in hospital expecting first child.

Keep smiling - if only through gritted teeth.

GrannyMo xx

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The RBH is not like a hospital, more like a guest house only there are people wandering around with IV's etc. I kid you not everyone who visits me says it is not like a hospital, it does not have that wierd smell, with the permission of your team you can go out in between tests and in the evening. If you need someone to hold your hand they can assuming there is space book into the relatives accomodation. I seem to recall people having the DAP and going home but I think they want to ""see"" night time symptoms. I suggest you call the RBH and speak to them about your concerns. Do you know where you are being admitted to ie which ward?

Bex

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forgot to add the food does actually resemble and taste like the description on the menu, porridge is properly made and yummy, you can even have an egg for breakfast and if you happen to be in on a Sunday you get bacon, egg, sausage and beans and their cheese sauce things are nearly as good as mine. Tea, coffee and hot chocolate are available all the time you can carry and use your mobile openly although you should respect others in your bay and I think it is polite to to hang up can call back when Dr's and nurses need to speak to you but that is just me.

Bex

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Hiya

What is RBH? why u goin there? sounds serious or have i just picked it up wroung!

Well i really hope you get on ok! Thinking of you

Katie xx

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RBH is the Royal Brompton Hospital. They are a tertiary centre so they take people from all over the place who have asthma that is difficult to control and the local people have run out of ideas for treatment. It is not serious is just a place where the medical staff are some of the best in the UK and they can look at the asthma see if there is something else that is making it worse, it may not be asthma at all in which case you might switch teams from the asthma firm to one more suited to your condition, suggest changes to your treatment and generally take a fresh look at your asthma and how it affects you.

Bex

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Hi

I've had two admissions to Lind Ward under the Infection Control Team for their workup. The staff are very pleasant and the people I met on the ward were friendly which helped a lot. When I arrived I was given a sheet with times and dates of the tests needed. The only thing that caused me upset was on the Friday morning when seeing the Consultant for the results and plan, I walked into his office unaware there would be a room full of people, his team including jnr and snr Doctors, nurses, physio etc and felt intimidated by this as I didn't have time to prepare myself. Ask when you see a Doctor during your stay if the consultation with the Consultant is one to one or will the team be present especially if your by yourself, my husband got caught in traffic and was late so I didn't have any support and became tongue tied.

I wish you luck and hope you get answers and try not to worry too much as Bex says it doesn't really feel like your usual hospital. I gave up with the Brompton as the Consultant I saw said he didn't have all the answers and felt I was getting no where as he was not fortcoming with results and undermined everthing I said but saying that I know people on this board have had success and improvement with their treatment at the Brompton.

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Hiya!

i came home from RBH on tuesday. its not like a normal hospital at all everyone is really nice there and between tests and IV's ( if your having them) you are free to wonder around and even go shopping on Kings Road! i 'm going back on wednesday as a day paitent and not worried at all.

xxxx

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I have never heard of the asthma firm all being in a room and calling for you to come to them, they have always come to the bedside. You could ask the nurses on Lind (if that is where you are going) what happens just in case it has changed. Certainly on Victoria and Foulis they come to you and if you get phased by lots of people tell the SHO and you won't end up with a round the bed scrum. The same if you rather discuss things away from your bed they will usually try to find somewhere. I have done that once when I want to discuss some private family stuff.

Bex

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I have never heard of the asthma firm all being in a room and calling for you to come to them, they have always come to the bedside. You could ask the nurses on Lind (if that is where you are going) what happens just in case it has changed. Certainly on Victoria and Foulis they come to you and if you get phased by lots of people tell the SHO and you won't end up with a round the bed scrum. The same if you rather discuss things away from your bed they will usually try to find somewhere. I have done that once when I want to discuss some private family stuff.

Bex

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Even i is beginning to like the sound of this place, shame it is in london!

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Plumie, they take people from all over the UK. Here in the South west we have no close tertiary centre, it is a toss up between the RBH, Heartlands or Southampton. I ended up at the RBH because at the time of my diagnosis I had a flat in Ealing and that is where my GP was.

Bex

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Bex,

I wasn't under the care of the Asthma Team but the Host Defence Team for bronchiectasis they may well do things differently depending on the Consultant and how they run their teams.

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Bump - for rjaney

In addition the reason they do the admission over 5 days is too allow them to take a snap shot when everything is the same, at other hospitals you will get a CT scan one month, lung function another etc in this case they do it all in 5 days. Take a peak flow diary and don't worry about being well when you go there because if like you, you spend a lot of time going off suddenly they will get things like your gases (ABG's) and summeries from where-ever you normally end up on ITU which will help them get the whole picture. It is possible there is some other problem ticking away quietly which is making things worse. I know someone who went in to the RBH for the difficult asthma protocol (DAP) thinking they had severe asthma and certainly that is what the local hospital was treating them for on maximal therapy and a half! It turns out the asthma was mild but there was a serious underlying heart condition, I was thrilled to open a christmas card yesterday that told me everything that the heart side of the Royal Brompton had cured them, from barely being able to walk 10 yards to throwing away the keys to the mobility scooter and doing various exercise classes, I have to tell you that brought a huge smile to my face and a loud ""whoop whoop go you"" from me it really made my day. So if nothing else it is worth going for it and see what you can get out of it. And don't worry they won't do anything that will put you in any danger, think of it like a slightly wierd 5 day break.

Finally there are many different teams at the RBH the one flowerfairy was under is run in a very different way to asthma team.

Bex

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I was recently in RBH for three days for Host Defence Testing for bronchiectasis as well to see how I am coping with my asthma (as it has really been flaring up lately) I stayed on the Lind ward. I have to say that after several stays in various hospitals over the years this has got to be the best.

You must tell them how you are feeling, phone the ward beforehand and speak to the staff nurse. They do take any worry and concerns very seriously!! I am sure they will be able to help you. I wish you well for your stay and promise that I was very pleasantly surprised during my stay at the courteous and caring way that I was treated in all the various departments that I had to visit in Brompton during my stay.(I too am a very nervous person) Just wish all the other hospitals were as nice!

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bup up

bumped up