V Disappointed with Brompton Appt.

I am not sure what I was expecting, but having waited 6 weeks for an appt at the above I was expecting the initial appt to be with the Consultant himself. I waited nearly 2½ to get his registrar, who was very pleasant, but had a fixed idea in his head about the Difficult Asthma Protocol and when I explained that I have already had these tests, kept getting a patronising reply about how I need to be patient with them. Having been ill persistenly for 18 months I honestly feel I have been patient enough. I kept trying to explain that I am desperately hanging on to my job and keep getting recurrent pneumonia and have nothing to stop the episodes recurring just to receive the same condescending comment about how I need to be patient!!!!!!!!!!!

I know I'm ranting but can't help feeling the whole appt was a total waste of time. I could scream! They just don't understand and I feel ""brittle"" asthmatics are put in pidgeon holes.

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If you need to be a patient then my first question would be how do i become a patient. If that is what you tell me i need to be then make me your patient. Even if it means redoing things of past tell me how to be a patient.

Did you ask that? Or did you go in storm blazing? Do you have another appointment or where you discharged? Did they offer any follow up?

Plumie

[KateMoss]

Geli,

The Brompton will do every test that you have had before, again, for their own records and interpretation. It does take patience to get things right, took me years to get any sort of stability, or as I call it a steady state of instability! Try to be patient! (please don't yell at me :-/) Please go in with an open mind. It may seem like they are re-inventing the wheel. It will be worth it in the end and it may take longer than you like. There may be a lot of trial and error too as no one medicine suits all. Hence we have a lot of different preventers on the market.

Hope this helps a wee bit

Kate

x

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I know how you feel but it does get better, when I was first referred to Heartlands I felt like you that I had gone back, that everything was just a repeat of previous tests but they did managed to read stuff into them that a general cons missed, it took a long time but in the end it was worth it, so hang on in there, after all if we cannot give time to our health and life then what else is there to wait for?

Just keep saying to yourself that you went there for their ""expert opinion"" and that can only be based on their findings and not of others and to obtain these expert results it can often take time x

Snowy

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I understand your frustration but give them the chance please! The Brompton likes to conduct its own tests and forget any other previous results. Things can change after all. They really are a centre of excellence, and before there care and treatment my Asthma was absolute pants, I am no longer under their care, but even now their knowledge and understanding still makes a difference to me today.

We would all love to see the top man, but the Brompton is becoming a much busier place these days, please be reassured that everyone has the full back up of the consultants and your case will always be overseen by them. My best advice is make friends with the Asthma Nurse, as usually when things are not so great they are the people who will make sure you get the best information and support first hand.

Give them a go, you really have nothing to lose and possibly everything to gain.

Best of Luck

Katina

PS Don't feel bad about how you reacted, they are used to it, I could tell you of all sorts of daft things I said and did when I had a moody there. Also if you want to have a moody privately or speak to someone who has been to the Brompton and has the TV shirt etc feel free to pm me.

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I am the same with Heartlands.... some Drs dont relise you been waiting ages to get this far and how much of an effect it does have

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I can only echo what others are saying, they like to go back to the beginning with no preconceptions about your condition so they do all their own diagnostic tests, which do take time but from my experience they will stop at nothing until they have both a firm diagnosis and a plan of action to get you well. So give them a chance and they will do their utmost to help you & I'm sure long term you will be very glad you went there.

I've been going there about 15 years and like you I did once have a less than helpful session with a registrar there who seemed to have already got a fixed idea in his head what was/wasn't wrong and what should happen next, but he was soon overruled by the consultant. Remember it is the consultant whose care you are under and he/she will be making the decisions, not the reg. When you go back why not ask if on this occasion you can please see the consultant. I've done that a couple of t

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as I was saying! I've done that a couple of times and have never been refused

take heart 'geli, you really are in the best possible hands there x