I'm quick to have a moan when things aren't right, but I'm here to say that I think my GP is one of the best!
I'm really speaking of her lovely manner, her approachability, her open-mindedness and willingness to take appropriate action immediately when required.
So, following my phone appointment with her yesterday, she has written to my Resp Consultant re prescribing Azithromycin, now that it's been sanctioned by the Cardiologist; changed my repeat prescription to include a lesser quantity of Doxycycline (won't need so many if the Azithromycin script comes through), added Famotidine to take alongside my Lansoprazole (as the Gaviscon is playing havoc with my medication regime), added a new 'prescription only' antihistamine to replace one I've been taking for years and is no longer effective; discussed my ENT appointment, subsequent discharge and referral instead to neurology and come out in full support of my booking a private appointment as the waiting list is over 12 months! We also discussed my appointment with the nutritionist which she had arranged. Every change made was with the caveat, 'If you don't think it's suiting you, come back to me straight away and we'll try soething
She really is a breath of fresh air. She never rushes me and is always willing to listen to any concerns or discuss any thoughts I have about improving my health. If she agrees with me, she will action it, and if she doesn't agree she will explain why. For the first time in my life, I feel I have a completely equal partnership with my GP and that I know many other people are lacking.
I'm not going to tell you which surgery she's at as you'll all be queueing up to get put on her list! 🤣🤣🤣
I just thought I would let you know that there are some good GPs out there. I sincerely hope mine never leaves or gets burnt out.
xx Moy
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MoyB
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Your GP sounds brilliant Moy and how wonderful to hear that she’s happy to discuss things with you. I’m jealous because our GP is difficult to actually see face to face. I have been put forward for a cardiology appointment but no idea when that will be of course. We just keep plodding along.
I know I'm extremely lucky! She is such a lovely young woman that if she chooses to have a family I will be happy for her on one level, but in reality, if she goes on maternity leave any time, I will also feel bereft!
There is a GP practice in our area that a number of my friends belong to and they are all having a really bad service from the GPs there, so I know not everyone is as fortunate as we are.
I hope you here something about your cardiology appointment soon. I always feel better once I actually have an appointment - until then I begin worry that I've been lost in the system!
That's not good - My GP, she is a star but same practice another GP if mine is not available really is strict on time and looks at her watch and reminds me my 10 mins are near up, mind you I normally get my own GP, she thinks out of the box and really has helped me.
Im delighted to read your upbeat post MoyB. You certainly are fortunate having such an excellent GP. It is good to know there are still such people in practice. Cheers and keep well.
Holding my own, so as to speak, thank you. However, I have an arthritic knee which is causing a really painful problem . The burning sensation at night is quite dreadful. I'm having some physio to keep it flexible but the possibility of a knee replacement is looming. The waiting list in Wales is around 4 years so things not so bright here.Keep in touch and let us know how you get on with the Azithromycin.
So pleasing you had such a helpful GP appointment, hope outcome, change of medication etc, goes well, and if need to speak/see her again you can! I haven’t seen or spoken my GP since Covid, but my consultant is very good, and if need advice re lungs etc can usually get it within day or so. Best wishes, Jean x
As we read on here, you are so lucky to get a good caring, listening gp. I’m in that position too. I’ve had the same gp for about 20 years and I’m absolutely dreading him retiring. My rheumatologist and lung consultant at the hospital are good listeners too.
Amazing news, it's really life-changing when we find a GP that actually listens to us. I was fortunate to have an amazing GP when I first started having symptoms of COPD. He's not my usual GP, he just drew the short straw when I first felt I needed help. My first appointed GP was awful & I would refuse to see him if ever the need arose. I have a female GP now & she's very sensitive but not really up with emphysema, bronchitis & asthma all in the same patient! I hope you continue to have such amazing support xxx
They all have their strengths, I suppose, but sometimes listening isn't one of them!My GP told me that, in regard to my respiratory needs, I'm 'complicated' and so she usually refers back to the consultant unless it's the need for a bog standard antibiotic. I think the ability to know their own limitations is a strength too.
I'm glad you have someone who is sensitive, at least but hope she is able to acknowledge her limitations too.
Wow that is so good to hear Moy, not many people can say they have a good gp and must be one in a million literally. I did have a fairly good gp but she has been on mat leave for nearly 18 months and i fear she is not coming back. I too have been told about the 12 months waiting list for neurology and told my gp I dont have the money for private and why should I when i have worked all my life. Luckily i have an appointment next Tuesday as the pain is becoming really bad x
Did your GP manage to get your appointment moved forward? Or have you been waiting a long time for it?I agree that we shouldn't have to pay, but I am fortunate to be able to have a sizable amount of the initial consultation (which is £260) paid for by our Simply Health insurance. It won't cover any further consultation or treatment as our monthly payments don't cover that, but I hope I will learn something when I see the neurologist privately next week.
I've been having falls for 3 years now. Was first referred to the Dept of Elderly and Frailty by the locum I saw. She said she really wanted me seen by neurology but I would be seen more quickly by the other Dept. They found no reason for the falls (I spontaneously fall backwards, sometimes with a spinning sensation but other times without). I was then referred to ENT who offered nothing once they had established I didn't have a tumour. I was discharged by them and finally referred to neurology. I don't really want to go on for another year like this, without knowing the cause, so we'll tighten our belts and pay up while we can.
Thankfully, I have a wonderfully supportive husband and both have work pensions as well as the state ones. I just have my fingers crossed that the consultant will have some clue as to what's going on.
Good luck with your appointment. Chronic pain is awful. Fingers crossed you can have some treatment for it. Xx
Aaaw so sorry to hear that Moy. I sometimes have a problem with inner ear crystals (labrynthitis) and that affected my balance something awful, had that for 4 years and it has left me with balance problems but am ok now, I take Betahistine if I feel it coming on. My gp didnt even want to send me to neurology but the pain I have with with my eye/ear/teeth for so long has been chased up by my rheumy doctor who is so good to me. My gp told me it would be at least 12 months and hasnt chased it up so has come through on its own and has taken 5 months. I have been all round the hospital to various departments nobody knows what this is, neurology is my last hope. I do hope you get sorted out soon , there is nothing worse than feeling dizzy which for me brings on sickness x
I hope you get a good result from your appointment. The pain that you describe must be really hard to live with.
You said you've been to various departments so I doubt my ramblings will be any help, but I'll go ahead anyway - just in case!
I had a very good friend who had severe pain in her face following an operation on her jaw, where the face had to be peeled back - yes, ouch! Anyway, this went on until she was almost suicidal - she was told that there was nerve damage and nothing could be done to improve it. One day, her granddaughter put her own plastic hairband on Nanny's head, and Nanny (my friend) found she got relief from the pain while it was in place, so she bought herself an adult sized one and wore it as it really helped. She presumed, along with her consultant, that she must have hit the right pressure points to alleviate the worst of the pain. However, a certain level of pain persisted and by then she thought it might be related to her teeth, but when she saw the dentist he could find nothing wrong. However, recognising that she was genuinely still in a fair amount of pain, he referred her to a dental specialist who had the equipment to take a much deeper and more detailed x-ray. He discovered a deep, hidden abscess, treated it and that was that! She still had some pain/discomfort from the nerve damage, but the head band kept it at a bearable level. Sometimes, simple things can bring forth great change!
As for the vertigo, yes, I've certainly had my share of that. I've had Menieres Disease since 1996 but was lucky enough to have a 15 year remission from the vertigo. But it came back 9 years ago with a vengeance and almost wrecked my life! I could plan nothing and do very little for a few years. It was awful and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. What people don't see is the throwing up and diarrhoea that often comes with it. People often used to say, 'Oh, I get a bit dizzy sometimes.' as though it was something I should be able to shrug off. The other thing that came with it, was a feeling of brain fog. I could no longer follow a knitting pattern or a recipe, for example. Life was slipping away from me and I became very depressed.
However, the awful, prolonged vertigo attacks last happened in November 2019 and I have been free of them since then. The falls started in December 2019, so I believe them to be related to the Meniere's Disease, although the ENT consultant said, 'No! Some may tell you it could be, but I am saying it is NOT.'
I have already had lots of tests, including for the crystals, but no one has identified a cause yet. I am really hoping that a neurologist will either confirm that it's due to the MD, or suggest something else that needs to be followed up, or be honest and tell me that it's unlikely that anyone will find a cause.
At the back of my mind is the thought that it could be early signs of a neurological disease which a neurologist would be more experienced at finding. If I am likely to become disabled over the next few years, I would prefer to know so that I can put things in place now to make my future easier to manage. If there is nothing, then I'll just continue to live with the risk, as I do now and hope I don't break any bones when I fall. To date, I've only landed on the floor once and that was in the garden when the grass was longer than usual and quite soft to land on. At other times, I've been seated whilst 'thrown back' into the chair by an invisible force, or I've had the feeling of being pulled back gently by a magnet and able to grab hold of something to stop myself falling. Thankfully, I remain fully conscious and the spinning only ever lasts 10 - 30 seconds now.
Thankfully, now that the actual vertigo seems to be in remission again and also, my chest is much better at the moment, life is good again and, using my scooter, I'm able to get about independently again to see friends, get to WI , Flower Club and so on. Also, we've taken it on coach trips and on holiday and it's made a world of difference. I feel secure on it as it has a good strong seat which, I believe, should hold me if I suddenly throw backwards. Also, the controls are easy to let go of and, as I'm fully conscious, I should be able to do that. It hasn't actually happened to me on the scooter yet, but I feel confident that I'll be ok if it does.
Once again, best wishes for a useful outcome from your neurology appointment. xx Moy
Blinking heck this sounds pretty dreadful I do hope neurology can identify what the problem is. Like you I do worry if its a brain problem and hope they let me know as i want to put things in order, as i live alone I would let friends and neighbours know to come in if they dont see or hear from me. I tried the headband but sadly it didnt work and has got to the point where the back of my ear is so painful I cant wear my glasses some days, unfortunate as I am like Mr Magoo without them lol. I am on Gabapentin (my dentist suggested them) at the moment which are helping a little but I feel so woozy on them in the mornings I dont really like taking them but will persevere for the moment. Good luck and let us know how you get on x
Thank you. I had an idea I may have mentioned the headband previously but couldn't remember if it was to you. Sorry to repeat myself.Let's keep in touch. Xx Moy
I'm really heartened to hear that other people have good GPs too, as there is a lot of negativity these days about the NHS in general and, whilst a lot of it is justified, I feel that a lot of good points are justified too! One example I always quote is that I still have my husband, thanks to the wonderful team at Brighton who gave him a new heart valve and the equally wonderful team at Eastbourne who gave him his pacemaker. Without them, it was predicted that I would probably be a widow by now.
I do get frustrated sometimes, and some medics are undoubtedly better able than others to work with the growing pressures they are under, but on the whole, I think we get a pretty good deal and would like to applaud the people who support us and keep us going. Three cheers for the great GPs many of us are lucky to have! xx Moy
Well said Moy, doctors dont get enough praise. My doctor is great too and I thank them every time I speak to them. So happy for you that you are getting such support, it really does make a difference. Good luck with the change of meds I hope they work for you. Take care, Maximonkey
Brilliant to hear Moy, and your post could equally describe my GP who is fantastic. So pleased i am registered with her, and sad for all of you who are lumbered with problematic GPs of which there are many - some because of the stress of work, too many patients, too little time, and some just because they aren't particularly nice people.
I agree Moy , we have recently been attended to by a really caring GP who goes above and beyond to help in all sorts of ways . If I speak to other GP’s at the same practice they ( one in particular) give conflicting advice to his and even I , a lay person, can tell that she has very limited knowledge of Emphysema , it’s treatment and medication associated with it . Sometimes I think her sole mission in life is to get everyone off Oromorph no matter how advanced their condition 🙄 There are indeed very good GP’s out there just a pity it’s not always easy to see or speak to the one you have most confidence in
I had a problem last year when I kept being given a different doctor every week. In the end, I had spoken to 8 different ones and they each gave different advice. Increase the steroids, decrease the steroids, wean off them, stay on them, take this antibiotic or that antibiotic etc. I finally got a face to face appointment when another GP thought I should be seen in person as it was possible my breathlessness was due to heart failure. She made an appointment for me to see my own GP. Thankfully, I didn't have HF and my own GP soon had things sorted once she read what had been going on.
Since then I am more assertive and say that I need a face to face appointment, when necessary.
My GP practice is good but there are many partners and it is rare to speak to the same GP each time I need a consultation unless I specifically request one. In that case there is usually a wait of a week or more. I find all the GPs are good, listen and are open to ideas from me but it is nice to have continuity and the feeling that a doctor really knows you.
It's so lovely to hear of a good gp. It can make all the difference. Sadly our surgery is failing it's patients, I haven't spoken to a gp for years! It's impossible to get through and even harder to get an appointment as they are all 'on the day appointments'. You have to ring at 8am, wait, if you're lucky, for a callback from the receptionist only to be told there are no appointments available.
That's dreadful. I know there is at least one surgery like that near here and people try to change but can't find another one that will take them. I'm so thankful that our GP is a good one. Unfortunately, she works part time so need to be ill on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday! 🤣Xx Moy
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Azithromycin Party
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