first visit to consultant

Hi everyone,

I finaly got to see my respiratory consultant last week.

It was an experience i wouldn't care to repeat too often.

I was treated like a 2 year old, and basically told I had asthma and could expect it to get excerabated at this time of the year.Basically to get on with it.

She also informed me that as an x smoker whatever damage I had done to my lungs that there was nothing they could do about it.

As for my loss of voice she said that wasnt asthma, it was voice something and she could send me to a speech therapist.

All in all, she was less than sympathic. She took me off all nebs,(I was on it 4 times a day),gave me a new inhaler and did some blood tests.

I have told my dr I dont want to see her again and want a second opinion. He has agreed to this and said her mind was made up before she saw me.

Has anyone had an expierence like this?

And any tips for future visits?

xxx

I was so deflated when I came out, and while in there was stunned into silence!

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That sounds a bit like the registrar I went to see last year. She had no suggestions for getting my asthma under control and finally discharged me saying this is as good as it gets you will just have to put up with it.

Thankfully my GP decided to refer me again after I had a chest infection. I saw a different consultant just before xmas who was fantastic, really understood my asthma and gave me Spiriva to try which has helped enormously. Hope you have a better experience next time.

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Oh my goodness, I am so sorry you had such a negative experience. I am currently waiting for an appt so I hope I dont get the same treatment! I hope you dont wait too long for that second opinion. Sorry I cant help but I will say keep your chin up hun & I'm glad your own Dr was more understanding. Let us know how you get on please. Take care.

S.Mama

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Sounds like my old consultant from a couple of years ago. Except he was convinced that asthma was a disease faked by people who wanted time off and all inhalers and nebs are pointless. When I told my GP he went mad and called the consultant a moron.

So keep pushing for a second opinion, I know it may seem like an uphill struggle, but trust me, it works out in the end.

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U did right by discussing it with your gp. Thankfully u got the support from them. Hope all goes better at the second referral

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Thanks everyone for all your replies. It's nice to know i'm not alone.

My gp is a young guy and with my surgery until august. he's great.

I have my scan tomorrow, i'm a bit nervous but i hope it goes ok.

Shoppingmum I hope your appointment goes well for you, please let me know.

My gp says if my new apt isnt here by the time my 6 weeks visit is up, I may have to go back to her just to get my results. Hope not. I didn;t realise it would be a battle.

I've arranged to have an asthma review tomorrow so that I can keep my asthma nurse up dated on whats happening. Covering my assets?

Love to you all

xxx

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How aweful ... I really feel for you. I know that asthma and smoking don't mix very well and as an ex smoker also hate it when people make their minds up about you without knowing you. I stupidly started smoking as teenager cos all my friends did it and it took me years of battling to stop smoking - obviously with detrimental effects on my asthma.

I'm still waiting to see the respiritory specialist and found out today that my appointment for the end of this month has been cancelled and rearranged for the end of February - which is frustrating as I was hoping to get some answers.

Hope your seciond opinion is more productive the first!!

Rach. xx

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Sorry your first con visit was so awful .

When I had my second one he changed an inhaler and said as I have a asthma nurse

who I could see any day and phone her any day and could get in to see her straight away for

asthma ,said he was happy to discharge me and said If the nurse needed me to see him

she could send me back to him.

My asthma nurse is wonderful and helped me loads with different meds.

Im so happy to have a really lovely asthma nurse taking care of me .

Hope you get better care also xxxxx

[yaf_user681_8101]

They're not all bad. I was terrified when I saw a consultant but he was understanding, helpful and (I hope!) has switched things around so I can get things under control.

Hey, doctors aren't perfect, they're just human beings. Maybe some of them forget this at times!

I hope things go better with the next one. Good luck

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I personally haven't but where I live about 20 years ago there was an asthma doctor well renowned for being blunt. He was very unsympathic to smokers and I remember when I was on the ward once for something else he had sent someone home saying there is no point because they smoked.... Or so the rumour went round.

I feel for you because not all doctors are like that. And yes it can be harder for a smoker but that is something you have to decide how to live. At the moment with our NHS social welfare system you are entitled to smoke and be treated fairly. I know some departments have tried to cut down on obesiety/drink and smokes but whilst it will be a social system they cannot not treat you fairly and would be doing a disservice to do anything else.

I would go and see someone else if I was you and get a fair service because in UK we can all expect that whatever our lifestyle is.

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Thats awful for you, hopefully your next appointment wont be like that and it will go they way it should.

My voice goes when my asthma is bad, i was told that i also have a condition called Vocal Chord Dysfunction, this as the name suggests, affects your vocal chords, just a suggestion for when you see the consultant again

Hope things get better for you

Lindsay