Productive GP appointment today

[flap7]

After messing about for 2 weeks waiting for a GP phone call, I hand delivered a letter to the surgery last week listing what I needed to talk about and was rewarded with a loooong face-face appointment today.

1. Back, hip and leg pain. We discussed the fact that this pain has been present for a long time (nearly 2 years) and was worsening, but got the same convoluted answers as usual when I asked what the cause may be.

Yes, it may be SI joint pain, could also be sciatic pain or piriformis syndrome in addition to that (been down this rabbit hole before). Referral back to physio. Discussed tweaking my pain medication to help me to sleep better. Pain clinic referral on hold for now as GP has not seen much benefit for other patients. "Anaesthetists like sticking needles in you, there really isn't any long term benefit from injections in your spine". Rheumy had written to GP asking him to refer me, so hearing his take on things was interesting.

2. Referral to gynae arranged to discuss ablation as the next option to stop continual bleeding. Prescriptions issued for items to also help with intimate dryness/pain. I was brave enough to ask about this because of Coco's fab article here: healthunlocked.com/lupusuk/...

3. Feet examined, decided that underfoot pain on walking is lupus related inflammation/arthralgia.

4. Plan in place for colder weather, to manage Raynaud's and erythromelalgia. Prescription for nifedipine to be placed on repeat. He talked about how difficult erythromelalgia is to treat but is willing to work with me to find what works best.

5. Pain in upper feet, hands and shoulders is most likely due to progressive osteoarthritis. OT referral has been mentioned by GP and by consultant to offer support with practical issues.

6. GP is happy to complete any paperwork pertaining to ill health pension/accident at work claim. My employer sacked me after an accident at work without making adjustments for those injuries and loss of function or my subsequent lupus diagnosis. They are now belatedly offering ill health retirement benefits because I am taking legal action. I am also thinking of putting a PIP claim in as my income is sketchy at best just now due to unpredictable day to day function, so the reports will be useful for that.

7. Anti-histamine to be used in conjunction with sunblock to manage my current extreme reaction to sunlight. Showed GP pictures of my legs after 5 min exposure despite being slathered with factor 50 and covered with long, reflective trousers. He was shocked at the appearance of my skin. He seemed to think the cause was a combination of hypersensitivity and lupus medication.

I was impressed at the amount of time that he was willing to spend with me, even if I didn't get answers to all of my questions. I hadn't actually seen him in person since last August so didn't feel bad about taking time to talk about things properly. There is only limited time when you're seeing your rheumy and after the last visit she asked that I call on him to manage some of the presenting issues.

Back to hospital on Thursday to discuss Mycophenolate tolerance with nurse/pharmacist then back to see rheumy at the end of the month. I am glad that things are being taken care of but am also exhausted!

I know that this is just how it is but getting the best out of our appointments requires so much preparation that it does leave the old tank empty at times. Time for a rest tomorrow 🛏😴

[Horsewhisper]

Good for you flap, sounds like a great piece of organisation on your part, even though it was exhausting to get through it! Hope you have a relaxing day tomorrow and do something nice for yourself. I have found that being pro-active, sending chasing emails and making phone calls in the management of my own healthcare has proved fruitful. Surprised that I had to do it in the first place, but frustration drove me to it, but well worth it in the end. It also shows the professionals that you take yourself seriously and that you want to understand and make progress with your condition, no harm in that surely?! All the best wishes and good luck with everything x

[flap7 in reply to Horsewhisper]

Thanks for your lovely response Horsewhisperer. I slept late today so must have been tired out so apologies for the late reply. It sounds as if you're an expert patient, as many on this forum are. Not a great position to be in but absolutely necessary sometimes. I'm glad that your perseverance has borne results for you. I've seen the look of scepticism or dread pass over the face of the medic when I pull out my sheet of paper, diary or photos but it has generally worked well for me. I fudge a little and tell them that I won't remember unless I record things - it seems to shift the power balance back to them 😉 I just wish they would remember their training sometimes - pain is what the patient says it is! I hope you're having a good day today yourself x

[whisperit]

Well done, flap, super-organised. When you read through an account like this, it really brings home just how much blooming *stuff* we are all carrying around, and managing, all the time. It's useful too, to have this detail in a post so that maybe someone, some day will read it and think 'Ah, someone else has been where I am'. Hope you got that restful day x

[flap7 in reply to whisperit]

Hi whisperit, I've been reading through your reply with my feet up ☺ I have been left unsupervised this evening with strict instructions to indulge in a g&t with no stressing about tomorrow's appointment. I'd be really happy if any of my rambling helps someone else. You're right about about the amount of *stuff* we all have to deal with. The old rucksack gets quite overfilled at times. It would be nice to kick it off the edge of cliff! From reading your earlier post, it seems that things are improving for you thanks to your own organisation and persistence. It seems that you are giving your medics a catch up on all of the lectures they missed. More power to you - I hope the upturn continues 👌

[Ryanzz]

Zero base Emollient is a really good cream for dryness , pain and irritation in/on intimate areas. I had several creams including steroid cream before being given this by the doctor. It’s been invaluable for me.

[flap7 in reply to Ryanzz]

Thanks Ryanzz, that's one of the items the doc prescribed so it's good to hear that it's worked so well for you ☺