Hey all!
So I had my phone interview this week with the private company the NHS use to triage people who ask to move to a different rheumy. I begged the rheumy who called me to be transferred to a specialist london centre and guess what?! I'm being transferred! I used all your advice - I was armed with my concerns all listed on a bit of paper and with my reasons as to why I thought being transferred to the london centre would be better - largely because they have rheumies who specialise in sjogren and lupus whereas my local rheumies seem to be mostly focussed on RA patients where I live and haven't even tested me for the basics (thank you Lupus UK for the blood tests presentation - watching that helped me outline the tests that should've been done regularly and weren't being done).
So... thank you so much to everyone for the advice, support and insight! Honestly I feel so relieved (and emotional). I literally cried with relief when I got off the phone. Of course this could all end in disappointment and the rheumy in London might be just as bad, but I'm really hoping not and that this is the start of being monitored and treated with dignity and forging a partnership with my rheumy to keep me healthy so I need to see them as little as possible.
This would not have happened without you wonderful people encouraging me to advocate for myself and arming me with your wisdom. THANK YOU! xxxxx