After an unnecessary hoo ha of tracing my prescription I'd been assured was ready I went to pay. No charge I wax told?? They grinned abd said I'd reached 'the age
So that's a bonus after receiving my first NHS pension payment of ..£9.54 !!
A new nurse has started . She asked how often I wad having b12 injections. Had it been reviewed recently. Then asked if I'd had stomach surgery. Surely thst woukd be on my notes!
That threw me a bit
.She suggested to have an intrinsic factor antibody test
I said I'd think about it as I dudnt want a negative result to stop my treatment as nothing else has been found wrong. The only thing that has helped is b12 injections. She didn't hurt me giving it. Another bonus.
I'm deeply suspicious of bring offered one now after 21/2 ears. I will shelf the dilema for now.
Any thoughts anyone?
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Nackapan
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Hey Nackapan......great news on the free prescriptions! Happy birthday! 🎉🎉The nurses get my needles and syringes from the local hospital. They get them for free so are happy to order them in. Maybe now they can see you are improving they will do that for you too? Saves a bit more dosh. They cant give you Separate needles and syringes on the prescription list as they are not listed!! Listed are all in one but then you cant change the needle which the nurse said I needed to because of the glass vials.
Thankyou fir that information.My symptoms have bedn changing. Im trying to think positive as not pleasant but I think any shift could be a sign of healing.
Did have a big set back after the first covid vaccination which was a bit of a shock and miserable.
Glad it's done though.
Finally seeing this month the
neuro opthmologist.
So still a 'work in progress'
Thanks for asking.
Last time we heard from you. You were spitting the dose .
Aww glad you are finally going to see the neuro opthalmologist. What a long wait! Poor you.
Am ok. Move to twice daily injections a fair few months back or is it a year -time floes - and top up with methylcolabamin sublinguals when stressed (extension stresses!) My tremors have improved a lot but still struggling with bowel incontinence.........was meant to have an op......was on list for a year but then got dropped off it then consultant didnt remember me (though he did a colonoscopy over a year ago!) & wiggled out of it all by dismissing me. No follow up letters at all from a year ago or now from him. Incompetant? Over worked? Pandemic? GP backing me so will see his boss privately for a consult when am through extension stresses. Wearing pads isn't really a long term solution! Everything is a battle with the nhs.......but you know that sooooo well.
Poor everything! GP was appalled. I mean they told GP and me I was on op list. Maybe its a quick way of shortening it......then you become a new referral......says I cynically. And to be honest I dont want such incompetancy cutting me up!!
I reached this milestone in 2019. I haven't had to pay for prescriptions for years as hypothyroid so exempt...........my chemist, with a big smile told me that I didn't need to sign the back of my prescriptions anymore.
'Reviews' are really worrying especially for the older population like your Mum. I find it appalling that if she didn't have you to advocate for her that her injections would have been stopped. In my opinion that goes against 'Do no harm'.
I agree Nellie. The intrinsic factor misses loads......think it only picks up 40% of cases but GPs will use it to get out of treating and souldntbputbit pass them to stop treatment if negative. Not sure why as prescription charges dont come out of their budgets....
I think all these 'reviews' are a result of the 1st Covid lockdown. I can understand GP's and nurses wanting to see fewer patients for face to face appointments, but in my opinion they should now be teaching anybody who is able to SI, and they don't seem to be doing that.
I think you are right. If the point is to reduce numbers of patients getting injections by using a test that can only scoop up about half the people who need B12 injections for life just to survive, then it's deluded, misguided and downright dangerous.
And that should not be a nurse's call. If this move is a surgery decision, then it should be relayed by a GP face-to-face, without using covid as an excuse to e-mail or write. That should not be a problem for anyone with the courage of their conviction.
If you are still undergoing tests, why don't they wait to see what that might offer up ?
After all, you have been waiting a long time for answers and as yet have no real diagnosis. It is beyond the remit of primary care now -so why would they run that risk ?
While on the subject of risk; how about your's ?
You have been very ill, in a way that is obvious to all - family, friends, local people - so must be evident to the surgery. You got much worse after your covid vaccination.
Could you risk having the one treatment you have been offered being stopped ?
And then having a second vaccine ?
Rather than trying for Brownie points, maybe the new nurse just wants to reduce her workload !
When my GP put me on a much more frequent regime, one of the nurses kept trying to make me go back to the GP (although she'd said "no need"), one got suspicious of me - and the other two recognised how ill I was.
This nurse doesn't know you, your history, your family history.
I'd wait- until you are sure of her. She may be aware of the inaccuracy of the test as a PA diagnostic tool, she may be trying to help you - but it's you she needs to impress first, not the GPs. Transparency of intention would have been a good start.
Trouble today we have no real family doctors who know you and your family history. How many doctors look back at your notes when attending medical appointments. It's too much of tick boxes and get you out the door and the next patient in (if your lucky enough to get an appointment !).When I was young we had the same doctor of tens of years, now I haven't seen the same one for years. Just a conveyor belt. I do sympathise with the NHS with the pressure they have been under, but I also think that it's time to revert back to some of the old tried and tested practices.
Not old-fashioned, it just made perfect sense- especially useful where PA so difficult to diagnose !
A bit of delving into family history in Nackapan 's case would reveal 3 generations struggling. In mine, Grave's disease, vitiligo, psoriasis prevalent - and autism in the younger generation. I'm sure plenty of other threads running through others' families. I always see the same GP because she knows what I am like at best and worst, can tell if I'm struggling, and knows where she has sent me already etc. over the past 5 years. I wouldn't have the energy, patience or memory to start again with someone else now. Or to be honest, the trust: so many GPs seem to know so little about B12 deficiency or about how severe/ numerous the symptoms can be.
It must be something that GPs would welcome too, as it would make life easier for them, a bit of detective work could help confirm their suspicions- more job satisfaction.
I can imagine how difficult it is to have to deal with an officious newcomer when so ill, Nackapan . Plus a waste of energy. Visible shock at injection frequency means she'll have dived into your medical records the moment you left ! As you say, she really should have done her homework before seeing you for the first time. Alright, the injection didn't hurt - but caused bruising later. I'd give that one a swerve from now on.
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