Wait for consultant appointment

How long did you wait for your first consultant appointment?

[themanintheredhat]

about 3 to 4 weeks but this close to xmas they take there time

[SC49]

about 7 months!

I was referred to a surgical consultant and to a general medicine consultant at the same time. The surgical consultant saw me after about 4 months and couldn't find anything that he could treat so he sent me on my way. The general medicine waiting list took 7 months to come through and lasted about 15 minutes. He spent about 10 of those 15 minutes handwriting the blood test results from the computer onto my paper file!

[Hidden]

Hello.

I was referred to the hospital consultant after a scan in 2010. From the referral I originally had an 11wks wait as I was sent the appt via the post (it wasn't that Choose & Book) but then the mth before I was due to go I received a letter stating the appt was not to be as the consultant was away and got a new appt for the following wk., only the school hol wk when we had booked a hol as soon as I got the original appt through so I had to ring and change. I got an appt the following wk so all-in-all my first hospital appt took 13wks before I went!

I felt a bit disgusted to be honest as I thought the GP had done the AMA blood test so when I went I assumed the consultant would give me a yes or no for PBC (that I had suspected after finding out about it but never mentioned to the GP prior). I then discovered the final blood test I had at the GP which I failed to find out what it was was for copper (Wilson's

Disease). I think had I have known this long before I would have perhaps asked the GP if he could have done the AMA blood test.

Altho' there is no cure for PBC, I think starting on urso 3mths before having to wait for the diagnose in Dec 2010 would have perhaps been far better for me as it took 6mths for me to start feeling like my normal self once more (despite the itch).

I wasn't offered anything prior to seeing the hospital consultant in the 8mths I first went to the GP with itching. I know I wasn't expecting anything from the GP as you never know what you are dealing with but unfortunately for me I at the time had a GP who did not know a thing about PBC as if he had he might have just dealt with me a bit differently. (Unfortunately when I switched GP surgeries a mnth after being diagnosed, fair to say I went right out of the frying pan and into the fire as the lot I am with now don't seem to take that much notice. (But don't get me started there!)

[mumofthree]

My first appointment was with a rheumatologist which took 3 months. Its hard to tell how long the appointment with the gastroenterologist took as I was referred to Gastro by Rheumo without me knowing. I was due to go back to the rheumatologist in Jan 2010 for results of xrays, MRI and blood tests they carried out, but that appointment kept on being cancelled - it finally came about in March 2011- yes thats right I have not made a mistake it took 14 months for me to get my results from Rheumo. However, in April/May 2010 I received a letter from Gastro telling me they were in receipt of my referral and they would advise me of my appointment date in due course. I thought there had been some sort of mistake as I didn't have anything wrong with my stomach. I eventually found out by ringing both gastro and rheumo that I had indeed been referred to gastro by rheumo querying the results of blood tests carried out by rheumo. The referral from rheumo to gastro could have been anytime between Jan 2010 and April 2010, my guess would be March/April considering the confirmation of referral letter came in April/May. So it was probably between 6-8 months before the first appointment with Gastro came about which was at end of October 2010. My first appointment was with a Gastro registrar who broke the news that the blood tests alone that were carried out by Rheumatology dept at the end of 2009 indicated I had PBC. He then arranged for me to have more blood tests, an ultra sound scan, an MRI and a Liver Biopsy to confirm extent of damage. I saw the Gastro Consultant for my results in Jan 2011 where my PBC diagnosis was eventually confirmed and I was prescribed URSO.

[suzywong]

I waited about 8 weeks and was put on urso which I cannot tolerate So now on quest ran to stop the itch which is driving me mad

[Jaycee in reply to suzywong]

Hi, I note in your reply you say you cannot tolerate Urso, can you tell me why, I cannot tolerate Urso either but when I tried to explain it to the consultant he said he had never heard of anyone not tolerating it, and told me to keep taking it, it upsets my stomach something terrible so I dont take anything, I'm really concerned about this and don't feel I can speak to my consultant, I don't know where to go now

[donnathompson]

Hi Donkey i waited about 6 weeks and i go every 6 weeks to see him.xx

[Beanie]

Hi Donkey, I was diagnosed by the GP at the beginning of November 2010 by AMA positive blood tests, and given a very scary printout from the internet about PBC. I was referred to the gastro/liver consultant, but was given an appointment for March. I phoned the hospital and complained, so they changed the appointment to January. To be honest, the consultant wasn't much use, and I had to ask him to put me on Urso! The PBC Foundation is much more useful, and has loads of information and answers a lot more questions than the consultant did. Good luck!

[EAJSWW]

I was seen as an emergency following a gp blood test. My alk phos was around 1400 so the consultant saw me and diagnosed me the next day.

I am lucky, I have an excellent gastro who specializes in liver disease.