Follow up after biopsy

Yes - a reaction like that would be enough to put me off her. There was no real way that biopsy was going to be positive was there? And it is positive in less than half of cases even when done in a timely manner. The reason for doing a biopsy should only be in the hope it WILL be positive because then there is never any argument afterwards. The diagnosis otherwise should be clinical - and obviously originally someone thought it was very likely.

Why are you where you are if there is a nearer option anyway? How helpful is your GP?

Change!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Exactly what my doctor told me - do they think we haven't got brains of our own! They give us very little information, often sit there rubbing their chins, while thinking about what advice to tell us and then they have the cheek to tell us that we are reading too much!!! Sorry it makes me so angry. Hope you find someone who will listen and give you the proper advice. My Rhuemy was very good and wrote to my doctor saying that reductions should be slow, he hasn't mentioned my reading habits since!

Hi Pam, be very conscious of the way you are reducing, I know you will get some very sound advice from this site, but I would like to say it is not just flares that you will possibly have to cope with, but the withdrawal symptoms that are not at all pleasant or easy to cope with! They tried to do the same with me and after insisting on 10mg reduction a month, meant that I lost 10days out of my life to withdrawal symptoms each month for x2 months, I then insisted on reducing it to 5mgs a month, and now I'm insisting on only 10% every x2 weeks! Which hopefully I will have much less reaction to. My GPs do not have much idea at all about what is happening to me, the Rheumy has his own agenda, but I have decided after many other disagreements that I know my body best and after listening to it this is what I have decided to do, always informing the medics of my decisions and being prepared to put my reasons why to the medics!

It annoyed me that there was a report in the Times recently that , by suggestion, the GPs were calling their patients lazy and unable to understand and act upon advice, unable to understand the impact of how diseases effect them and cost the NHS astronomical amounts of monies because of this. I know GPs are Jack of all Trades, Masters of none, but perhaps they ought to take the time to listen to their patients and try and understand how their illnesses are effecting their lives!! Sorry for a bit of a rant, but I feel this is all relevant to your case, Pam. My advice would be go easy with your body, we all want to get off, and as quickly as poss, but not by putting ourselves at risk or living a zombie life!! Good Luck!