Dr Subrahmanyam Peddasomayajula, (Dr. Mani) Broomfield Hopsital (NHS), Chelmsford, Essex

[Sophiestree]

In search for a second opinion from my consultant at Whipps Cross Hospital (where even the registrar in ambulatory care suggested I go elsewhere) I today tried to make a private appointment with Dr. Peddasomayajula as I read a post by @S4ndy saying how he goes by symptoms and not bloods etc. I couldn’t get through on the phone and so left a message on a landline and then sent a text to a mobile number this morning.

(As an aside, I have found 8mg to be my dose, to the point where I felt positively chipper. Stayed there after my parathyroid removal for a month and then started to reduce – wham – low grade fever and all the other symptoms of throat neck, head etc. Doctor gave me antibiotics which did zero and so I took it upon myself to administer sickday rules but did that for the full 14 days as I had left it so long by this time. But that did the trick.)

8.00pm tonight the doctor rings me to say his secretary is off and he is about to go away for three weeks. We had a long chat (nearly 20 minutes) where I explained my predicament and how I kept cancelling my appointments as I couldn’t face hearing my consultant tell me one more time that I am better going by bloods and the second PET CT (where I had gone up to 20mg at one point prior)

He said that there was no point doing a PET CT until you are off pred or at least on a very low dose and that he goes by what his patients tell him rather than blood results etc. He said to reduce pred by .5mg over SIX weeks and to do it very slowly like that trying to get through the first week of potential symptoms as that is common. Are you loving him so far….. then I asked about seeing him and he said not to bother to go privately but to request to go to his NHS hospital via my GP which might take a few months (that’s fine I have enough pred to last me a lifetime right now) and to ring his secretary in September so that he can have a look for me on the system and make sure that I see him and not a registrar.

Can’t tell you how I feel right now, well I am sure you know … whoo hoo … can I celebrate with alcoholic prosecco!!!

[Bcol]

Result🙂🙂

[PMRpro Ambassador]

He is a specialist in GCA and PMR so a good start. Looking good ...

[Joanbill13]

That’s amazing!!!! Sounds perfect. So pleased for you.

[SheffieldJane]

I would be pretty hopeful for the future with this doctor.

[Poshdog]

Open that Prosecco 🍾 xx

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Poshdog]

And it's cheaper as of today ...

[Sophiestree in reply to Poshdog]

I certainly did! 😜

[Hidden]

Fantastic 🤗

[Jackoh]

He sounds a gem!! Stick with him x💐

[Rugger]

The medical profession needs more Dr Manis! So glad you've found him.

[ChinaWuntoo]

Good to hear. Well done.

Whipps Cross is part of St Bart's Trust. As is Mile End where I was given the professor head of rheumatology. He was hopeless, giving me two bad bits of advice, so I got rid of him. I wonder if this is the person you saw (Dr C).

[Sophiestree in reply to ChinaWuntoo]

It wasn't that Professor, but feel your pain. Am I right in thinking you went to Watford in the end? I was also considering there.

[ChinaWuntoo in reply to Sophiestree]

The GP and I agreed that I don't need a rheumatologist at the moment. I didn't go anywhere else but have a list of possibles in case I have another flare and the GP gets concerned.

[Judyliz]

Woo hoo! I agree. You are right, I bet everyone reading your post had a smile and a wee blast of feel good endorphins.

[Pusph]

Can you please clone him and spread him all over the country!😀

[Kiwisufferer2019 in reply to Pusph]

And to NZ.!

[RachelJDH]

So pleased. Mostly this kind of support is all we want. PMR etc is a depressing business and then to feel your rheumatologist almost doesn't believe you because the inflammation markers in your bloods are low in spite of your symptoms is awful. It is not too far to Chelmsford so good luck.

[Sophiestree in reply to RachelJDH]

That is exactly it isn't it. And amazingly, for the first time in months, I slept last night.... coincidence??? Me thinks not, I was clearly more stressed about the whole thing than I realised. I think Chelmsford is about 45 minutes for me so more than doable.

[BLUEPMR]

Can you clone him and send his clones all over the world

[S4ndy]

So glad your first experience of Dr Mani was positive. He's such a good Rheumatologist. Right balance of advice and listening skills, a gem indeed.

[herdysheep]

🍾🥂 I have a bottle for 'just in case'

[Longtimer]

Brilliant, I know that feeling after finally getting to see a Rheumatologist that listened and discussed what next. Now I’m not seeing him, not the same dealing with Endocrinologists!….spoke to her 2weeks ago, blood tests done, said I can see her in a years time! Ringing tomorrow for results, feeling so ill, will go private and hope for the best…..I’ m sure something else is going on!….

[Sophiestree in reply to Longtimer]

Endocrinology is a strange one. They keep cancelling my appointments and I don't seem to get a new one even though I have just had a parathyroid gland removed. Same with Respiratory, I have yearly CTs but no follow up appointment. So confusing.

[Longtimer in reply to Sophiestree]

Not confusing, disgusting, but when I read on here others experiences in other countries, not surprised anymore….sad

[cycli]

Result Sophiestree. Happy for you. What Tree by the way or is it a wordplay on Sophistry Sophie? Your posts seem too logical for false reasoning. 😂

[Sophiestree in reply to cycli]

Ha ha - no it was a tree in my garden where my young Schnauzer used to hide under watching my other large mad dog running around the garden, so I always called it Sophie's tree, seemed a good name to use after that when so many sites want you to have some kind of name or other. Sadly she did not see 3 years old due to bad breeding and complete kidney failure. Devastating.

[cycli in reply to Sophiestree]

losing a dog is devastating as I recently discovered.

[Thiago1396]

Delighted for you 👍

[Gossiplady]

Hi Sophiestree! How brilliant is that!

[Kiwisufferer2019]

Best of luck, enjoy the prosecco! You deserve it.