Referral to specialist - Gastro

[Supertramp]

Hi Supertramp,

 

What did the doctor think it may be? & what tests have they referred you for?

 

The reason I ask is that I went to my doctors 7 times before I told them I thought I had gallstones - they then decided to refer me and hey presto - It was gallstones.

 

If they've not even mentioned cancer from your symptom I don't think you should be worrying too much.

 

I've been referred to the gastroenterology department so am guessing I will see a consultant who will make me wait another 10 weeks to book mein for whatever tests he/she feels necessary?

[Supertramp]

Hassle them. Hassle the GPs receptionist and hassle the hospital department too. The waiting times they post are BS. I had a neurosurgery appt which was cancelled due to the snow the other year. Waited for my letter to come and the total waiting time ended up being 8months apparently there was a backlog . And that was for a spinal cord injury relapse. If the appointment letter hasn't been sent in 3weeks to a month hassle them.

 

There's one day a week you can phone up for cancellations so maybe get in sooner. The hospital will be able to tell you which day.

 

How do I know who to hassle at the hospital? The doctors just keep saying they are not worried, even though it's been going on for months and I am often in severe pain and have lots of other symptoms that have seemed to result from this abdominal problem (was generally fit and healthy before, now spend most of my time asleep when not at work). Therefore I think ringing the hospital may be more beneficial.

[Teddybare]

How do I know who to hassle at the hospital? The doctors just keep saying they are not worried, even though it's been going on for months and I am often in severe pain and have lots of other symptoms that have seemed to result from this abdominal problem (was generally fit and healthy before, now spend most of my time asleep when not at work). Therefore I think ringing the hospital may be more beneficial.

 

Whichever department you have been referred to.

If you've got the £££ there's even the despicable practice of paying to see a consultant privately and thereby jumping the que for further treatment.

If you really worried it might be worth it. I know of people who have arranged this through their GP.

Also try not worry about it too much as that only makes the symptoms worse. Easy to say. I know.

[medusa]

I've been referred to the gastroenterology department so am guessing I will see a consultant who will make me wait another 10 weeks to book mein for whatever tests he/she feels necessary?

 

I hate to say this but what do you think would happen if everybody who thought that they 'may' have cancer rang up and hassled secretaries or demanded priority appointments? Do you think that this would be a positive thing for the people who actually DO have cancer and who need the priority appointments?

 

Any of us 'may' have cancer at any time, but it honestly is not as likely as you think it is and there are thousands of other conditions that are far more likely and an awful lot less dangerous.

 

Talk to your GP. Ask him/her what s/he thinks may be the issue, because at least that will reassure you that the medical opinion is that you have something other than cancer.

 

Putting your symptoms into Netdoctor is discouraged by medics because it makes people panic, and that includes thousands of people who now believe that they have something desperately dangerous when actually they have a condition that needs careful tests but doesn't mean that they are about to pop their clogs.

 

By the way, speaking as someone for whom the NHS has moved at startling speed several times over the years, when the NHS does need to move quickly it does, and when it does it is really quite scary. When a consultant steps out of his clinic to call you from his mobile to yours because he needs to see you the same afternoon- THAT is the time to panic.

[Daven]

How do I know who to hassle at the hospital? The doctors just keep saying they are not worried, even though it's been going on for months and I am often in severe pain and have lots of other symptoms that have seemed to result from this abdominal problem (was generally fit and healthy before, now spend most of my time asleep when not at work). Therefore I think ringing the hospital may be more beneficial.

 

Speak to the GP receptionist and ask when the referral letter was sent to the hospital. Ask which consultant you where referred to and then ring the consultants secretary to ask when the next available appointment will be for you to be seen in clinic. However, your GP would have made an urgent referral if he/she thought there was anything suspicious in your symptoms.

SOMETIMES it pays to make a bit of a nuisance of of yourself. Good luck.

[medusa]

How do I know who to hassle at the hospital? The doctors just keep saying they are not worried, even though it's been going on for months and I am often in severe pain and have lots of other symptoms that have seemed to result from this abdominal problem (was generally fit and healthy before, now spend most of my time asleep when not at work). Therefore I think ringing the hospital may be more beneficial.

 

If you have abdominal pain which is resulting in you sleeping a lot then (subject to tests excluding other conditions) you could well have IBS, which, whilst it is painful, has very low risk of you developing anything dangerous.

 

Even if you had bowel cancer, the odds are that it has been developing for anything between 5 and 10 years before you even had symptoms, so a few weeks now aren't likely to make a difference to the outcome.

 

As a point of interest, what would it take for you to be convinced that you DON'T have cancer? Would a consultant's opinion suffice, or would NetDoctor outrank them as well as your GP?

[Supertramp]

If you have abdominal pain which is resulting in you sleeping a lot then (subject to tests excluding other conditions) you could well have IBS, which, whilst it is painful, has very low risk of you developing anything dangerous.

 

Even if you had bowel cancer, the odds are that it has been developing for anything between 5 and 10 years before you even had symptoms, so a few weeks now aren't likely to make a difference to the outcome.

 

As a point of interest, what would it take for you to be convinced that you DON'T have cancer? Would a consultant's opinion suffice, or would NetDoctor outrank them as well as your GP?

 

Ok, calm down, no need to shout. Surely itsnatural to worry. I am not demanding I be seen now. I did do the smiley after the netdoctor quote. The doctors don't know what it is, they don't think IBS or an allergy as it happens non-stop whether I eat or not.

 

Anyway I have been told by 3 different doctors that it can't be bowel cancer as I'm too young.

[boyfriday]

Anyway I have been told by 3 different doctors that it can't be bowel cancer as I'm too young.

 

Shipman, Mengele and Karadzic? I'd be talking to Heath's soonest

[shane39]

Don't get yourself all in a kerfuffle!

I went to the docs 7weeks ago.2week after i was in me underpants doing some bizarre body movements for the consultant.2 week after that i was under the brain frying machine(MRI scanner) It dint aif make a clunkin noise,but strangely enjoyable listening to Andrea Bocelli.

Now 3 weeks on i am still waiting to see if my brain has decided to call it a day.

In the meantime,i shall continue to enjoy eating raspberry trifle.

[Teddybare]

People should avoid giving and receiving medical advice from web forums. No one here knows what you've got or haven't. Pretty irrelevant to the question, what the ailment may or may not be.

Hassle the hell out of your GP and the consultant's secretary as others have already said. Maybe you'll get lucky and be seen sooner rather than later. Most likely not but at least you'll have tried.