This is mildly irritating me and probably shouldn’t be

[HoneyDragon]

Had to see a consultant went through the usual standard questions, noting my responses. One being “how much do you drink”, I replied “I don’t drink”, he then clarified “you don’t drink alcohol at all?” And I clarified I don’t drink any alcoholic drinks.

He then copied me into the letter sent to my GP recommending what needed to be done next in which he put “Honeydragon drinks a minimal amount of alcohol”.

No I bloody don’t. I said I don’t. And this has really irritates me for some reason. I’m fairly thick skinned, an I do have real stuff to worry about but stuff like this gets under my skin and makes me want to write strongly worded emails. Because he checked, double checked and then wrote something entirely different.

Obviously I won’t do that. I just harrumph and gruntled about it. And now I’ve decided I don’t like a seemingly perfectly nice Doctor because of it.

Why is it the little things that wind you up? Please tell me I’m not the only one who will gruntle over relatively minor issues yet cope admirably with the big ones.

I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve had to tell my GP surgery that I’m a non smoker. They keep saying ‘…and you smoke 10 a day?’ They always look as if they’re changing on the computer, but no, asked every time...

I've had this too for exactly the same thing and yes, it really irritated me! Made me think 'typical man, telling me things about MY body as if he knows better than me!' And I chose not to go back to him as it showed me no matter what I said, he had already decided things which is not what I want or need from a doctor who is supposed to listen and help.

I am currently debating at the moment whether to respond (again!) to the multitude of incorrect and missed (but important) things in my last consultant's letter. I really don't know why they bother writing letters if half the info isn't correct.

I'm the same, op. I can sort out the big things ( devise a plan, etc), but the little things I can't! Because they're little and insignificant. But they do have the ability to gnaw at you. It's annoying.

I'd take that to mean you didn't really drink alcohol. its possible his notes just have a tick box of minimal, occasional, frequent etc.

I think your looking into it too much. Whether it says none at all or a minimal amount it makes no real difference, it won't affect your treatment. I doubt your Gp will even read it or acknowledge that section

I have the same thing - I’m sure they just do it because they think everyone underestimates, so if you say 1-2 units a week they’d put 3-4! I drink maybe once or twice a year. My liver function is a bit dodgy due to thyroid issues but I’m sure they think I’m a closet alcoholic because every time I have to clarify “per YEAR not per week/day etc!”

I hate that my notes say current non smoker. I have never even tried a cigarette.

I feel a bit less humphy if it’s happened to you lot too

OrangeSharked yeah my logical side is saying it doesn’t matter, it’s the other part that’s going “but he asked TWICE” and has decided he just didn’t believe me.

@Disfordarkchocolate perhaps they think you have plans to start?

I tell anyone not believing me I’m dry for 7 years that soon shuts them up, yes it is true I am dry for 7 years.

Ugh it’s so annoying, they can be like dogs with bones with that. I recently tried to get a prescription for something to help my pregnancy-induced heartburn. ‘How much alcohol do you consume?’ Asked the GP. ‘None’ i said. ‘Before you got pregnant (six months ago!!) how much did you drink?’

I said it’s not relevant but he argued it was when I asked why he said ‘alcohol abuse can affect you later in life’

Heartburn is such a common pregnancy symptom and I just wanted some tablets, it really annoyed me.

I too am seething today over a hospital letter that arrived this morning. It was also sent to my Dr & cc'd to me. I'm being referred to the hospital because I have very low iron levels & they think I have internal bleeding. I was sent an appointment but I missed it due to being ill. I rang them back & rescheduled the appointment for next week. Letter says I've missed 2 appointments & implied if it was urgent, my GP would need to refer me. What has really boiled my piss is the letter is a week old. Where the f*ck has it been all this time? Did they send it 3rd class? By a French carrier pigeon? Whilst it's been in the system, I've rung & made another appointment. And I've only missed one appointment, not 2.. 🤬🤬

I personally think that's quite bad. I don't drink just because I don't drink, but loads of people don't drink for religious reasons or recovering alcoholics and I'd think they might be understandably unhappy with being incorrectly represented.

I get it too. Drank alcohol twice in my life both boring and shit. Never liked alcohol. Last drank 4 years ago. Why do people not believe you when you say it or think there is a big reason for it, pregnancy, antibiotics? I just do not like the taste of it. Oh no, there's loads of different ones to try, I haven't sampled everything yet so I should keep trying

Duchess. That is rubbish, especially when you are clearly unwell , I got issued a ban by a local hospitals cardiology department. Because I’d failed to attend three appointments. I had a letter from said hospital cancelling each appointment and each cancellation I accepted the new appointment. But I still got autobanned.

@MarkRuffaloCrumble

I have the same thing - I’m sure they just do it because they think everyone underestimates, so if you say 1-2 units a week they’d put 3-4! I drink maybe once or twice a year. My liver function is a bit dodgy due to thyroid issues but I’m sure they think I’m a closet alcoholic because every time I have to clarify “per YEAR not per week/day etc!”

I had a thyroid investigation and also said maybe I drink twice a year?

As soon as I saw the specialist, he said "cut out alcohol completely". It had been listed as two drinks a day.

Going forward I will say teetotal.

OP I'd ask for it to be corrected and then ask for a copy of medical records.

The consultant got the name of my condition wrong in one letter. I think there was another mistake too so I phoned them up to correct them. Not being petty, I just thought they should at least get my medical history right...

@honeydragon
I'm so pi55ed about it, I'm going to send a letter back in retaliation, so it's on record. They've done the same to my mum. Sent a letter which was dated a Tuesday, we got it Saturday morning & the appointment was for Monday morning. Literally 24hrs notice. Then they had the cheek to write to our GP saying we cancelled the appointment. Damn right I did, we had plans! Bloody NHS thinks our illnesses revolve around their appointments 🤬🤬

On my GP notes there is a flag that I’ve taken an overdose of paracetamol before.
I haven’t - it’s odd. I’m late 40’s and not all the doctors notes are there from the appointments I’ve had. But I have never taken an overdose - I think I’d remember!
They can’t remove the flag, but there is a note to say it’s wrong and I’ve given up trying to
Correct it.

Love gruntle and humphy!

My Mum was refused a Covid vaccination at first as apparently she had a reaction to a painkiller

She actually got constipated ( not unusual with thus particular type) so was taken off it but was recorded as a ' reaction'

It’s amazing how many human errors are just kept in place “because”. And in some cases scary. Imagine being in pain abs not been able to access relief due to an erroneous note on your records you know nothing about.

Just in case it raises a laugh

One human error resulted in me arriving at a dermatologist's office to be stared at, and he said three times "YOU are Ostara?"

Then he laughed and showed me the computer screen. It said "Ostara is a 72 year old woman" 😂

Obvs I was 27. But I just said "yeah, I'm 72, you want the name of my plastic surgeon?"😂

I know that it’s not important in the overall scheme of things, especially as I’m well at the moment, but I had a really bad time with depression 3 years ago. I’ve had depression on and off all my adult life but this was probably the worst bout - I couldn’t get out of bed, couldn’t speak, couldn’t function, couldn’t work, cried all the time, and truly believed that my family would be better off without me. One GP I saw for one of my ‘fit notes’ put “low mood”. I remember feeling even worse as a result - low mood was like a kick to the stomach, it felt like she was dismissing me and minimising what I was going through at the lowest ever point in my life. She obviously hadn’t listened to me at all when I was trying (unsuccessfully) to articulate how bad things were.

@Duchess379

I too am seething today over a hospital letter that arrived this morning. It was also sent to my Dr & cc'd to me. I'm being referred to the hospital because I have very low iron levels & they think I have internal bleeding. I was sent an appointment but I missed it due to being ill. I rang them back & rescheduled the appointment for next week. Letter says I've missed 2 appointments & implied if it was urgent, my GP would need to refer me. What has really boiled my piss is the letter is a week old. Where the f*ck has it been all this time? Did they send it 3rd class? By a French carrier pigeon? Whilst it's been in the system, I've rung & made another appointment. And I've only missed one appointment, not 2.. 🤬🤬

I had a similar thing happen to me. I was in the hospital having pre op checks and they booked my operation date. I said I can't do anything after x day and before x day as I was flying the America and you weren't meant to fly if you'd had an op so many weeks before or after it. I was VERY clear about this and the nurse seemed to understand. Well, appointment letter comes through too close to either date. I phoned to change it and they said as it was the second time I had changed it I would have to go back to my gp and get re referred to go through it all again! WTAF! I didn't bother as it wasn't an urgent thing. I think it was for sterilisation or something. I had an appointment in the same dept last year and they have on their/my notes that I'd had it!