To be extremely annoyed and upset over this

[Waitingimpatient]

Ds had an appointment today in hospital for a food challenge
He is needle phobic so the consultant had said if blood level was low enough he wouldn't need a cannula

I called the ward two days ago to confirm appt and clarify again about the cannula. All fine
Ds was nervous anyway, get there today and they want to do a cannula??
We said no, explained why but as it's not on his notes they are now making us wait till at least 130 when the consultant is out of clinic.

Surely if it was a problem they should have clarified with the consultant after I'd called and o don't see why they can't speak to him quickly in between patients so that the food challenge can just start ??

Poor ds is really stressed now and I'm very annoyed. I feel like walking out and just rescheduling

Hi, yanbu to be frustrated but (if you are still there) I would hang in there and get it done today. If you reschedule, you risk the same thing happening again next time. At least, if you wait and see the consultant, you can actually watch him write it in your son's notes and then you know it's there.

I've sometimes sat in hospital clinics (not allergies) and wanted to bang my head off the wall in frustration so I do sympathise.

You now know for future reference to make ask consultants to write this sort of thing in the notes at the time of talking to them as the staff cannot go ahead otherwise.

Sorry, just read the bit again about you calling to confirm two days ago and being told all fine! Argh!

Yanbu, you called ahead to confirm so they need to sort it out now.

i have experience of this. They need to be able to work around it and find the best possible way to do the procedure without a cannula the consultant is probably the expert. Hang in there!

They've spoken to the consultant who has now said that ds does have to have a cannula. Apparently it was an 'oversight' previously that he'd agreed as had forgotten about a severe reaction (to a different food not the one they are doing a challenge for today) and also as the level for other food had gone up :(

I just can't believe that there was an oversight by the consultant and that is phoned two days ago and it hadn't been double checked then :( I promised ds he wouldn't need a cannula now we are waiting for dh to get here as can't restrain ds otherwise to put it in

So unhappy right now

Going home now. Couldn't restrain ds and he was traumatised and making himself unwell

I'm angry as had we known we could have worked on preparing him rather than reassuring him he wouldn't need one :(

How old is he? Don't see why you wouldn't have tried to prepare him given that the consultant had essentially said that he might need canula , per your op.

Would have thought Hosp could have helped more but best of luck next time anyway.

The consultant said if levels were below a certain number he wouldn't and it was below the number he told us
Just to double check though I had called as well and was told it was definitely fine for da to not have a cannula

Ds is 8 and a half. He is petrified of needles. I'm just so upset for him it has been a complete disaster

"Oversight". It wasn't a deliberate thing, and even doctors are human.

It's just very very annoying as if phoned to double check and ds is now traumatised and I feel awful.

I doubt he will ever go back willingly to have the challenge done and we were so hoping he would be ok as his diet is so restricted :(

OP, this really isn't good enough. A consultant should not have an "oversight" and should not "forget" about a previous incident. This behaviour is sloppy, unprofessional and in extreme cases could lead to the death of a patient.

Please consider making a formal complaint and changing the doctor/consultant as this one seems incompetent.

I should have realised , ds has known allergies to milk egg and shellfish. They also tested for other things a couple of years ago but we never heard anything but then at our spot a few months ago he said " so how is the nut allergy?" We were confused. Turns out PEANUT had come up as a low positive. Nobody had told us (and ds eats peanuts!) he said "oh well whatever you do make sure he keeps eating them then"

Today has just been a disaster though. Ds is absolutely finished from hours of pure fear . Really horrible day

Appt somehow became spot there !

he's human, mistakes get made

Have you been offered some sessions with a play specialist to help your DS get over his needle phobia?

I am confused from your OP I got the impression that there was always a possibility of needing a cannuala in today. Your son is phobic of needles so that was going to be a big problem if it was necessary.

It was necessary and it was a big problem. The fact that the consultant reassessed the facts of the case to make a fully informed decision having overlooked a fact previously showed that the hospitals checks and balances worked. OP the only issue I can see is an ongoing problem with needles that needs to be addressed as best as possible and by the sounds of things may need some professional input since the needles are an ongoing necessity. Still shot though I get that.

Shot = shit

But from your op it sounds like the consultant did say there was the possibility of needing a cannula?

It was at appt few months ago that consultant talked about the food challenge. The results did come back for milk at the level he specified meant ds wouldn't need a cannula. When we booked it we were told no cannula and I had checked two days ago as well.

The confusion seems to have something to do with a combination of very severe reaction in the past to egg and also that the allergy level for egg had also gone up (even though egg wasn't being eaten today)

We had been reassured twice no cannula so had told ds that. Then when we got there they said he had to

Sorry I may have not been clear. We were told he may need a cannula depending on blood results
Results then came back and we were told it was ok to go ahead with no cannula so booked challenge

Double checked two days ago as well

Ah I see. The poor guy was not prepared for it because you were told it was definitely not happening.

It sounds like a real shame for him but the issue still remains that he is terrified of needles. If the worst happened and he needed an injection tomorrow to prevent an infection you would have the same issue. Resolving the needle phobia as best as you can is really the most important lesson out of today but yes it would have been nice if you had the opportunity to prepare your son today.

When prepared he actually tolerates it well. He sees a psychologist for other issues but leading up to and jabs or tests she has always done extra work with him and we've worked hard to prepare him.

Today was just a disaster. If promised him no cannula and it went wrong. He was hysterical. I don't honk it helps he was recently in hospital very unwell and had cannulas then so he was ultra anxious today and very quickly got hysterical and terrified

I promised

Honk???? Think it is meant to say!

The poor wee mite and you too, it is a tough time no doubt. Hope things improve soon.