What non-essential medical appointments have you had cancelled?

[TwistyHair]

I’ve had my daughter prosthetic leg appointment cancelled until further notice. I understand that there are more urgent appointments but I’m still really still really upset that her leg is now hurting and she won’t be able to walk soon.

Smear as well - I know it’s not as important as some of these other missed appointments but it taken me a long time to be brave enough to make the appointment and get a nurse I like and arrange it so I had child care. But these other messages have put it into perspective for me.

My midwife appointments

Oh also my physio for back pain following a car accident meaning I'm going to be on opioids longer now.

My follow up eye appointments

Lymphodema clinic (one of the lovely side effects of breast cancer treatment) is offering virtual appointments which are no use to me so my monthly appointment is cancelled. The surgeon who did my double mastectomy did see me F2F for a follow up last week though which I was very grateful for and I had a flu jab at my GP surgery today.

I have just realised that Ds mic-key feeding tube is due to be changed in 4 weeks for the first time so I haven’t been trained in it yet. Could be interesting to see what happens with that as as far as I know it can’t stay in more than 16 weeks safely

My fertility appointment. I've been trying to conceive for about 3 years and finally got an appointment with a specialist through after a long wait and was called a couple of days before to say it had been cancelled indefinitely. I completely understand why but goodness I'm devastated.

DH's gastroscopy. He's in quite a lot of pain every day and now we have no way of knowing why.

Eye test for my DC, a filling for my DH. My B12 injection was cancelled, but I need yearly smears and that’s due this month, so they said they’d jab me at the same time, thank god. Hopefully in 10 weeks when the next one is due, things might have calmed down a bit.

Emergency dental appointment to have a broken tooth repaired. Luckily I'm not in much pain with it and they've given me a number to call if it gets worse.

MRI scan on my jaw due next week was cancelled, and a follow up appointment at the Dental hospital (for my jaw) also cancelled.

Follow up appointment with the knee clinic - I had a torn cartilage fixed on the 14th March, just before lockdown! Luckily it's healed up well.

My DD had her midwife appointment cancelled and she now has a telephone consult booked in for today instead. Her 20 week scan in 3 weeks is going ahead but she can't take her DH with her. She's been WFH for 3 weeks due to being pregnant and also has a toddler so she's really looking forward to escaping!!!

@SinkGirl Good idea about asking in the local chemist. I'm normally quite intelligent when not on furlough! Two of my work clients actually work there.
Thank you for your kind offer to send some down but please keep it for yourself.

My CBT, nothing in comparison to some people on here, hopefully they can resume once a sense of normally returns.

GI for my rectal and bowel prolapse (I now can’t ‘go’ remotely naturally at all, it’s completely blocked off 😳), gynae to discuss hysterectomy after badly failed ablation, and neurology to review my chronic neuro condition which is getting worse.

None of them are likely to kill me though, so I guess that’s fair. Although the prolapse did give me sepsis last year after I hadn’t defecated in 2 weeks, that nearly did kill me. And the neuro condition is hellishly painful. But I know I’m still a lot better off than a lot of people.

I guess I’m just worried about what if I do need acute hospital treatment in the meantime (like with the prolapse/sepsis incident). And also if my neuro condition continues to deteriorate as it has been doing - I was supposed to be having a procedure this month to try to help but obviously that’s cancelled.

Outpatient Eating Disorder treatment sessions.

Mine aren't that important in the grand scheme of things but some of these are terrifying - a kidney transplant?? Covid isn't more deadly than a condition that requires an imminent kidney transplant, surely?!

My little boy had his respiratory appointment changed to a phone appt but his consultant said he needs some tests doing but they can't be done while all this is over with.

He's got another appt in May which I assume is going to be cancelled/changed to a phone appt

@SinkGirl- thanks for the suggestion of the electric heat pad. Thankfully, my knee isn't as bad now, due to far less walking and 11kg weight loss. It was prior to getting the initial knee brace that I was in agony. I still need a knee replacement, but holding off as long as possible, as only 42!

Oh god it's terrible reading all of these. I'm so sorry for everyone who's had procedures cancelled.

I've very recently, a week ago, been diagnosed with cervical cancer. I had an mri on Tuesday and having a pet scan today.

Selfishly I'm worried the treatment I need may get cancelled. And that terrifies me.

DD has had a cardiology yearly check up cancelled, they are going to get in touch to reschedule. An appointment with the geneticist is going to be via phone call.

My mum has a lung condition and uncontrolled asthma. She's had her CT scan cancelled that she's been waiting for for ages.

Nothing too urgent here. My diabetic retinopathy screening has been cancelled and DD's hearing test.

Chesney, I know my local hospital which is over two sites has allocated a whole department in the “green hospital” for oncology to keep things going as much as possible while also away from the Covid patients in the “red” hospital.

Smear test for me. Diabetic eye screening for OH, type 1 diabetic.
Some of these appointments are not minor though & will have major impacts on peoples lives.
I said to OH at the beginning of this that many people would die never having caught corona virus, due to cancelled ops/screening, mental health issues & living with violent family members.
It's no good to say the NHS can cope by treating all the corona virus patients & ignoring everyone else.

Sirzy that's good to know. Bedford hospital where I went Tuesday was dead. I was the only 1 on the mri waiting room.

Today I'm off to Addenbrooks. Which I'm guessing will be a lot busier.

I feel for everyone who's had stuff cancelled. So many people are scared of covid-19 already and now they have to worry about their health conditions too 😔

I'm way overdue a dental appoint due to CBA itus and obviously now is not the time to get on with it.

Similiarly smear test, both can wait.

Also one of the cats was quiet and off his food for a few days earlier this week which is very much not like him and under normal circumstances we would have taken him to the vets after a couple of days, but just kept an eye on him as he was almost certainly just suffering from eating a bad mouse or similar. Thankfully he's now back to normal with the added bonus that he's lost a little weight so not quite so podgy.

My sister had a large brain tumour removed three years ago. The remnants are growing far faster than expected and at her last check they increased her to six monthly scans - the one due this month has been cancelled. She lives alone and is isolating/wfh at the other side of the country and I’m really worried about her as she already has depression/anxiety