Who can I get to help me?

[FlopsyDoodle]

I have some kind of chronic condition that, as yet, I don’t have a diagnosis for. I have recurring stomach ulcers, vomiting blood and anemia. It’s unpleasant, obviously, but normally manageable as I have iron infusions every 4-6 months (I can’t take tablets due to ulcers). I was due to have one in March as I was anemic then. All routine appointments were then suspended due to corona. That was fine, it often takes a few weeks to have an infusion. It’s now July and I’m massively anemic. I’ve been back to my GP but she can only forward my notes as urgent to the hospital and they consider it a routine appointment and flat out won’t do it.

I had an endoscopy last week with my consultant who said I desperately needed one and has referred me for one as part of a cancer pathway (he thinks that’s the best way of being seen quickly despite him not thinking I have cancer) but it can still take around 4 weeks.

I have sole care of my 2 dc’s mon-fri. I can’t walk upstairs to bed as I’m so exhausted. I haven’t done any washing or had a shower in days. I can’t eat anything, I just drink a couple of hot chocolates a day. All I do is sleep and cry. I can’t even carry my kids plates of food from the kitchen as I’m shaking so much.

All the private hospitals round here have been taken over as overflow NHS stuff so can’t go privately. My consultant is adamant that me showing up at A and E won’t result in me getting an iron infusion. Even if I did go to A and E I don’t know what I’d do with my kids as there’s no one that could have them.

I just don’t know what to do.

I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this, OP. It sounds rubbish at the best of times never mind with the added difficulty created by Covid.

I was just wondering whether if you rang the Harley St place and asked them if they knew of any private clinics nearer to you, they’d be able to give you some help? Or asked your consultant for the same? They tend to all know each other in a particular field.

Re: the patches, I think iron is poorly absorbed through the skin so transdermal may not be the answer. Do you think you maybe buy an instant pot and fling some meat and veg in there to get an iron-rich meal in you each day?

I wish I could be of more help!

I haven’t rang them yet but it looks like they need up to date tetanus and various other tests before they’ll do an infusion. So I’ll need to try and see if I can get that done at my local surgery or somewhere else nearby to avoid slogging up to London twice. I’ve found one other clinic which is slightly closer but takes longer to get to by train - annoyingly it’s about 5 doors down from the flat I used to live in a few years ago .

I don’t really expect the iron patches to do much but it can’t make it any worse (I hopefully won’t regret that statement).

I’m trying to eat an iron rich diet as possible. Difficult at the moment as I had a tissue sample taken during my endoscopy last week so my stomach is more painful than usual.

How are you doing today @FlopsyDoodle

Sounds like chronic gastritis maybe? You poor thing