Any GPs about, over anxious mum needing reassurance!

[kaylasmum]

Hi i've posted on here recently about my 20 month old ds who has a small lump on his back next to his spine. GP referred him to paediatrician who had x-rays done, which turned out fine. We were told that he would get an appointment for an ultrasound in 6-8 weeks, i asked why it could'nt be done sooner and the consultant said that it was not ugrent. Anyway, my gp thought it was maybe a lipoma but the consultant did'nt seem to think so. My sons scan is on Monday, i suffer terribly from anxiety and have found the last three months very difficult. I'm absolutely terrified of this scan and what it will reveal. My rational side tells me that if the consultant thought that there was even aremote chance of it being something serious then he would have referred my son for an urgent scan, but with this anxiety its so difficult to think rationally. I just keep thinking that he's maybe made a mistake and missed something important and all this time has passed and my son could be getting ill.

Please if anyone can help to allay my fears i'd really appreciate it.

Kaylasmum - just wanted to say that I have been following your posts as have been in a similar situation to you regarding my DD.

I too have terrible health anxieties and then google stuff and terrify myself. I have been waiting to hear the results of a scan too, for a similar issue to your DD. It's horrendous isn't it.

I am sure it is all fine but know until you find out for sure you won't have closure.

please post again and let us know how you get on. Also - if you want to contact me directly then please do. I think we have alot in common!!!!!

hi fifitot, this is a horrible time right now. I've been a complete mess for the last 3 months. When did your dd get her scan?

I got a letter today for an appt for my ds at the paediatric clinic and it says specialist registrar and this has got me into a blind panic. I think its the word "specialist" thats scaring me, and of course its the weekend and i cant phone my gp to find out what this might mean. I'm sure it did'nt say that on his first appt letter. If anyone could enlighten me about this i would be very grateful.

Kaylasmum - it means the a senior trainee in any specialism - like paediatrics, obstetrics, general medicine, surgery or whatever. It is what a consultant was just before he became a consultant

It is just specialist because they specialise in a particular area of medicine compared we us GPs who are proud generalists

The training stages of fully qualified doctors used to go house officer, senior house officer, registrar, (sometime senior registrar) consultant but now it is a bit more complicated and goes Foundation Year1, Foundation Year2, Specialist Trainees years 1/2/3/4/5 (depending on the speciality) then consultant. They are all qualified doctors and will be reporting back to a consultant but sadly you don't leave medical school and wake up an experienced consultant or GP - there has to be a bit in the middle

Hi Kaylasmum - I agree with unmadam but would probably be thinking like you!

My DD had her mri scan over a week ago and I have been on hot bricks ever since. I have now had results but OK. She has previously had an ultrasound that had been inconclusive.

I really empathise with your worrying but from what you said it sounds like they aren't worried. I think they like to cross the ts and dot the is where kids are concerned.

thanks ummadam for explaining that to me, as usual i panic straight away without thinking first. I was just wondering why the consultant would'nt be seeing my ds. Anyway at least they are still taking things at a slow pace rather than hurrying things up so i have to try to see that as a positive thing.

fifitot - i'm glad that everything is ok with your dd. What did they decide it was? How long did you have to wait for her mri scan after her ultrasound. I'm really hoping that my ds does'nt need to have an mri, i'm scared of him having to have a general anaesthetic.

If it was my child I would be taking an appointment to see the reg as a positive sign, as I would think that if it is a bad result then you probably would have been allocated the consultant.

But I'm terrible for reading meaning into these sorts of probably irrelevant things, so ignore me.

hi tigger - I was kind of thinking that way, but i'm scared of thinking positively incase it all goes wrong, by the time we see the registrar it will have been 13 weeks since taking my son to the gp about the lump so i really hope they all know what they're talking about. I'm sure people must be so bored of me and this topic but its been a living nightmare, its like my life has come to a standstill. This anxiety business has got a lot to answer for!

The MRI only took about 3 weeks from referral to happening. The NHS has targets for them and I think 3 weeks is it for kids though probably depends where you are. I was worried about it but it wasn't that bad tbh. Didn't need a GA just a sedative.

You probably won't need one but if you have one at least you know they are pretty much the gold standard and show everything there is to see.

As for your anxiety - don't beat yourself up about it. It's your child after all! Anyway the consultant we saw said that if anything sinister was suspected or seen then things happen really quickly so you should take the fact that there is no urgency about this as a good sign.

Thing is, I am saying this to you but people said it to me and I still worried!!!!! BTW I still don't know what the issue with LO is - have a follow up appt.

hi fifitot, how old is your dd? Just wondering as it might make a difference as to whether if my ds needed an mri if they would use a sedative or a GA. Bit nervous about the next appt but hope things will be resolved. How long have this been going on with your dd? I love being a mum but this worry is awful. I have five kids and if i'm not worrying abut one then i'm worrying about another! When is your next follow up appt?

I hope you don't mind me asking all these questions, i don't want to be a nuisance.

You're not a nuisance - don't worry!

Started back in April would you believe. GP thought it nothing so took a while before we went to see a paediatrican. Saw a paed in May I think.

LO is 2.

Not sure when next appt is - they will send it out. I think I have to have an appt to 'sign me off' as it were, as the mri results were just given on the phone.

If they were happy with the ultrasound they probably won't need a mri scan. It sounds as if they were OK with it by what you said. Ultrasounds are very good and they will only want a mri if they can't see everything they need to.

hi fifitot - I hope everything turns out ok with your dd, it must have been a relief to get good results from the mri. Hopefully your next appt will come through soon and you'll be able to put it all behind you. Thats what i want, this has been going on for so long now.

I'm trying to think positively about everything and really hoping that when we see the registrar next week that he can just finalise everything.