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Original poster

psychomum sat here scared and in a tizz, please come and tell me all will be fine......

67 replies

psychomum5 · 20/05/2009 11:27

quick background - I have been poorly for ages now. several infections needing AB's, (5 lots since xmas), and generally feeling crap and tired.

have had several blood tests done, and they keep coming back with low white cell count (3.4.............not dreadfully low, but enough for the docs to keep wanting repeat bloods done), and the GP seems to not know why, nor really offer any explanation bar refer me to different specialists.

anyway............the latest referral is regarding my moles. I have several but two in particular keep getting itchy, and one is quite big now, but not what I would call scary..............altho I am not sure what would be scary (IYGWIM).

well, the referral went off, I had a letter to ring and book, booked in and they gave me an appointment for in 6wks.

BUT

I have just had a letter and it says that the consultant has reveiwed the notes my GP has sent and wants to see me on the 3rd june, a whole month quicker.

now terrified as to what he has seen in my notes that makes him want to see me sooner.

help please, or calming thoughts.....am shaking

OP posts:
fishie · 20/05/2009 11:30

ring and ask why. it may simply be that they have an earlier appointment.

KingCanuteIAm · 20/05/2009 11:32

Psycho

I would suspect he has had a cancellation on that day and wants to slid you into it rather than anything else!

If he has seens something then he is getting you in to act on it - this is good (although i know it won't feel like it).

I can't think what else to say, do you want a manly pat a hug or both? (((())))

Original poster
psychomum5 · 20/05/2009 11:32

ah now see, that would be sensible wouldn;t it.

altho will the secretary actually know??

OP posts:
DottyDot · 20/05/2009 11:33

It's good they're asking to see you soon though - they might want to check out the moles which are changing - but that's a good thing.

I had an itchy/changing mole a while ago and got a consultant's appt. very quickly. Turned out the changes were hormonal - I'd recently had ds2 and the consultant was very reassuring and I've had no problems with it since.

I know it's scary and you're bound to be thinking the worst and worrying - but whatever it is it's good that someone who will know stuff about it is getting to see you soon!

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 20/05/2009 11:33

I was going to say something similar to fishie - maybe a member of staff has cancelled a period of holday or something so they've got some more appointments available?

Or maybe your GP mentioned that you are AKA psychomum5 and your Dr is a MNer and can't wait to meet you in RL so they expedited your appt !

Let us know how you get on.

xx

KingCanuteIAm · 20/05/2009 11:33

Ask her, you don't know unless you ask!

Original poster
psychomum5 · 20/05/2009 11:35

hoping it is just precautionary, it is just the way the letter worded it.

"dear mrs psycho

you recently made an appointment at the hopsital. Dr has reviewed your referral letter and notes included and has instructed that we change your appointment to...." (followed with times and date)

OP posts:
CMOTdibbler · 20/05/2009 11:37

If they really thought your moles were seriously scary, you would have been called in straight away. As it is, there is a 2 week waiting time standard for 'cancer' referrals (this means that the gp or specialist thinks that it needs looking at properly, and there are several sorts of skin cancers some of which are pretty harmless, not that they think it def is), and the consultant prob thinks you fit into that group, rather than the very routine skin clinic.

Does that make sense ?

Original poster
psychomum5 · 20/05/2009 11:37

lol @ the thought of my GP knowing I am an MN in disguise!

OP posts:
Original poster
psychomum5 · 20/05/2009 11:39

CMOT, thankyou yes, that does kind of make sense.

still fretting tho, and the number on the letter is just to general clinic (ie, automated voice telling me that there is a high volume of calls and to call at another time, or key in hospital ID number to cancel appointments etc)

OP posts:
Original poster
psychomum5 · 20/05/2009 11:41

dotty, hoping that mine will be hormonal changes for mine. never actually knew that hormones can change moles tho.....bodies are strange. glad yours was ok.

OP posts:
CMOTdibbler · 20/05/2009 11:41

Does it say the consultants name on the letter ? If so, call the hospital main number, and ask to speak to DrX's secretary

Original poster
psychomum5 · 20/05/2009 11:45

yes it does. he is a dermatology man, am I being referred to the right type of doc (seeing as you are my current expert on the thread)

OP posts:
KingCanuteIAm · 20/05/2009 11:45

CMOT makes sense, try not to panic, moles change for all sorts of reasons and your consultant is just doing his job. There is plenty of time later for panicing should panicing be required (never do today what you can put of to tomorrow and all that )

Original poster
psychomum5 · 20/05/2009 11:47

but what if I ring and they say yes he is worried and that is why, then I will fret even more, won;t I

OP posts:
Original poster
psychomum5 · 20/05/2009 11:48

kingcanute, stop being so sensible (yeah yeah, I know I need sensible and I asked for calming vibes etc, but this is ME, and I fretting)

OP posts:
DottyDot · 20/05/2009 11:49

Don't phone! Just think 'hurrah! The NHS system actually works sometimes' and put the letter on your fridge and try not to think about it tooooo much over the next couple of weeks.

DottyDot · 20/05/2009 11:50
Original poster
psychomum5 · 20/05/2009 11:51

dotty, am pondering just sticking it on my fridge TBH.....amd scared of ringing them. being a complete wimp

OP posts:
Original poster
psychomum5 · 20/05/2009 11:52

yep, and it IS easy for you to say

OP posts:
EyeballsisonaDietAgain · 20/05/2009 11:54

I think, if serious, the letter would say something like

'Dear Mrs Psycho

Having looked at your notes, it appears that you only have seconds to live so please get your doomed arse into the surgery asap. If you are going to be longer than an hour, please telephone and the emrgency dr will come out to you instead.'

Am I helping or...?

Seriously, if they moved you because it was urgent they'd have squeezed you in asap somehow. The fact that it's still the week after next doesn't sound very urgent to me.

CMOTdibbler · 20/05/2009 11:56

Yep, dermatology is what you want

They wouldn't say he was worried, just that you fit the criteria for the two week referral. Personally, I wouldn't ring, and wait for the appointment when they will do everything

Don't panic - and as my 97 yr old grandmother in law said 'this skin cancer was great - I got a free eye lift with the surgery'. She has had a few of the not-very-serious-but-need-treating type of skin cancer treated over the last few years

TrillianAstra · 20/05/2009 11:56

I think changing moles is one of the things they like to get in quickly, not because it might be bad (lots of things might be bad) but because they can do something about it. Better to have a look at the mole quickly and then decide if it's okay or if it needs taking off than to wait for ages and have a bigger problem on their hands.

It's not that they think anything is more wrong with you than they originally thought, just that this particular thing benefits more from a speedy appointment.

Or maybe they had a cancellation.

Original poster
psychomum5 · 20/05/2009 11:56

nooooooooooooo, you are NOT helping!!

OP posts:
TrillianAstra · 20/05/2009 11:58

Fret not, a quick appointment is a good thing.

Go to AIBU and say 'AIBU to be complaining about my hospital appointment being moved to earlier than I expected?' What do you think they will say, hmm?