Miscellaneous ramblings of NarcKiddo

[NarcKiddo]

Thanks, all. I owe you an update.

TL;DR version - I don't have cancer.

I received a snail mail letter from the hospital last week with the report from the CT scan. Basically the usual pat on the head, "nothing to worry about", "give it time", "we don't want to see you". Then some notes for the GP full of jargon which of course I could, and did, Google. Micro nodules on the lung and some areas of lung collapse. Joy. 

I gave up trying to get the blood results out of the surgery and asked jerk GP when I saw him last Friday. He had them and they were fine (as I expected). He had not received a copy of the hospital letter, which put him right on the back foot. I provided him with a copy. He also saw the huge sheaf of preparatory notes and questions I had. I had no real chance to discuss anything in depth with him because he very quickly said I should have a specialist referral. That is what I wanted. Jerk GP pretty much admitted he is out of his depth here and was annoyed a) that he had not been sent a copy of the hospital letter and b) that the hospital had not responded to some requests for advice he had himself put in to the hospital.

NHS wait time is at least 4 months but he was happy to do a private referral. That is good because the consultant will report back to jerk GP and any recommended medications ongoing will be prescribed by jerk GP on the NHS. If I went through the private GP I'd have to pay full price and respiratory drugs/inhalers can be very expensive.

Jerk GP gave me names of the 2 private consultants locally. One is not covered by my insurance (and would not have been my first choice). The other had clinics at such wildly inconvenient times that I started looking further afield. The hospital close to FOO is not much further than the one I usually go to. The consultant there is covered by my insurance and when I researched him I was delighted to find his PHD studies were specifically on exercise modalities and lung function. That is EXACTLY what I have been trying to find out more about. I actually said to jerk GP at the last appointment "I need to find out if, and how, I can exercise my way out of this." To find a medic who has a definite interest in exercise is glorious as far as I am concerned. All the ones I have seen so far pay lip service but don't actually know much about it and don't seem to do any. So I will be seeing this new consultant next week. 

[Desert Flower]

That is great news NarcKiddo! I'm so happy to hear it isn't cancer. And jerk GP finally got you what you needed! This is the best possible outcome! 

[Chart]

Well done NK! You really had your ducks lined up and burrowed through. (Maybe not with ease, but you got the results that you knew you needed. Congrats!!! And very happy to hear that the diagnosis isn't extreme.
 

[Blueberry]

It's great it's not cancer!!

So happy for you that you have an appt next week with a consultant who sounds promising.

[Armee]

I am so glad you have confirmation this is not cancer, so angry at all the nonsense they have put you through, and really hoping you get some answers sometime soon...and treatment that helps.

[rainydiary]

I hope that you continue to find information about your health that is helpful and affirming.  Reading your post made me feel so many things about the systems we have to navigate when we are ill and need help with how our bodies and minds are working.