"Respiratory consultant appointment"

In May 2022 I had  a respiratory consultancy appointment at FVRH. I have never experienced such an arrogant, uncaring person in my whole life, not only to myself, but also in their references made on the day to my GP at that time.  Not only did they suggest that there was nothing wrong with me, apart from being overweight. It's great that everything stems from being overweight, from not being able to breath, bringing up phlegm like it's going out of fashion, coughing, you name it....that's despite attending FVRH respiratory department for a good number of years previous.  In fact through his nursing staff, I had been taking asthma inhalers for years! 

It was suggested that I might be put on biological meds to help control my asthma and was put on the waiting list for pulmonary rehab.  Roll on about a year and a half to that consultation appointment and suddenly the first thing said is - your GP has written to me enquiring about this biological medication, I don't know why they're asking, you wouldn't be suitable for it anyway!  (The GP was asking as they were  aware that this was being considered, it's in my medical notes from the hospital, and didn't want to try other meds with me if this was going to happen!) 

Roll on a number of months after seeing this consultant, and lo and behold I asked what was happening about the pulmonary rehab....well it turns out that seemingly I'm not on the waiting list, my medical notes must have been mixed up with others as they clearly state I was....or was I taken off the list because I was just too fat and therefore nothing else was wrong with me?  So roll on to three years after I was first told that I was on that list, half way through rehab I was asked if I had a nebuliser at home, nope, then you'll have one on Monday!  So much for nothing wrong with me!  Thanks to the nurses taking the rehab classes, they were great, caring staff, unlike the consultant.

Since that consultancy, any time I have had to visit FVRH because of breathing difficulties I have come across a kind of resistance to actually being believed!  A point made no better than in April 2024 after attending FVRH A&E then waiting in a corridor from around 9.30am until 4.30pm before being taken to AAU for an examination, then waiting till around 10.30pm before being seen by a doctor, only to be asked what I thought about going back home and coming back in if I got worse! I literally could hardly breathe but lo and behold that consultant's named cropped up in the examination. On getting an answer to what happens then if I do go home, oh, you'll need to go through the whole process again!  Cut the story short a bit, they could hear me wheezing and gasping as I walked down the corridor and 5 mins later came back and said we've decided to keep you in.

So what did I have?  Pneumonia and infection markers of over 200!  Yet I was asked what I thought about going home!  Well more than a week and a half later I did go home including the damage to my right lung!

I cannot thank the nursing staff in the wards highly enough, they were brilliant. In fact once I did get a bed everyone was great, from medical and nursing staff right down.  Nursing assistants, auxiliary and catering staff, they all treated the patients with respect.

So what has this to do about the present day?

I was recently phoned by FVRH respiratory dept to ask if I could attend an appointment with that same consultant.  My comment was, if I wanted to go to a vet I would, they would give better treatment.  You would think that they would have cottoned on to my feelings about this particular consultant as I submitted a complaint in 2022 about their conduct and disrespectful behaviour.  Surely having been through such indignant treatment they would have at least had the decency not to offer an appointment with the same consultant.  .

I have asked to be seen by another consultant or if I could be referred to another health board.  It's sad when you can't trust a doctor.

I wait to see the outcome, but maybe that will be another year or two down the line!