"Annual appointment at National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosciences"

The doctor gave me lots of time, but I don't think she really understood the impact my conditions were having on me emotionally and socially. When I complained about my headaches, she said they if they were still bad we could look at them in a year. A year is a very long time to live with headaches!

She also commented that I needed to do more exercise (although I already try really hard to keep active) but didn't offer any suggestions of helping me to do that - exercise isn't easy when you have chronic illness! She checked that I was doing all the right non-pharmacological measures like a tick list and didn't give me any credit for the good work I am doing in managing my condition. It's really hard to find the motivation to keep up all the positive behaviour and a little acknowledgement of that and a little pat on the back would have been very welcome. I know it sounds childish and needy but that's really what I craved!

She was very polite and explained things but didn't look at me as a human, only as a patient.