GP went vastly better than expected!

[kaberett]

1. My psych meds are now on repeat prescription; I get two months' worth at a time, two issues before review is required, with the intention that I'll still drop in to talk to the GP once every 5-6 weeks. This gives me so much more flexibility. (I ran out of my ~official~ meds Sunday. Good thing I have a stockpile.)

2. Dude actually responded really well to me being extremely stark and uncompromising about how little risk there was in giving me access to sufficient medication.

3. HE HAS GIVEN ME A COPY OF THE DWP FORM. I AM TO FILL OUT THE BITS HE DOESN'T KNOW THE ANSWERS TO/WRITE SUGGESTED ANSWERS, THEN RETURN IT. :D (There was the point at which he went "... you clearly know a lot about this, probably more than me, which makes you easy to work with.")

4. I've referrals for spirometry and a chest x-ray: he agrees that whatever's going on with my lungs is Weird and deserving of extra investigation, and was Clearly Unimpressed that the last time I'd had a spirometry appt at the practice the nurse had gone "yeah wevs" and just done peak flow on me instead.

5. I asked, in passing at the end of the session, about physio with someone hypermobility-aware, because all the standard physio I've had has been actively unhelpful. "She's on holiday at the moment," he sez, "but remind me next time and I'll refer you to our in-practice person who is really good at hypermobility."


Major fucking props to sebastienne, who came down to London late last night in order to accompany me to this morning's appointment (and ate food I prepared, which always makes me happy, and also tolerated me going "BUT SUNDIALS THOUGH" in the Science Museum briefly). I have such amazing people in my life (yes, you): I am so lucky, and I am so grateful.

(Entertainment: twice this week people have forgotten/wordmistaken on the topic of whether sebastienne and I are dating. Polymer chemistry!)

Comments

[highlyeccentric]

I'm so glad that's shaping up, and yay for repeats! I had to tell my pharmacist not to give me 3x the allowed amount of my meds yesterday, that was unexpected. Not that I would have MINDED having a stockpile, but I was pretty sure i wouldn't get reimbursed for six months rather than 3+1 as the scrip said.

Is Dr 'You know more about this' the same guy who wrote monday's letter/email?

[kaberett]

yes, yes it is! I WAS BAFFLED.

[highlyeccentric]

Could be he issued that email meaning exactly what it said, as far as he knew you didn't qualify, and upon discovering otherwise, happy to help! How pleasant.

[kaberett]

Indeed! He kind of pulled a face but didn't contradict me when I said "they reject absolutely everyone." so there's a thing...

[liv]

Wow, it's so nice to hear the GP isn't totally incompetent even if he doesn't understand the benefits system. Decent supply of meds, referrals to sensible respiratory and physio people are really good things, trusting you to actually know what you're talking about is gold. Well done on the negotiating, and definite props to sebastienne for supporting you in that.

[kaberett]

Yes :-) Perhaps he'll turn out to be crap about endo and trans issues, who knows...

[steorra]

Yay!

[forestofglory]

I'm so glad it went well!

*whew*

[redbird]

Oh, good.

There doesn't seem to be a lot of room in people's heads for certain shapes of not-officially-related close friendships other than "they must be dating." Various and sundry people have been assuming that roadnotes and I are dating for the past thirty years (she's my sister-by-choice, but we simultaneously look enough alike that friends have called us by each other's names, and different enough that people won't think "relative" rather than "lover").

Re: *whew*

[kaberett]

This is some of where my "clan"-thing comes in? Because, yeah, how else to explain.

[swaldman]

"you clearly know a lot about this, probably more than me, which makes you easy to work with"

oh, AWESOME!
I reckon this is a major sign of a good GP?

[kaberett]

Pretty much. It's definitely a sign of someone actually able to interact with me appropriately... maybe next time I'll go for getting him to make my PTSD diagnosis official!

[alexseanchai]

WOOT

[syntaxofthings]

THIS. After that email you got about the benefits, we were all ready for this to be so hard... but omg! An actual doctor who actually realizes that their patient actually might have a good understanding of what's going on!! This is so great.

[untonuggan]

ALSO who isn't threatened that their patient *might know more about their own condition than them*. WHAT EVEN IS THAT.

[syntaxofthings]

YUP. :D All the wonderfulings.

[hilarita]

I am glad.

[kaberett]

Thank you.

[vass]

YAY!

Isn't it confusing when they're unexpectedly reasonable? Nice, of course, and a huge relief, but still kind of like going to lift a boulder and getting a cereal box instead?

(Did I know you were also a member of the bendy club?)

[kaberett]

QUITE.

(And... idk? I'm ~just~ joint hypermobility syndrome and I don't sublux much so it's not a bit deal most of the time apart from uh the terrible RSI and the bit where it's stopped me hiking BUT THOSE THINGS ASIDE...)

[vass]

(AFAIK I also have ~just~ JHMS. And I've never been sure what counts as subluxing and what doesn't.)

[kaberett]

(IS THE WAY MY HIP CLICKS A MINOR SUBLUXATION??? IS THE WAY MY RIGHT SHOULDER IS TOTALLY FUCKED SUBLUXING??? WE JUST DON'T KNOW!!!)

[vass]

(Or when my fingers and toes feel 'wrong' but not painful, and I pop them far enough out that there's a dent, and they go CLUNK and feel much better? IT IS A MYSTERY.)

[fyreharper]

Oh thank goodness and yay!

[kaberett]

Quite :-)

[birke]

:like:

[crazyscot]

*cheers*

[calissa]

Oh, that's a relief. I'm glad to hear it went well.