I don't believe it!

Posted , 8 users are following.

Had booked a telephone call for today with the GP, who previously signed me with no problem, as my certificate ran out yesterday. She promptly called, sounding rather frosty.

I explained that I needed to be signed off still, New medication being considered, flare recently etc etc. Well, she told me there was nothing on my file from rheumy to that effect and as I was a PA, instead of sitting at home, no doubt making cups of tea, emptying the dishwasher etc, I could just as well be at work!

I tried to explain again, thinking she had forgotten I have HAD, but no, she said that in fact she would have to sign me back to work, and I must realise that sick certificates are legal documents (not sure about that one!).

So, I have left a message with rheumy' s Secretary, asking him to fax the surgery telling them I need to be signed off. It's enough to make me weep, or scream!

The trouble is my rheumy us due to be away and I'm not sure exactly when that is. Will give it until tomorrow.

3 likes, 34 replies

34 Replies

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  • Posted

    tell her you do not agree and wish her to consult your rheumatologist before she signs you off. Tell her you are not well and cannot possibly work.
  • Posted

    Also, ask them to put in writing about the errors by an inexperienced GP and I feel you should now write in as you will need evidence if you make a complaint. Often if there is a hint of complaint they back off. Just saying.
    • Posted

      I'm keeping notes of everything in my GCA "diary". Will wait and see what happens. Seriously stressed, pass the gin please!
  • Posted

    What medication are you on Susanne M?
    • Posted

      Pred, currently 35mg, Alendronic Acid, ad-cal-D, colecalciferol, aspirin. Rheumy currently considering methotrexate or Azathioprine also.
  • Posted

    ou need to see a vasculitis specialist Susanne. Seeing a rheumatologist for vascular problem is like seeing an optician for a hearing test. For a long time, I looked on so many internet sites, such as Mayo Clinic, NHS Choices, etc., and kept finding information that made no sense (about GCA and PMR). Each one said "Giant Cell Arteritis is also called Temporal Arteritis". What they really meant was " Temporal Arteritis is also called Giant Cell Arteritis". Perhaps they think that because women over the age of 50 are affected, no-one would be bright enough to question this nonsense. Temporal Arteritis is all that anyone talks about as though people are a head when the body that can be very seriously damaged by this illness. 
  • Posted

    Hi again. Jut to say that your notes would not be accepted as evidence in a complaint unfortunately and would just be classed as hearsay. You need to ask them to give you a reason in writing.
  • Posted

    No wonder we have such chaos in the world, no-one seems to

    care anymore.  A paper entitled "Chemists Manipulate Immune

    System" is scary.  As a child before and during the war I ate

    so simply and so little and yet except for the odd cold my family was

    very healthy.  We need to watch what we eat and clean it well where

    necessary.  I have always felt if you take one drug then you must take

    something else to fix the side effects.  Let's take a good look at our

    habits and make sure we eat simply, take fewer drugs, get lots of rest,

    eliminate stress and think happiness.   I hate to think of so many people

    struggling and want to fix everyone - forgive me.

    • Posted

      Judygirl

      You wrote " I have always felt if you take one drug then you must take something else to fix the side effects".  

      I reasoned differently, once on pred with 83 known side effects and then being offered a PPI, Calcichew, etc.  I duly took all of them.

      Within months, I had pseudo gout in the knee, caused by Calcium Crystals, problem with the PPI's, tried all three, still problems.

       

      I then totted up the additional side effects from those drugs together with the side effects from the pred and it came to well over 100.  So I then said to my medics, no more.  I take the pred, which I needed for the GCA and  said 'if and when I suffer a specific side effect then we can treat that one.

      Yes, I had side effects from the pred, mostly the common ones, peach fuzz, weight gain and the best one of all, my nails became as hard as metal and were lovely and long.

      I refused methotextrate as it came with more side effects and it was a steroid sparing agent, not a cure.   GCA went into remission after 5 years and I am now into my 4th year of remission.

      I would not advocate what I did to everybody as it is a very personal decision.  My reasoning was my body had enough to cope with Pred.  Why should I add more, just in case.

  • Posted

    How old are you Susanne, maybe you are too young to have GCA. You have to be 'elderly' - just a joke of course! On what symptoms has your doctor diagnosed GCA. It is a medical emergency. If you have the usual symptoms, you are likely to be sent for temporal artery surgery. They cut a piece out to look for the giant cells. Everyone without 'evidence' is regarded as a suspect only!
    • Posted

      I will be 61 next month (oh, where did the years go!).

      I had PMR for 5 years but was on a maintenance dose at the end of 2014 when I started to feel unwell, flu like symptoms, pain behind eye and temple, blocked painful ear, sore scalp, fatigue etc.

      I saw the GP who I consider made several serious errors and she dismissed all these symptoms, even said I had dermatitis on my scalp, which I obviously didn't. I told her I had PMR.

      Luckily, I was due a catch up visit with new rheumy a couple of weeks later and he asked for a blood test, which showed ESR of 137 and CRP of 127. He asked GP to arrange biopsy urgently. She didn't. I only found this out when it was too late for biopsy.

      The diagnosis is therefore medically confirmed.

    • Posted

      misdiagnose

      You wrote " Everyone without 'evidence' is regarded as a suspect

      only!"

      Not so, I had GCA and we went on medical symptoms only as it was too late to do the biopsy.   Also the biopsy does not always confirm that GCA is present.  I am now in remission for 3 years after 5 years with GCA.

      I pondered your joke about 'elderly'and wondered what age range you would class as 'elderly'. 

      I would jsay I do know of one person who was 24 years and another who was 33.

      The age range since I first suffered from GCA is coming down, same as PMR.   

       

    • Posted

      A couple of days ago I was discussing this with my GP. German rheumatology text books for years have given 45 as the lower age range - and also say it cannot be ruled out in younger patients with the symptoms. 

      Maybe I should translate them...

    • Posted

      It was a joke Lodger, about GCA sufferers being 'elderly'. Someone once said that it affects 'the elderly' and everyone has copied it ever since without question. 'Elderly' is not an age range but a judgement. You would need to ask the person/s who write the information about GCA what they consider 'elderly' to be. I'm certainly not elderly but it can be missed in younger people, such as myself. From what I have read, auto-immune illnesses are increasing in severity, prevalence and younger age ranges are being affected also. 

      Unless the Giant Cells are found, there is no 'evidence' of GCA. I know the biopsy is only 50% likely to discover the Giant Cells and that treatment must be the same for each group. One of my consultants was only prepared to say I had the symptoms of 'arteritis' because I wouldn't allow them to look for any giant cells! I wasn't going to allow anyone to touch my temples!

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