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NHS gum clinics

Posted , 1 user is following.

anxiousandy
anxiousandy

People,

Has anyone used the GUM clinic in the Royal victoria hospital belfast northern ireland. I was up last Wednesday, and I am anxiously waiting results and was curious to know how long I would expect to wait if HIV or something that serious was found in my blood. It's all I can think about, ive already had to take time off work etc. I have heard two weeks quoted, and even 3 weeks. I am now past the 5th day and was thinking could I consider getting till the end of this week with no news as me being in the all clear?

All advice welcome, even just of your experiences at any nhs clinic.

0 likes, 22 replies

22 Replies

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  • Carrie1
    Carrie1

    Posted

    I had to have HIV and hepatitis tests done for IVF treatment and it was all done through the Belfast labs. I think it takes about a week for them to report the results. I think if it was bad news they would get back to you sooner. I can really empathise with you though. The time I had mine done I remember really convincing myself I had something wrong (even though I had no reason to believe that). I nearly had my husband demented and even nearly convinced him he had something too (he had to take the tests too). It really does play on your mind, my poor GP phoned me with the results because I had gone into him and burst into tears. He said he would get a call from the lab if anything was wrong. I also had to take time off work.

    Good luck I really do hope things are okay.

  • Carrie1
    Carrie1

    Posted

    Oh yeah and another piece of friendly advice DO NOT LOOK UP any of these diseases on the internet, that's what I did and thought I had symptoms, needless to say I am a naturally anxious person myself.
  • anxiousandy
    anxiousandy

    Posted

    Thank you kindly for your reply, it means alot to hear from someone from over here that has went through a similiar situation to myself. The doctor said to me it takes around a week give or take for the results so if you don't hear by 2 weeks you have the all clear. I've even had two rapid tests done over the last couple of months by the guy who runs the belfast nhs gum clinic but i won't settle until i get the results of a full blood draw, but the rapid tests although costly have allied my fears a little. I'm glad you got the all clear, I don't think they are going to contact with me with the results unless positive so everytime my phone goes its heart attack material lol

    Thanks again and stay well.

  • anxiousandy
    anxiousandy

    Posted

    I am anxious person myself, I am on diazepam, and prozac while I await these results, then I will go off them again. All ive done since march is spent days upon days looking up information on hiv and it has been putting a halt to my life. its not fun at all.

  • anxiousandy
    anxiousandy

    Posted

    I am anxious person myself, I am on diazepam, and prozac while I await these results, then I will go off them again. All ive done since march is spent days upon days looking up information on hiv and it has been putting a halt to my life. its not fun at all.

  • Carrie1
    Carrie1

    Posted

    All the best. It really gave me a new lease of life when I found out they were negative.
  • Carrie1
    Carrie1

    Posted

    Oh yes I just remembered I had to have Diazepam too because I couldn't sleep. Do yourself a favour do not look up anything else on the subject!!!
  • anxiousandy
    anxiousandy

    Posted

    I have enough for a week or two, so hopefully they will work. :-)
  • Carrie1
    Carrie1

    Posted

    Yes they definitely do work Andy.

    Sleep tight and try not to worry too much it will all be over soon!!

  • anxiousandy
    anxiousandy

    Posted

    I slept not too bad, but I'm still so nervous that my phone will ring between the hours of 9-5 with the bad news, or the ominous can you come into the clinic sentence. My heart skips a beat everytime my phone lights up. I would just love this week to be over with no call from then, tomorrow will be one week from the blood draw. How long after yours did your doctor have the results if you dont mind me asking and can remember?

    Ta

  • Carrie1
    Carrie1

    Posted

    It was no longer than a week honestly. Of course that was the longest week of my entire life. I just kept thinking that I hadn't always been careful and what if I had passed it onto my husband etc etc. complete worrier I am! If there was anything wrong you would hear something, no news is usually good news believe me. It's horrendous but as I said don't be tormenting yourself any more on the internet by looking up the disease cos that made me a hundred times worse in fact I wish it had never been invented somethimes (except at times like this when we need to talk to someone lol).
  • anxiousandy
    anxiousandy

    Posted

    yeah im a worrier too, and ive been worrying that potentially i could have passed it onto someone, then being in the papers and shaming my family etc etc, ive thought of the worst possible scenarios imaginable lol. its so hard getting through work at the moment, and ive spent an absolute fortune getting tested (the rapid tests unfortunately this is the first full blood test ive had in regards to stds) and ringing all the helplines etc. do you still worry now about other stuff or have you moved on completely? ive always had lingering worries but nothing like this, though i did have a bad few months a few years ago where i had to go on pretty strong anti depressants due to stress/worry.
  • Carrie1
    Carrie1

    Posted

    I am not on any medication Andy so yeah I suppose you could say I have moved on with life but I still worry about things, just not all the time. Thank God I am happily married and would never put myself into a position where I would have to worry about something like that again. The only thing we can do is learn from our mistakes and that's all we can do in the future. You aren't on your own with your worries though, life can be tough for some of us. I always seem to think of the worst case scenarios to everything as well, maybe we were separated at birth lol.....
  • anxiousandy
    anxiousandy

    Posted

    Im glad everything is going good for you :-) and no medication. There's always drawbacks such as fatigue etc with any tablets then the fear of any dependence. Yeah I will never put myself in a risky situation again and mine was ridiculously risky but I have learnt and it has made me a better nicer person I think/hope lol. I was always pretty careful then I split up with my girlfriend (who is now engaged to my best friend grr lol) of 6 years and had about a year of not being very wise and now I think alot of my anxiety is guilt maybe.
  • Carrie1
    Carrie1

    Posted

    We're all human Andy and most of us have done silly things and luckily most of us will get through it so stay positive. Please let me know who you get on!! I'll have a big glass of wine to celebrate for you lol..
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