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This and that!

Posted , 5 users are following.

irene1055
irene1055

Yesterday was my Drs appointment after 3 weeks on 15mg, the locum has gone cry and it's back to normal with just one full time GP and one part timer. She seemed glad the locum had diagnosed me in her absence but not completely convinced, however she listened when I said I felt miraculously better after a day, but the busier days at work set me back a bit, so could I try 20mg and see if that helped. She has agreed for a short time to try this. Sending me for a dexa scan and rheumy appointment next month, hope to be feeling much better by then as it's a 95 mile drive to the nearest hospital and no way could I manage that yet.

Feeling a bit more optimistic now  smile

Wish I could feel the same about the dreadful format of this forum, I don't know if I can be bothered searching for hours through many threads with "hijacked off-subject info" yet you are all so caring and knowlegable that I will try, it seems rude not to thank someone for advice but I haven't the time to spend hours looking for something. Can't believe it won some award for website of the year!! Other forums I have used are charities not private businesses so there's none of the distracting adverts everywhere. They are set up like a website with headings and sub headings for each subject category not like a series of simple text messages! rant over..lol

0 likes, 7 replies

7 Replies

  • ptolemy
    ptolemy irene1055

    Posted

    I think if this website used the normal discussion format it would be very difficult to read due to its size and complexity. What I also really like about it is that I can order my repeat prescriptions on it instead of going to the surgery with a form. Also I can book GP appointments on it. It also has an incredible knowledge base of illnesses and drugs. I can see why it won an award.
  • EileenH
    EileenH irene1055

    Posted

    First of all - that sounds like a result with the GP. I keep telling people that locums aren't all bad!

    They have changed the format a couple of times since I joined 6 years ago - and neither time was for the better IMHO. The addition the last time of voting and points collecting is the pits if you ask me! Sorry about the "off-piste" stuff - but its something I don't mind because the forum is functioning as a support group by allowing people to talk about other things that are still part of living with PMR - it affects our entire life. And really I have to agree with ptolemy, the site as a whole is superb with the range of services it provides.

    When it was set up originally I don't think it was ever intended to have forums - it was set up by a couple of doctors to provide info for other doctors. If you find the ads too irritating google adblockplus and consider downloading the one appropriate to your search engine. It does what it says on the tin and brings a degree of sanity into using the site. I gather that another PMR/GCA forum that is run by a UK charity also has ads as someone complained about them the other day - I didn't know because this computer came with adblockplus as part of Google Chrome, I have never seen them! The third UK PMR forum also gets ads if they don't pay the ransom to the host NOT to have them - again, not a problem for me now and they were quite amusing tbh, not wizzing around like the Lemsip ad used to be on here! But funding has to come from somewhere - even for the charities.

    If you are looking for purely info without the fluff then go to this thread

    https://patient.info/forums/discuss/pmr-gca-website-addresses-and-resources-35316

    and explore the links. The PMRGCAUK northeast forum on forumup has sections in it with specific advice and info which have been taken from posts people found useful and put into one called "Eileen's Input" or a FAQs bit. We tell people to do their reading and then come back with specific questions any time they like. We keep the chat and messing about bits separately in the Chatterbox and Photos. The NE support group site has oodles of unadulterated info as does the Scottish site. You can also buy both the DVD "You are not alone" and the booklet the northeast group has done for members even without becoming a member - no ads in them and worth every penny!

    Have you registered for email notifications of posts? Then you will see if someone has replied to you with a sensible/useful response - and you can ignore others as I do. I read every post - but don't log in if it is just a short  "Thanks" or "I didnt sleep well last night blah blah..."

    • irene1055
      irene1055 EileenH

      Posted

      Yes thank you it is a good result and I'm feeling quite positive. I do get what you all feel about the forum so I'll have a better look once I'm more together, I'm finding the ads really distracting in the size rather than content, which I can always ignore!  it may be better in Chrome or IE but I like to support Firefox and the actual forum size on my laptop is less than half of the page. I probably have ADD so no worries I'll take it slow. All the best, Irene smile
    • EileenH
      EileenH irene1055

      Posted

      Someone on another forum asked how I avoided ads - google adblockplus and read their site. It is available for download for most browsers including Firefox if I remember rightly. Works on all ads...

      The guy on the other forum has just thanked me for his pleasurable "NO ads!!!!" 

    • Oregonjohn-UK
      Oregonjohn-UK irene1055

      Posted

      Irene - if your using Firfox open up the end icon with the three straight lines on the far top right, select Add ons and then Extensions (on your left) - there shoud be a search box, type in 'adblockplus' and an extensions with a stop sign with ABP in it - download this and ads will 'disapear'

      Hope this helps, John

  • snapperblue
    snapperblue irene1055

    Posted

    I would certainly help if people would start a new thread for their own issue, instead of "hijacking" another's topic.  It gets very confusing when 3 or 4  topics are in one thread, with people answering all of them.  I don't know whether people do this impulsively or if they'd feel pushy posting their own topic... 
    • EileenH
      EileenH snapperblue

      Posted

      I think it is mostly impulsive - something in a post triggers their question and they ask it. Then it is next to impossible to divert the answer anywhere else. I thought it was less of a problem in the old format where it was just a continuing conversation, Now there is the possibility to reply to a comment in the middle but to me it doesn't work - you reply to a comment and your post appears way down the page, away from what you answered. You also get a post saying "what x said below" because the post they were dis/agreeing with was below as they wrote but of course it is above once it has posted.

      You'd be surprised how many people don't know how to start a new thread despite it being in a big green box at the bottom of the page. There was also some wailing and gnashing of teeth a few months ago because a few people thought this was a totally private "locked" forum - despite the statement a whole 1/4" from where they are typing!

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