Today was my annual consultation, which changed last week from being a clinic visit to a phone call. I assumed this to be good, as if there was anything of interest the consultant would want to see me.
Consultant: Hello, all good, everything normal with bloods from last week, see you next year.
Me: er, that’s good, yes… bye…
Coming on 3 years now since diagnosis with Hairy Cell Leukaemia, 2.5 in remission.
Great that all was ok with your bloods @dmquinlan . My last two consultations were on the phone and both were very quick. I wrote down some questions as prompts and then forgot to ask them as the Doctors were: numbers fine/that’s all normal/see you at next clinic. I realised I quite liked the face to face discussion to give me time to collect my thoughts!!
@dmquinlan @Lou, even a chat with my GP when I asked whether I should have had a shielding letter was longer. It’s a shame that you didn’t get a chance to ask any questions. Did they ask how you were? Reading that there are moves afoot to have fewer face to face consultations and that it would be more time efficient I thought that on my record it wouldn’t…Just before lockdown I had a 15min telephone consultation with the GP, who told me I would need to come in, and I had a 15min consultation, and it took another 5 mins to write a letter for the hospital! Hav e you managed to find the answers to your queries Lou? I hope you felt reassured @dmquinlan
@Pisces56 Yes, he did open up conversation with asking how I was, anything to report.
Yes, I was reassured, as I can tell by my relative fitness and general health how things are now compared to how things were before and immediately after diagnosis.
I can get cracking now with my 2020 fundraiser in place of the cancelled Ride London, will be publishing information later.
This is all good to know. I have my phone consultation In a couple of weeks so will be ready with any questions I have and will make sure I ask them!
Im glad you were reassured though. Onwards and upwards
Yes they are lovely but I do think I had a sense that they were rattling through people. I saw my consultant in person on Friday and just walking to the room with her for my update allowed the chat and engagement that I find important. Sometimes telephone is enough as you need a simple answer and at other times it falls short. @dmquinlan looking forward to hearing more on the fundraiser. I do love supporting at big events. My husband had cancer and his brother had a kidney transplant so he always runs for CRUK or Kidney Research. He was doing the cancelled Comrades Ultra in June and was going to run for blood cancer but that will have to wait until next year now.
My consultant does video link .we did it yesterday and I had the chance to bring up everything I had wanted to …maybe yours could be done like that next time?
Ooh that’s a good idea. I might ask about it when I next talk to them. Thanks 
Mine is video link next week. Be interesting to see how it goes.
Mine too …took about 15 mins apart from physical examination no different to usual with 60 miles less to drive
Really hope this all went/goes well @Nichola75
Thank you so much for sharing your experience of this @Annie78, I’m so glad that doing it by videolink still gave you the opportunity to bring up everything you wanted to, I’m sure some will find that quite reassuring. Hope you’re having a good week.
Willl let you know x