My dad has recieved a letter saying he will have a half hour phone call with a nurse from the specialist haemotoligy clinic and I wonder if they would give a diagnosis over the phone? He is in a frail state as he has had flu, chest infections & pneumonia in quick succession and is really rundown and emotional (chest infection again at mo. He has been out of hospital for about a week since being admitted with flu and chest infection. They did test eventhough he hadn’t had any symptoms apart from what we are used to (reoccurring chest infection for 20 or 30 yrs is the norm as he has brittle asthma and damage ) We feel over the phone diagnosis may be a bit much for him (he is 84) so hoping to prepare a bit. Thank you
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Hi @Lpdesigns
Welcome to the forum
Some clinics may favour phone calls for initial discussions, while others may prefer in-person appointments for diagnoses. There are no set patterns.
You could call up and ask the nurse, “Is it likely that a diagnosis will be given during this phone call, or would a face-to-face appointment be more appropriate for that?”
Express your concerns: If you feel a phone call might be too much for your dad, you could gently express your concerns to the nurse. For example, you could say, “My dad is quite frail at the moment, and we’re a little concerned about receiving a diagnosis over the phone. Would it be possible to discuss this further during a face-to-face appointment?”
Ultimately, your dad’s preference, comfort and well-being should be the priority. If he feels overwhelmed by the idea of a diagnosis over the phone, it might be best to inquire about a face-to-face appointment.
The nurse will be understanding of your concerns and can provide guidance on the best course of action.
The most important thing is to prioritise your dad’s well-being and ensure he receives the support he needs.
Hopefully it is not a diagnosis phone call at all. Do let us know how he gets on. Thinking of you.
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Hi @Lpdesigns welcome to our forum I can really understand your concern.
@Jules has given you a great response.
Hopefully a quick call to your4 dad’s nurse would settle both your minds
The Blood Cancer UK support line is there for you on 0808 2080 888 and so are we on our forum
Look after yourself as well as you look after your dad, it’s really important, and please do let us know how you get on
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Thank you! He had a call and my sister was there so they spoke to the nurse. They said his white blood cells were high but he had been told he had another chest infection the day before so linked it to that. They said his blood was stable. They hadn’t had his bone marrow results back (it had been two weeks I think). He has more bloods on 27th dec and an mri Jan 2nd and seeing a consultant on the 7th. So no diagnosis so wondering if that’s positive? We are wondering if it was a precaution due to what he had been through giving similar signs.
(He has had flu, suspected sepsis, pneumonia and 4 chest infections since November. He regularly gets chest infections since damage to his lungs in the 90’s)
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Hi @Lpdesigns it sounds as if your dads medical team have a course of action in place and are monitoring your dad.
I find some results take longer to come back than others
Please do keep us posted how you all are doing and really look after yourselves.
We will be about on our forum over the holidays.
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