31. Unhappy Returns

Sadly, I have to report that all the bad symptoms of my Cubital Tunnel Syndrome i.e., numbness, tingling & burning, have returned. In fact, my symptoms are worse as my whole hand is affected now.

When I speak to my GP about the results of the x-rays on my foot and knee, I will have to mention this depressing fact.

No wonder I’m so miserable at the moment.

Well, the results of the blood tests and x-rays arrived and as expected they were a waste of time.

The blood tests proved I’m anaemic but as I’ve been on iron tablets for a couple of weeks that was no surprise. The x-rays showed arthritis in both my right foot and left knee but I knew that from previous x-rays but they showed it hadn’t got any worse, so nothing is going to be done.

(03/05/2023) I told the doc that all the symptoms of Cubital Tunnel Syndrome had returned and in fact it was now worse she said she would refer me back to the hospital. So yet again I’m waiting for an appointment.

After 5 weeks of waiting and no appointment I rang the hospital and was told they had not received the referral so I rang my GP surgery and the reception said it seemed the doctor had forgotten to send it and they would get straight on to it.

Why do these things always seem to happen to me? I must have been really evil in a previous life and I’m being punished for it now!

Ah well we’re all human, I forgive her. At least I don’t have to watch the post for a few days.

Another couple of weeks have gone by and still I have heard nothing so I’ll have to get back on the phone. This time, I think I’ll start with the GP and make sure she didn’t forget to send off the letter again.

Mind you if she did forget, I’ll ask her to say in the letter that now my right hand is affected and my right wrist is very painful so maybe now I’ve got the set, Cubital Tunnel Syndrome & Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Well, I rang the GP and no letter had been sent. The receptionist I spoke to got back to me later and said the doc apologised profusely and had finally sent off my letter so I should hear in about a week. Of course, this cock up means the hospital will not know about the symptoms in my other arm. Oh well, I’ll tell them about that when I finally go to the appointment, whenever that is!

I’m really low now! This waste of several weeks has knocked me right down!!

Got a letter from the hospital today (21/06/2023, 2 days after my GP finally sent off the referral letter) to say they’d received the referral and that I should be contacted in due course, but if I haven’t heard anything by August 14th, I should give the MSK team a ring.

If I were playing the game at the end of this, I would have gone down a snake all the way to square one i.e., I’m having to start all over again.

As the consultant couldn’t deal with my left arm at the Fracture Clinic appointment, they told me to ring and see when the appointment for my left arm would be.

When I rang to see about my left arm appointment, I was told my GP referral had been cancelled as I had seen the consultant yesterday. I explained, trying to keep as calm as I could, that that was for a completely different problem and he said he couldn’t talk about my left arm then. The lady I spoke to said she would sort it out. So now I’m waiting for her to get back to me.

Of course, she didn’t call back so I rang again the next day and again left a message on their answering machine, and waited.

Later on, the consultant’s secretary rang me for me to explain the situation. I told her the whole story so she would understand and she said she would look into it. She rang back and said that she had been unable to ‘un-cancel’ my appointment and the only thing to do would be to get my GP to re-send the referral but this time to ask for a different consultant as the original one was very busy and I would not be able to see him before October and to make sure she put on it that it was for my left elbow to avoid confusion.

I rang the GP surgery and had to explain the whole story to the medical secretary there which took some time but eventually I convinced her that I wanted the doctor to re-send my referral asking for a specific consultant and stating which part of me we are talking about.

Now I’m back to waiting again!

To be continued after the interruption for my right wrist.