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[Hurdity]

Hi again DottyD

Just a quick message to reiterate that your lining is likely to be pretty much almost at its thickest now just before you take the utrogestan (although I think as the structure changes during the prog phase it can get slightly thicker?) - so don't be alarmed if it is thick. This is of course not counting your own cycle if it is also coming into play. Be sure to tell the sonographer where you are in your cycle and your GP should also know this. In any case with the TVS they should be able to pick up any abnormalities eg fibroids. This happened to me - not a big bleed, but spotting (some years ago) and the TVS showed an abnormality so I was sent for hysterosocopy and biopsy but it was just a small fibroid and all was OK I also had similar recently - because of bleeding before end of Utro phase which had never happened previously and my lining was again thickened ( even when it was at its thinnest) so had another hysterosocopy and biopsy and all was again OK ...

All the best and keep us posted

Hurdity x

[DottyD68]

Thanks Hurdity, I appreciate you thinking of me. Your comments are really helpful and I will do my best not to panic if they tell me the lining is thickened. X

[DottyD68]

Just back from my ultrasound and TV scan. The radiographer and her assistant were a bit like good cop bad cop  . The assistant super-friendly in trying to put me at ease - very good at her job.

It was a pretty quick procedure (unlike when I've been before when checking my ovaries and they took lots of measurements). They didn't discuss the findings with me and told me to contact GP in a week. I asked if they could see anything and the radiographer reluctantly said she "couldn't see anything that concerns me". It was said in a matter of fact way rather than in a reassuring way, but at least she didn't say she could see anything untoward. It's such a shame we have a waiting game with these tests and subsequent results, it would save so much anxiety if they could tell you straightaway. I know they are only doing their job but they are the people that can actually see what the situation is. I bet they get sick of people like me asking. Apologies to any radiographers out there - you do a fantastic job and I appreciate you are working under guidelines. It's just an observation.

Anyway it's done and sounds positive. Thank you for your responses and support. I'm looking forward to a good sleep tonight. X

[Hurdity]

Hi DottyD

Thanks for the update. How frustrating. Yes I understand that it is not their job to interpret the results but to know if they could observe any abnormalities would be helpful, and it sounds like the radiographer did tell you that. I always ask the thickness - and really it is your right for you to know this if you want to ( perhaps without comment)...Re waiting for results - the facility at my practice is that we can read anything online once it has arrived - so we can read the results of all tests. If you have this facility then you could keep logging in daily until it's been uploaded - if it takes too long to get through to a doc...

All the best for a good outcome

Hurdity x

[DottyD68]

Hi Hurdity,

Thanks for following up.

The system in our neck of the woods is "contact your GP for your results in 7 working days". This guidance is a joke really because a) it's not that easy to get an appointment and b) the surgery tells you that they will contact you if they need to follow up on result. To be fair they generally do within a day or so if there is a problem however I have no confidence in this system as it leaves it wide open for error. I would prefer not to assume all is ok if I haven't heard as I know things do slip through the net. I appreciate it takes time and resources for them to feedback on all tests but at least you would know that they have all been reviewed. When we do phone for results we generally  just get an "all ok" from reception so there's no real discussion about what the results actually are. My husband recently went on statins and over a few months had blood tests to see what (if any) difference different doses made to his cholesterol levels. He rang up for his 2nd set of blood test results to see if there wss a difference and what it was and all they told him was "all ok" which wasn't what the test was for. I appreciate the system is swamped at the moment but I believe these inefficiencies just create more follow up calls for the surgeries.

In my case I want to know before I go away in case I need to notify my travel insurance of any outstanding tests or results. I will contact the surgery this week.

Thanks again x

[Mary G]

Dotty, I think that is very poor and treating people like children who need to be protected from themselves. 

Admittedly I use a completely different health care system but the gynaecologist always carries out the transvaginal scans personally and therefore sees everything first hand.  It means you have the opportunity to talk things through, ask questions and ask for additional checks like bladder etc.  The report is always handed to the patient at the end of the consultation and everything is explained properly.

[DottyD68]

Are you in the UK MaryG?

I called in the surgery this afternoon as my husband had an appointment. The receptionist said the report/results hadn't arrived yet. It is all so disjointed.

A few years ago I was getting a pain in the right hand side of my pelvis. I went for a scan and the sonographer obviously had spotted something as she was making detailed notes. I asked her whet she had seen and she reluctantly told me that there was "something" but didn't know what it was. I had to wait a few weeks for a follow up gynae appointment which was stressful. I finally saw a very rude and abrupt female consultant who treated me like a time-waster because of a "Very tiny follicle" that was shown on the scan. Sometimes I wonder if these people have any idea that we really don't want to be there either rather than treating us like an inconvenience.

[Mary G]

Dotty, once again, an appalling way to treat people, very wasteful and extremely bad use of their time.   If it wasn't for the fact that the NHS is strapped for cash, I would say it is either an entity that is being set up to fail or is deliberately doing everything the hard way.

Either way, it doesn't help you or anyone else in a similar situation.

I'm not in the UK, I'm in Spain and in a very different healthcare system.   I'm not in the Spanish state system, I'm in the private insurance system which is completely separate from the state system with a monthly premium and an excess fee of about €4.00 for every treatment.   If I did want to use the state system, I would still have to pay a monthly fee.  I doubt the UK would ever accept/adopt the Spanish healthcare model but at least it works well. 

[DottyD68]

Hi MaryG,

Thanks for your reply. It's interesting to hear how things work in Spain.

I don't want my post to become an NHS-bashing post as I think we are more fortunate that many countries. I just think the NHS system in UK has become too big and inefficient and I'm sure many of the staff are as frustrated with it as the patients are. The vast majority of staff I speak to are very helpful and caring and I wonder if those who don't appear to be are just having a bad day. They are working under intense pressure but that doesn't help us as concerned patients. The processes and timescales for getting appointments and results feel like a big black hole. There doesnt appear to be any consistent efficient system to do basic things eg contacting patients - sending 2nd class letters instead of instant  digital messages/emails. Keeping the same GP for consistency seems to be nigh on impossible as a result of the triage appointment system we have so noone appears to have the full picture of your health situation.

I'm a pretty assertive person so chase things up and it sometimes feels like it's a case of survival of the most determined in the process, which it should not be. It also doesn't help that we don't really have a "National" health service in the UK. I live in Wales and our health service is devolved. We have free prescriptions and we can get treatment for some conditions here that they don't offer 5 miles across the border in England. Screening programs can differ too

I was once told by a GP that the NHS do some things very well and that two of those things are imaging/scans and cancer care. To be fair I ended up having my scan 11 days after my referral (and that includes 2 bank holidays and 2 weekends in the middle). I am really impressed with that. It's just all the surrounding waiting time and process for results/next steps is unclear and stressful

I've also had the opportunity to use private health care in the past through occupational schemes. Since Covid private health now appears to be under a lot of strain too as people try to beat the NHS queues. I'd happily pay a small fee per NHS treatment if it improved the efficiency but I think we're lightyears from that and sadly we have to muddle through.

It doesn't help that Travel Insurance policies will find any excuse not to pay out if required so keeping them updated of your most recent health situation before you go away, when you don't know yourself, is another stressor.

At least we have MM for free therapy. I don't know what I'd do without it  Hope the sun is shining in Spain x

[Mary G]

I hope you get the results in time for your holiday Dotty.   I hadn't realised travel insurance was so involved and that they needed so much health nformation - we didn't bother using it when we lived in the UK and just relied on our home and away contents insurance and EHIC cards.

I would keep chasing it up if I were you and you never know, it might mean you can get the results sooner.

From everything you have said, it doesn't sound like you have anything to worry about but I completely understand how stressful it is waiting for test results.

[DottyD68]

Thanks MaryG

I'm sure it will all be ok based on sonographer's comments but just want it closed off.

Things have changed in terms of European health care since Brexit so I don't assume it would all be free even with our GHIC cards. I am also suspicious and paranoid of insurances ever since a) my dad lost out due to a detached retina preventi g him from going on holiday which the insurers said was related to a pre-existing condition and b) our house insurers refused to cover us for full amount for a fire in our garage because "We had the wrong type of locks on our garage door". Couldn't understand how different locks to a standard garage door would have prevented the accidental fire caused by our neighbour but hey you live and learn.

Consequently I dont want to be in any position that means that the insurers have a get out. They say they need to know any changes in health/medication and any outstanding tests before you go. I know most people don't bother but once bitten and all that.

[Mary G]

Gawd, in the circumstances I quite understand why you would want to be super cautious Dotty.   As you pointed out, a lot has changed re European travel from the UK and I'm probably several years out of date.

I'm sure everything will fall into place and you will have a great holiday!

[Hurdity]

Hi again DottyD - re getting your results - yes it is very frustrating even with good news for the receptionist just to say "All OK". Like I said all our result in our practice (in England) are online so you can actually read the consultant;s report. Also I've been sent copies of the letter sent by the consultant to the practice, following a referral. I must stress that it is your right to have this information so if you don't have the online facility, then you can ask for a print out of the report or letter or whatever so that you know what they are saying. It always makes for interesting reading anyway.

In your position I would be phoning daily (and if necessary mention your holiday and insurance) until the results are through.

All the best and keep us posted

Hurdity x

[DottyD68]

Hi Hurdity,

We do have a pseudo online service but all we can use it for is to request repeat prescriptions. Its got lots of other tabs and functions but none of them are in operation.

I will keep phoning. As my brothers call me.....Tenacious Dotty D 

X

[DottyD68]

Well I was shocked, pleasantly surprised and a bit speechless to receive a text message from my lovely GP this afternoon telling me the scan results were "entirely normal and reassuring". I've never been contacted by text for test results before. I wonder if the receptionist made a note on my records yesterday that I was keen to get my results? Either way I don't care. Just shows how easily using digital technology manages to puts someone's mind at rest and how thorough my GP is. She's a keeper.