This has actually been a really hard blog entry to write and I've deleted it entirely about three times. As some of you may remember from my first post, I mentioned that I had an appointment at my university medical centre on Wednesday 10th; for a referral to the only clinic in the UK that has the resources to treat anosmia. There's two parts as to why this turned out to be one the worst doctor's appointments I've ever had. One is that I won't get the referral for at least another 4 weeks as they've lost all my medical records before I came to university. The other is more sad. I'm used to having to explain to doctors before just what having ansomia means, but never to one who then tells me that her 15 year old son also doesn't have a sense of smell. I thought that would have been one doctor who would at least know a bit more about it; not ask me to bring in some reading on it for her.
I guess that just proves how so many people just write anosmia off because it isn't something that's obviously physically wrong with someone.
Since this appointment, after having made a number of phone calls it's transpired that the medical centre actually does have my previous medical records and a new appointment has been made for this upcoming Wednesday. Although they could have made the referral to the specialist anosmic clinic without another appointment, I felt that it was important to see the doctor again. She'd asked to see some of the reading that I'd found on ansomia at my last appointment. This includes the newspaper article on the anosmia clinic, the BBC article, some information that the NHS provides and various other bits and pieces. She might never actually read it she might just have been trying to be polite. But if we don't take opportunities like this, then nothing is ever going to change in the recognition of the severity of this disability. This doctor seems like a good place to start, especially as her own child possibly is anosmic.
So angry and disappointed it's not even true.
I guess that just proves how so many people just write anosmia off because it isn't something that's obviously physically wrong with someone.
Since this appointment, after having made a number of phone calls it's transpired that the medical centre actually does have my previous medical records and a new appointment has been made for this upcoming Wednesday. Although they could have made the referral to the specialist anosmic clinic without another appointment, I felt that it was important to see the doctor again. She'd asked to see some of the reading that I'd found on ansomia at my last appointment. This includes the newspaper article on the anosmia clinic, the BBC article, some information that the NHS provides and various other bits and pieces. She might never actually read it she might just have been trying to be polite. But if we don't take opportunities like this, then nothing is ever going to change in the recognition of the severity of this disability. This doctor seems like a good place to start, especially as her own child possibly is anosmic.
So angry and disappointed it's not even true.
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