GPs need educating!

General forum for the UK Keratoconus and self-help group members.

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Moderators: Anne Klepacz, John Smith, Sweet

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Prue B
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Posts: 174
Joined: Mon 13 Feb 2006 1:00 am
Location: Australia

Postby Prue B » Wed 03 May 2006 11:53 pm

Here it is hard to get into a GP, when a new one comes and it is relevant I need to explain KC, that I have had grafts and that I need a script for pred forte. My opthal who is 3 hours away and I have an understanding. I take pred when I need to see what happens and ring him if necessary. I know my boundaries and self prescribe to a degree. I used to find it a lot easier to get my drops from the vet. They would book them down to my dog and I could get them with a phone call. Not strictly legal but my opthal knew as did my regular gps. Unfortunatly that vet has left the clinic and I now need to make an appt to see a gp (which can take 4-8 weeks) get a script over the phone (24-48 hours) or go into outpatients (1-2 hours) but the last option means explaining everything again, because the drs are usually on 12 week rotations. Have not needed to do it for 6 months so not to bad.

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Sweet
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Joined: Sun 10 Apr 2005 11:22 pm
Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
Vision: Graft(s) and contact lenses
Location: London / South Wales

Postby Sweet » Fri 05 May 2006 7:14 am

Thanks for your replies.

I wasn't expecting him to know much about KC, i understand that they are general practioners for a reason and that they can't know everything in detail! Also as with a lot of conditions being quite rare it would be possible to never have a patient with it.

I was just lost as to explaining about having a graft done and why i would need a repeat for steroid eye drops, which makes complete sense to me and i have no medical training. He thought that maybe i needed to reduce them, to which i answered that my surgeon will know when and that i just needed his signature on a prescription!

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Andrew MacLean
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Posts: 7703
Joined: Thu 15 Jan 2004 8:01 pm
Keratoconus: Yes, I have KC
Vision: Other
Location: Scotland

Postby Andrew MacLean » Tue 09 May 2006 1:24 pm

Claire

When we moved from Aberdeen to Glasgow (this was in the old days, 1985 .. I think Moses had just graduated from nappies and that the Wright Brothers had probably just completed their first historic flight), I told our new GP that I had Keratoconus.

Bless him, he said "I don't know anything about that, but I will." Next time I went to see him he had genned up on KC and we had a long talk about the prospects and prognosis.

When I emerged from his consulting room about half an hour later the people in the very full waiting room must have thought that I was on death's door: nobody got a long consultation unless they were very ill (or had an interesting eye condition which ordinary mortals find difficult to pronounce!) :D

Persevere with your new doc. With patience you will have an opportunity to complete his or her education!

Andrew
Andrew MacLean


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