Telephone consultation

Hello Lynne_1961. I have had my last three consultations by telephone. I tend to believe that if there was going to be some upsetting news that the onc would suggest seeing you face to face. Just my opinion, hopefully I will be proved right. Best wishes.

Hi Lynne,

I have 3 monthly scans and monthly telephone consultations with my oncologist. It works well for me. I feel I know him well and trust him. I have had many face to face with him in the past.

it is just easier. I find I forget to say things sometimes and try to write things down I want to discuss beforehand.. He prescribes my targeted drug every month and requests the CT and MRI scans then we discuss the results over the phone and I ask him to send me the reports so I can study them in my own time and look things up I don’t understand.

I also have regular phone consultations with a palliatycare consultant who is helpful monitoring my pain medication. It is better than sitting in a waiting room for 2 hours and going in to them for 10 minutes 

Palliative care 

Hi I have not had a face to face with my Onc since the cancer came back (over a year ago) despite asking the secretary for one. I was told it was back and incurable over the phone so I don't think you can read anything into the type of appointment you are offered. You are lucky to have a choice. Good luck.

Hi Lynne_1961

Pleased to meet you, I have been having tel consultations for nearly a year now, on average 8 weekly. I had face to face meetings with my consultant who diagnosed my blood cancer for some 4 years then Barbara, a slightly eccentric lady consultant who occasionally got out of her chair to wrap her arms around me  

My appointments were then changed to a Friday and unfortunately Barbara doesn't work on a Friday so now I have a specialist nurse, Joanne. I had 4 or 5 face to face appointments before Covid changed everything. 

Joanne now telephones me on a Friday and I have had half a dozen consultations so after all that I can say I'm an expert! I can't say I'm a fan of the tel consultations, I like talking face to face, I like to make eye contact and to see emotion in her face. It's the same old thing, she'll give me my red cell count and neutrophil count to see whether I'm neutropenic or not. Then we'll chat about just about anything under the sun for a while before I go, with the date of my next appointment in my back pocket. 

Well, that's my contribution, Lynne.

Take care and stay safe Lynne.

Tvman xx

Since I have been diagnosed the only time I've had a face to face consultation was when they needed me to sign something. Ive requested copies of all correspondence but have only had one actual letter. My consultant assured me I'd be copied into everything but that hasn't happened. It's quite frustrating. 

Thank you everyone for your response, I was thinking that if it could be a phone consultation perhaps that means all is ok. But maybe not. I will just keep an open mind and hope for the best but be prepared for the worst. Only got to wait until Thursday at 12 so fingers crossed. X

Hello Norberry, that was my thinking too. Fingers crossed x

Hello. I have only had telephone consultations,  learning my full diagnosis and that it was incuable but treatable that way. At least this way with covid restrictions i could have my sister with me, phone on speaker, she could take notes and ask questions too. So i had company and wasn't alone.

That is true at least my husband can be with me. Well my results are tomorrow so not long to wait. Prob won’t sleep well tonight though no matter how much I tell myself it will be fine x