3 months wait to see consultant after radiotherapy finished??

Hi ya, I really don’t know as I’ve not got that far as yet but it doesn’t sound right. Id be exactly the same as you and I think most people would .

there anyone else you could chat to and see what they say? 

Hope you get some peace of mind soon xxx

Hi

My follow up appointment was a week short of 3 months after finishing rads. I agree it's a long time, especially as the consultant radiographer who I saw during rads said she likes people to be followed up 6 weeks after! But the 'follow up' was actually a bit of an anti climax as it was really a 'how do you feel' type of appointment - issues discussed were all raised by me, rather than me getting any kind of feedback re how successful the radiotherapy was, I guess because they don't actually know. I did have issues to raise - ongoing post rads skin stuff, sore nipple, lymphoedema query (bad boob bigger than good boob despite being scooped out!). I didn't see the actual consultant but one of his team, and I don't think she'd even have examined me if I hadn't said I had some issues. To be fair, she was then pretty thorough and I ended up with a breast clinic referral, ultrasound referral for weird 'mound' on inner arm, lymphoedema referral and antibiotics for possible underlying infection! And another oncology appointment to follow up the follow up!

At the end of all these further appointments it was concluded that: no infection, just skin side effects from the rads which should gradually resolve - I saw a lovely doctor at the breast clinic, I'd seen her at my original referral; weird mound is an overdeveloped muscle for no apparent reason but nothing to worry about; breast lymphoedema so I've taken up Nordic walking which seems to be helping. At my next oncology appointment I did see my original consultant but was in and out in a few minutes and discharged... a rather pointless apponitment really!

Sorry you're having this extra wait, sadly it does seem all too common. I bet you were hoping to have it all done and dusted by the end of the school holidays instead of going into the new school year. If you have urgent issues it might be worth contacting the breast clinic in the meantime?

Hope you can enjoy the rest of the hols, Love and hugs, HFxx

Thanks for that HappyFeet1

it just seemed a long time to wait, but if it was OK for you then its OK for me :O) 

Hope you're doing OK 

Hi  I think we're talking postcode lottery.... so you and I wait for 3 months, some folk get seen 6 weeks after, then others have to chase up to get an appointment at all. I remember a thread a while back, where one of our lovely members had their followup appointment repeatedly cancelled to the point where it was going to be about 6 months in the end. I don't know what happened as the thread stopped and I can't remember any details! 

But do make a list of questions in preparation as I think otherwise I'd have been in and out in a matter of a few minutes! It really did seem like there was nothing much for them to say but I had lots to ask! And thanks I'm doing well, a few side effects from nasty tabs (Anastrozole), mainly fatigue, and slowly resolving post rads stuff, but nothing terrible. HFxx

Hi. I have just seen this post as I haven't been on here for a while. I finished my rads end november 18. i was meant to see consultant in January but I never received a followup appointment. To cut a long story short, I had 3 subsequent appointments cancelled and eventually saw one of his team 6months after rads. I was told everything looks how it should but I wasn't reassured in any way. I have now had my 1st year mammogram and awaiting the results. I think if I had been followed up properly I wouldn't be as stressed as I am now. Make sure you ask all the questions you need to. 

Thanks for that youngatheart my appointment is Thursday so will make sure i ask what I need to xxx 

I wasn’t seen after Rads finished!  I just had 1 year mammogram.  I did query and told they only see people who need further treatment !! 

My husband had surgery in March and when discharged from hospital told he would have surgery results within 2 weeks and see surgeon in 4 weeks.  He eventually got biopsy results almost 3 weeks later.  GP refused to give them to him said had to come from consultant.  Consultant off on holiday for 2 weeks!  I explained to consultant secretary how stressful this wait was do she got a registrar to ring with results .  She couldn’t understand why GP wouldn’t give them.  Then his appointment with consultant postponed to June then July then August and finally November!  I again spoke to secretary as due to other medical issues until he told if he needed further treatment we couldn’t get holiday insurance.  We had appt in August .  She said we weren’t only patients in this position! I find it incredible that you can have major surgery and not have a follow up appt for almost 8 months!!!

I wonder if this is partly due to many consultants now only working their required extra scheduled shifts and not the 'extra' ones on top that they all need to do to run the hospitals due to not enough staff? Our hospital trust have gone on national press saying many are doing thing, and A&E at night is staffed by junior doctors, who are very thin on the ground instead of the usual one or two senior registrars as well. It's because they will be significantly out of pocket on their pensions with changes implemented in the last year or so (some £40,000+!!) so working for nothing until the government change the rules back to how they were.

I finished my radio on 12th October 2017, was seen by a nurse at the hospital where I had my radio as a follow up on 20th November 2017.  It lasted all of 5 minutes and yet I had to drive for about an hour and three quarters to get there and back - let alone find somewhere to park and walk to the hospital.

It was a total waste of time in my opinion.  She had a quick feel and said "all seems to be going well", so in hindsight, I probably wouldn't have bothered even wasting my time!  I didn't have any issues, so that's probably why it was short and sweet, which I guess is a good thing

,

Im the same, as you know I finished rads at the same time as you.

I had my appointment rearranged, not that they told me so I turned up, but I have my oncologist appointment tomorrow now.

Im in the process of ringing my breast care team (line is busy!) as most ppl I know have their 1st ‘Anniversary’ mammo app but I haven’t received mine yet and my surgeon said he wanted to see my after rads and I haven’t seen him either! 

Hope all is ok, Tina x