I phoned the doctors today to chase up eye specialist appointment that I have been waiting for since end of May. Only to be told there is no clinic at the moment and as soon as there is they will be sending out appointments.
I then asked if they had any results from my MRI last week (expecting them to say not yet). She said she would phone the secretary and find out. She called me back and said that they have been looked at and a letter will be coming out in the post saying if anything was found or not and if I need to see anyone. She said the secretary didn’t tell her what my results were. I asked if they are sending the letter soon she said she would think so but didn’t know for sure. Now I am thinking there might be something show up on scan as surely they would’ve just said it was all fine and that they will send a letter out to that effect? I will be watching for the post every day now! Hopefully it’s sent out today. X
The letter will say whatever it says. If she said the secretary didn’t tell her, then I would assume it’s just that - the secretary didn’t tell her.
They’ll be under strict instructions NOT to play Chinese whispers with anyone’s results, because someone only needs to make a slight mistake, or mishear something, and the patient gets completely the wrong message - the all-clear when it wasn’t, or that something was wrong when it wasn’t.
That is why they don’t give results over the phone.
I have occasionally had what could best be described as a hint that all was well, but they won’t come right out and say so, because they don’t want the risk of anybody suing afterwards, if there has been a misunderstanding.
So they will always be quite non-committal. Even when I’ve thought the message was: “It’s clear”, I’ve had to read quite heavily between the lines, because they wouldn’t say so in so many words. Instead it was something as neutral as: “Try not to worry!” - which, when you think about it, is sound advice in any event - but seemed to me to convey the unspoken message: “…because there isn’t anything to worry about.”
I really don’t think it helps to try to guess what a letter will say from the fact they couldn’t/wouldn’t discuss it over the phone. Professional ethics say they shouldn’t, even if it’s good news, because misunderstandings or disputes about what was said can still arise.
They might have misread the notes, they might have mixed you up with someone else, you might actually be someone else (anyone can ring and claim to be anyone), and so on. They were just following professional protocol - which is to say nothing, and you can’t be wrong!
I know everything you say is true but still a bit panicky about it, even though I want answers, I just hope it’s something that can easily be fixed and not MS like has been mentioned.
I am definitely guilty about second guessing. I will just have to try and put it out of my head. Difficult at the moment as I have a tummy bug courtesy of my kids and my little boy full of cold so lots of Disney DVDs etc plenty of time to sit and think!
I will let you all know either way what letter says when I receive it xx