Appointment with paediatrician, at last.

[dana]

Hi,

we have an appointment on Monday. I don't know how qualified this doctor is and unfortunately he is just a locum since the school paediatrician is on maternity leave. I am not happy about this but I don't know if I have any choice at the moment.

Which kind of professionals are involved in the process of dx? Are there any intrusive tests like CT scans or blood tests involved? We would like to avoid those if possible ( apart from the blood test maybe).

I was so eager to finally go dx rout but now I am somehow scared and couldn't sleep last night. My son is scared of doctors, I haven't told him yet. I am sorry I am sooo confused now. Not even sure any more that I am doing the right thing.

Any advice appriciated.

Danaxxx

 

[chris54]

Is this the first contact you will have had with a professional with regards to a diagnoses? I assume yes.

 

This is likely to be an assessment, unlikely to involve any invasive tests, just normal things doctors do, and a lot of questions.

May send you for blood test, and make referrals to whoever it is in your area that does diagnoses.

 

I have discovered since being on this site that things are done completely differently in different areas.

 

Were we lived at the time of my sons diagnoses the pediatrician only ever got to see you, your child, after a diagnosis had been done by multi disciplinary team led by a clinical psychologist. And as by then most thing had be done/covered by others, there wasn't much left for her to do.

 

Don't worry. good luck.

[bid]

Hi Dana

 

It's understandable to feel wobbley just before your first appointment <'>

 

When my son was assessed 13 years ago he was seen by a multi-disciplinary team. So he went off to do various assessments with SALT, art therapist, etc, while we talked at length with the consultant paed.

 

This was a long time ago now, and it was also at a diagnostic centre for paediatric disability specialising in ASD, so the system now might be different.

 

Good luck <'>

 

Bid

Edited September 6, 2009 by bid

[julie1]

Hi Dana, I understand where you are comming from. We just had a pead appointment with my dd3 she was so scared to see the doctor, and he was a locam as well. But it went very well he was great, there was no pressure for my dd. He seemed to go with the flow of what she was able to manage at the time. She disliked being measured as she had to be touched and she would not look at him at all. He was very good and has said she needs blood tests an MIR scan and a test with wires on her head i cannot remember what it was called. He explaned if she could not manage the blood tests they can be done when she has the MIR scan, then she wont no it has been done. We have a very good childrens ward here. I hope thongs go as well for your son, I just told my dd i would not let them do anything she was not happy about, and we would talk everything through each step at a time, that helped.

[Kathryn]

Hi Dana,

 

Sorry I missed this post before. Hope the appointment went OK?

 

<'>

 

K x

[rag31]

Hi there

 

I understand how you feel. Despite hearing on here about the positives of diagnosis I have been a bit wobbly about it. It seems irrational but I know it will take away any ideas - no matter how small or stupid - that he might still grow out of it :-/

 

I am just seeing my GP tomorrow to ask for a referral and I feel like vomitting so I have no idea how I will feel before a proper assessment.

 

Hope it went well :-)

 

Becky

[dana]

Hi,

thank you for your replies. <'>

We had to council the appointment and they gave us another one at the end of this month.

On Monday morning my son also had an appointment with SALT (NHS) and I was hoping that she would take into account the extensive report done by a private one which was really good (the private SALT assesed him at school as well as at home).

Instead, she said that she had to asses him AGAIN before she decides whether to put him on a waiting list (which is huge!).

On top of that, she is using just some basic assesment (she will not go to school to asses his communication and social skills there). I felt it was a vaste of time! She will finish it at the end of this month. My son was very upset because he had to do it again ( I found difficulties to explain it to myself too) and that he missed some time at school on the first day.

He is at the moment in a very sensitive faze when he gets sick and wants to vomit even for small things. I didn't dare to take him to the paediatrician after that stressful morning.

I was very disapointed with NHS SALT and does anybody know if by law she should accept the private report?

She told me that by law she was oblidged to do it herself.

Is that a case with every doctor's report done privately so you have to go either NHS route or private route but they don't mix together?

Any advice appriciated.

 

Danaxxx

[rag31]

I don't know in relation to SALT but for my sons other condition we had major NHS problems and so paid for a private diagnosis. The doctor then referred us back into the NHS himself - sending our GP a letter with the diagnosis and advising them what further professionals we would need to see. We were referred down to Great Ormond Street by him and it wasn't disregarded at all.

 

Becky

[chris54]

When it come to private reports being accepted by NHS, not sure about there being a law.

Think it is really up to the individual doctor or there organizations policy, also the standing of the doctor doing the report.

A lot of the 'Private' doctors also work for the NHS.

Also there will always be a question mark over private reports/diagnosis. There are some doctors out there and we all know this to be true who will say anything given the right incentive.