• Replies 4 replies
  • Subscribers 6 subscribers
  • Views 887 views
  • Users 0 members are here
Options
Related
Hints and tips
  • To quote someone's message, first select/highlight the relevant text, and then use the Quote button that appears
  • To "mention" someone, type @ followed by the start of the forum name, and choose from the list; that person will get a notification of being mentioned

Kicking Myself (not literally)

Sporadic Sparkly

On Thursday morning I had been due to attend a face-to-face appointment at my surgery, which I'd booked approximately 3 weeks ago. As seems to be par for the course these days, I had spent Wednesday night unable to sleep, mainly due to menopausal symptoms (hot flushes and sweats) keeping me awake. I could remember looking at the time on my clock, aware that I would soon need to start getting ready for my appointment. 

Much to my horror, I then realise that it's several hours later and I've missed my surgery appointment, which had actually been to discuss getting started on HRT. Lack of sleep had clearly caught up with me. I felt so annoyed with myself and frustrated that I would have to go through the process of booking another appointment. This then resulted in a tension headache.

A while later, I then discovered that there had been a phone call from my surgery while I had been asleep. The phone had been all of about a foot away from me, but I had obviously been in such a deep sleep that I had been oblivious to the sound of it ringing. Anyway, as if I wasn't already feeling bad enough about having missed my appointment, I later discovered that my surgery had e-mailed me too, with what can best be described as a politely worded telling off. It was fair enough.

  • in reply to Bookworm

    Although I cannot deny that I am rather keen to get started on HRT a.s.a.p, it won't be the end of the world if I end up having to wait a few more weeks. Had I foreseen that I would fall asleep, I would have made a point of canceling the appointment, so that it could have been offered to someone else. As for the tension headache, it had thankfully eased off within a couple of hours.

    I think some surgeries are better organised than others, but I think most (if not all) are of the view that it's the patient's responsibility to remember appointments. Don't quote me on that though as there may be some that make exceptions.

  • I'm sorry to hear you missed your appointment. I hope you can get your next one quickly. I wish doctor's surgeries were more organised and sent a lot of reminders out the day before and on the day of appointments. Mine don't even send reminders but the local hospital call, text and email reminders for me the day before and then on the morning the next day. I wish everywhere did that as I know how stressful it can be after if you miss one. I hope your tension headache is better now. 

  • in reply to Glitter

    I feel your pain too, and am sorry your experience was so horrible and anxiety-inducing for you.

  • I got a strongly worded letter saying I was VERY OVERDUE for a smear test.  Don't they realise how hard it is for me to phone?  And then when I did, they said they had no appointments available and would call me when one was free. Why not just send me an appointment in the first place?

    Anyway, finally got booked in, left the house with time to spare but was so stressed about it that I got lost on the way and was 5 minutes late. The receptionist glared at me and almost didn't let me in, but I apologised and pleaded and she let me through. Was all a bit rushed but it was a horrible, horrible experience. 

    So I feel your pain. Do explain what happened because that's really out of your control and you don't deserve to be chastised for it.