Unfortunately, the consultation was as I feared …

… but worse.

The fellow I saw wasn’t even a locum, he was a retired haematologist from out of the area who they seem to have found just as a stop-gap. He didn’t know my previous consultant and he clearly hadn’t read my notes before I saw him.

I was a bit taken aback when he said “Well, I don’t know what to say to you”. Now, I am a reasonably well-informed, reasonably intelligent, professional man who has been living with this to my knowledge for these past four years. I know what’s wrong with me and I know what the “Watch and Wait” is all about and I know what the prognosis is likely to be. It’s only the time-scale that is the unknown factor at this stage.

If I had been a worried pensioner, and my consultant had said that, I would probably still be on the cardiology ward…

I told him what was wrong with me. I told him a brief history and he did a very brief examination. I told him about the lymphoedema in my leg, but he wasn’t interested in that. He asked me when I wanted to be seen again – I almost told him “tomorrow, but with someone who cares”. But of course, I didn’t.

Not impressed at all by this, I have to say. Maybe I should have taken my chances at The Christies after all, but while I am “well”, it’s not so important. Goodness only knows what would be happening if I’d told him that my symptoms had returned – what sort of care would I get then?

I need to do some research and then see if I can get referred to another consultant.