anybody from england?

Good luck. You should be able to get through to his secretary OK. the switchboard at St.Heliers is quite good.I hope you get seen and sorted very soon.Let me know if you have problems as I have links with that Trust and may be able to get the direct tel no for you.
Lynn

"Love in a mist "...........did you have any luck getting through to the secretary ? Have you managed to get an appointment sorted out ?

Lynn

im from wales and like lots of others would benefit from some one in my area to chat with who could relate x

Hi Lynn,

It's a sigmoid that I'm having done. Though in truth, I want them to do the full colonoscopy, will see what they say! I think this is what is so confusing is that my symptoms are bleeding & mucous, I don't have any urgency, and usually go twice a day - most of the time the bm's are ok, occasionally a bit loose, but nothing like I have read that people go through on these boards. The blood mainly is mixed in with the bowels, last year around summer it was really bad and there would be a lot of bleeding on it's own, but that stopped happening a few months ago now. Thanks SO much for your advice and support. It's really making me feel calmer about it all

Rachel x

Hello to Supernurse / Clackerooney and love in a mist

You've started something here! I live in Stockwell (and only go to Croydon for Ikea), and was at St.Georges but am moving my care to Barts, where I'm a nurse. I agree with Supernurse, it is really hard being on the other side of the fence!!! I have been flared up from UC (proctitis) for the last 6 months, had a couple of courses of pred, on maximum dose pentasa PO and PR, failed on azathioprine over x-mas (nausea, couldn't eat) and then started on 6mp from Jan, became neutropenic a few weeks ago and really unwell and had to stop, but back on it again, half the dose - 50mg. I'm still suffering frequent bloody / mucus stools (10 times a day ish) with urgency which is the worst problem - making it hard to travel to and from work on the tube (my journey is 40 mins, but the stmptoms are worse in the am and I have to get off the tube sometimes to use the loo NOW!) I am worried that I am becoming psychologically dependant on being in my flat, and even going to the supermarket is causing stress / anxiety. Thankfully my boss is allowing a flexible working pattern as it is near on impossible for me to get anywhere at a planned time at present. I can't wait for things to start to get better. I was alright for the first few years as the flares were short lived and responded well to pred - so I was able to put the whole thing out of my mind so to speak, but this has really got me down this time.
Does anyone have advice re aloe vera and what sort to take as my Consultant has mentioned that I could try it? He has also mentioned that I switch my probiotic from Multibionta (which NACC recommended) to this expeniseve German brand 'mutaflor' - apparently it is more effective in lower down procitis, but I can't find a place on the internet to buy it. I am also confused as to what to do diet wise - my diet was fairly healthy, but I have recently cut out fibre thinking that this might help - there doesn;t seem to be any clear advice which I find frustrating as I want to do what I can myself to help this get better. I gave up smoking as well 3 years ago, and symptoms really started to get worse since then, which I understand from reading is often the case and there are no clear reasons why. If there was absolute evidence that smoking would make this go away, I would seriously consider starting again, as I detest having to be on these medications, all of which seem to have risks and side effects and currently don;t seem to be working - even if the risks and side effects of smoking are worse, I just want to be able to do the things that I used to do - like go on holiday, go out in town, socialise, drink!!
Anyway, rant over. Well needed. I welcome any responses!
Christian

Hi, I live in Scotland and although I am now happy with my consultant I have not been in the past. Like for instance when after 4 years of a dose of steroids each year colonoscopys (the works) and having been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis he at one visit said to me "not even sure you have UC could just be a bug!" or another time that he said he was giving me pills to fix my problem and I was undoing his good work with my head! All in all though we seem to have come to a bit of an understanding and on my last visit I researched the condition a lot went in to my appointment with a list of questions and thought stuff it I will go through each one until I am finished, over an hour later I came out with each and every question answered and a lot more respect on either side. (felt sorry for the poor person that was scheduled in after me though as she had a bit of a wait).

Hello Everyone

I'm new to this - my GP has diagnosed UC as I have every single symptom but weight loss (sod's law or what?)

I just wondered how long it took to get the first appointment with a specialist?  I'm getting quite fed up as it has been 7 weeks already since she made the referral and has also confirmed that I'm anaemic but doesn't want to treat me for this either as it may cloud a diagnosis.  So no treatment of any kind at the moment!

Sorry to rant on the first post... Would really appreciate any advice from you.

Thanks

Yorkshire Lass

Hi - thank you for the reply. I've been back to the docs today and seen a different GP who I basically just wept at! Anyway, booked in for blood tests on friday and he is chasing up the referral as I'm aching all over and barely awake...
I'm battling on at work, thankfully my boss is very supportive, think I'd get more hacked off if I was at home. And I travel on the train which is good in case nature calls!!

Thanks again!