Okehampton Medical Centre

I wish I had never met this practice!

Trying to do all that I could to help myself, because the GPs are so sleepy and unhelpful, delighted to have been able to collect information that should have been collected years before, at Tavistock, but wasn't, I was quite excited to think that we were close to a breakthrough, in identifying what might be responsible for me feeling so ill, for so many years - sadly, I had to go and see a Dr, a more unhelpful and disrespectful bloke, sorry, medical professional, I had not met since another Dr, of Holsworthy, a much disliked Dr so I found out, and another dangerous one from all accounts. Armed with countless high resolution photographs - I was asked for photographs - I eagerly awaited my chance to see the - Dr - to show him what was now so clearly evident, what appears to be invasive candida, and so needs to be investigated and either confirmed or otherwise. Two minutes of his time - oops, sorry, MY TIME, he afforded me, if that, before ushering me out, that is how good a - Dr - he is! Yet another one at Okehampton that has no interest in listening! I sat down, he asked if he could look at my scalp, as I began to load the photographs on my computer - he said, a little annoyed in tone, "There is hardly anything there!" and turned to sit down, but caught sight of the photographs while still standing, surprised by what he saw, he said, "Oh yeah, they are really clear aren't they, okay, I will refer you to dermatology." He then tried to get me to leave, I asked him to look at a photograph that showed a hyphae growing out of a skin sample in agar, to which he said, "It is a hair" - to anyone in the medical profession that may be reading this, the hair follicle is embedded in the flesh of the scalp, not within a flake of skin! Okehampton say invasive candida does not affect the eyes - it does! They identify hyphae, as hair - they clearly do not know their apples and oranges! So, Two weeks ago was it that I saw the dermatologist, at Heavitree Hospital - I met a Dr, a likable person, he told me that there would be two other people in the room with us, and asked if that would be okay, to which I said yes, my first mistake! He told me not to talk to them, but I did, my second mistake! What an unpleasant woman to say the least, a tenacious little thing that seem to think she was going to give a bit of a kicking, it was like talking to the Okehampton group all over again, and that was the last thing I wanted! The personal comments she was coming out tore my guts out! As she intended no doubt, nothing to do with the condition, just the things people like Okehampton and other places write about you - talking therapy came up again, that damned unwanted stuff Okehampton keep pushing, what the hell is wrong with them?! She did also get back on track occasionally, and talk about the condition - saying it doesn't affect the eyes, it doesn't affect the kidneys, it doesn't affect the brain, it doesn't affect the heart, it doesn't affect the joints - it was great, it doesn't affect anything, so no problem then, she too looked at my scalp, said there was nothing there, there was, but what the hell, playing everything down until she too saw one of the photographs on my computer, which, clearly, I had taken with me, she them back-peddled a little, and said "Oh yes, there is some inflammation, okay we will ............" They took a blood test and a urine sample, made another appointment, and I left. I was holding back the tears as I went home, more questions about my personal life, why am I not married, why do I not have a partner, do I see my sister, do I have any friends - I didn't know the NHS where such bullies, what, do they want a suicide to reduce work load, they sure as hell don't want to work! I got the blood results back - iron, 6.9 - 10% no comments or advice. Neutrophils - high. Urine insignificant - been taking fluconazole at 450mg daily for sometime now. I know as far as the woman was concerned, invasive candida is pretty much harmless, so that is okay then - except it isn't true. As I said, no letter or advice came with the results on My Care, is it; I spoke to my pharmacist about the iron, but haven't started anything. I felt so ill that week that I saw her, and the weeks either side, weak, tired, dizzy, almost fainting at work twice, but no advice - she must have trained at Okehampton! I have recently been asked by Cancer Research, if they can follow my progress with the Barratt's Oesophagus, to which I agreed - I only found out that I have it because I ignored a Dr's advice, at Okehampton, he tried hard to talk me out of having tests. I was only treated for low thyroid function because I refused to leave a Dr's room, he opened the door to get rid of me, when I sought him for help, telling me there was nothing wrong with me, twice that week I was told that, on the point of collapes. Ten years after it was first suggested that I was treated for low thyroid function, I got the treatment, but only because I refused to leave the Dr's - three weeks later, PVCs up to 1400 an hour, stopped, salvos of six, twice in a 28 second test, stopped, chest pains, almost all gone, ever increasing complexity of traces - stopped. None of that was down to good, astute, clinical care, it was because I begged and pleaded for it, and had to find the courage to refuse to leave the room! Do not forget, I am the fool, your are wise ones - as a protest to how I have been treated by the appalling NHS, I have from today stopped taking the thyroxine, and will be returning it to you - I was after all "Perfectly healthy," "Nothing wrong with you," according to two of you doctors, so you can have the drugs back! The pharmacy know! I have cancelled the appointment I had with the woman at Heavitree, she is harmful in herself! Thanks for nothing! I only asked for some help!