I've really got to admit that I can't fault my doctor - he's never seemed rushed, always given us as much time as we need in each appointment... Even when he's running over an hour late because he's been giving everyone the time they need all day. I've noticed a similar thing with my GP - the ones who are worth seeing are worth the wait, and you do generally have to wait.

Nurses, however... I would be happier if they would tell me what I can expect to have happen. Side effects from medications, etc. I've still never felt rushed by a nurse, and the one I saw last time... I was obviously stressing out over the instructions for how to administer the trigger shot, so we were talking through all the ways we could find a way around it (letter for my GP, come back to the clinic in the afternoon, etc), when she looked at the time and realised my FS should be in the building by now... so she went to hunt him down and check with him on the dosage and did the shot for me before I left. I still would have like to have been told that I may really hurt after the injection, and don't be alarmed if I come up in an enormous red welt... which I still have now, a week later!

Now... thanks to all the wonderful people who have contributed to this thread! I have my next appointment with the nurses tomorrow morning, and assuming I can remember all of this after a 5am start, I shall begin my new approach of asking questions... like what are they testing for with the blood test, and making sure I ask for those levels when they call back, double checking side effects, possible reactions, etc, etc, etc. I think that's the key to understanding it all - asking questions. And even if you don't know which questions to ask yet, start by asking whatever you can think of so that you are more informed of the whole process. Think I'm on the right track?

BW