Does it matter?

Hi Brenda

SO glad that you have a few answers and at least have the feeling the they have taken notice of your concerns.  It is good that your nurse was quick on the uptake and contacted the surgeon - see, all you have to do is ask ask as - or, is that scream, scream, scream and jump up and down ?  You gotta laugh but now you can relax a bit knowing that they are aware and have it in their plan.

Good luck.  We are thinking of you.  Keep in touch.

Summer  :-)

Sorry typo called you Brendan - he is Chair of a meeting I should've been at today!  I call it breast brain when I cofuddle

 

 

Brendan I am very pleased that you were able to get a better understanding.  Wishing you all the best for your surgery.

Take care

Saw the surgeon today.

He saw the bruising (about 1/10th of what it was a few weeks ago) from the core biopsy and said the lymph glands that were up have gone down now and it would have been from the biopsy, not the cancer.

The cancer is a little bigger but not to the extent it feels like as the bruising has made a hard clot and would take months to go down.

The smaller lump on the other side of the nipple is a fatty cyst he said and because the tumour and the bruising has taken up so much room, its been pushed up to be noticeable as a swelling.

He said during pre-op next week I will have ultrasound xrays couple of hours after they inject the radioactive dye so anything funny going on with lymph nodes will be highlighted very nicely then.

Good news! My breast nurse emailed the surgeon about my growing mass and he wants to have a look at it tomorrow.

I have been so worried about it I dropped another 2kg and today I had to hold my pants up while shopping lol.

 

Thanks for all your input. I have a blood test coming up at the hospital on Monday. I might see if the McGrath nurse can fit me in to discuss what's happening.

Yes I am a public patient.

Hi Brenda - I agree with Summer - ring the Hospital and find out if there is a Breast care Nurse available for you to speak with.

My experience was different as I was a private patient.

Have they given you a treatment plan?

Once your date arrives and you speak with the Surgeon I am sure it will all start to make more sense as at present your mind is running at a million miles an hour.

Take care 

Dear BRENDA

Sorry about the typo - I do miss the former 'preview screen.

Summer  :-)

Hello Branda

"Don't let sleeping dogs lie".  If you are still concerned keep pushing for at least a moment with the specialist before the due date.  Being 'private' I could contact my surgeon so it sounds as if you are going 'public'.

Perhaps if all else fails you could speak with the hospital social worker and explain your difficulty.  Tell her/him you just want to make them aware of this change.

The hospital may also have a Breast Care Nurse - call and ask for her assistance as she will certainly understand your added worry.

Hope this is a start for you.

Hugs - keep in touch.

Summer  :-)

I told the anaesthesiologist but he didn't seem to have any idea beyond his section of expertise.

I told the GP yesterday and he didn't seem concerned at all either. In fact he didn't even look at my breast.

I had to have a referral from the GP to even see a surgeon in the first place and the hospital contacted me for the appointments so he isn't really approachable outside their structured system.

I told the pre op nurse about it but she wasn't interested outside of her field of expertise either.

I am neatly pigeon holed into having surgery on the 16th, in 9 days time and that's all they are interested in. I just hope I don't get a cold or something which delays surgery.