Progress

Two days ago, the local GP drained the "seroma", which is a normal occurrence and not dangerous and gave me different painkillers to cope with what was going to continue to build up.

Today, I went back to the surgeon for the results of the last surgery - good news - no cancer in the last bit they took. So now to the next step - radiation and anti oestrogen drugs.

There seems to be a choice of two drugs, each with its own side effects and each being incompatible with particular other drugs. Drug A cannot be taken with the antidepressant I am on. Drug B cannot be taken by patients with osteoporosis.

Oh dear, he (not the doctor in the picture!!) said - I will have to send you to two oncologists, an expert to work out the drugs and one to organise the radiation.

So now I wait till Feb 16 for these appointments.

I was a bit concerned that this drug problem would hold things up so I have just phoned the Breast

Care Nurse to see if I should change the antidepressant or go back to the GP. She reassured me that the drugs come after the radiation, and that it was much better to wait patiently to see the oncologist drug expert, Dr Kerrie Clarke. Several people have recommended this doctor to me.

The nurse (also Kerry) gave me some more advice. I need to have a rest daily for several reasons - my armpit seroma (apparently likely to be a problem during radiation), recovery from 2 lots of tissue surgery, 2 lots of general anaesthetic, as well as what they are calling a sort of PTSD.  I am afraid I won't be arguing - I seem to be constantly tired and wake up very late - so so not me!

So, there should not be any more posts until 16th Feb. Hopefully there will be no events to report. I am feeling more in control, although occasionally just wish it would all go away, and I occasionally shed a tear or two. I was sent a link to the writings of an American "Pink Survivor" - she expresses much of my feelings in an intelligent way. You might like to read it - it is a bit
"anti pink", a bit anti-commercialism, a bit anti "welcome to the smiley club",  and anti "cancer is a gift", but it is not all negative.
BarbaraEhrenreich