It’s Christmas eve, the time of year most people become a little stressed, for me in my normal mode I thrive on this stress and start to get organised, I do my food shop, most of my present shopping and all the wrapping. This year I have been kind to myself and I started yesterday!!
How has this week been?
Wednesday the Asthma got worse I had to go back to the GP I still could not breathe, the cough to expel my rotten air in my lungs was getting worse and so I could not control my bladder. As a kid with Asthma you have no idea that this could lead to the investment of incontinence pads!
The GP gave me more steroids and some antibiotics, she was so lovely with me and then I traipsed around the countryside to every pharmacy within 10 mile radius to get what I needed to be able to breathe. I then had to check my oxygen saturations and if I could not keep them up with bedrest (how the fuck do you fit that into real life?) and inhalers I would have to get admitted to hospital for oxygen. I did not want to become an inpatient and miss my biopsy planned for Friday, that was my goal, I needed to get that shit done and so I can finally know what’s going on…
Thursday I had not heard from gynaecology people and with Christmas fast approaching I was becoming anxious, I got a call to book me in to breast clinic! I was so confused, I took the appointment but had no idea what was going on, as far as I knew I had lymphoma and a mass on my ovary… 20 years ago I a biopsy on my boob and was told the huge lump was nothing to worry about, that lump is still there and I’ve not noticed any others?????
I called the Haematology secretaries again, it’s a leave a message service, which I don’t mind, I left a message with my worries and confusion asking them to contact me, I never heard back. My breathing was not improving; to add to the not being able to breathe and the incontinence I now had the period from hell to give that little extra abdominal pain to try to distract me from everything else lol.
Friday came about… Biopsy time, my anxiety was high to say the least, first off I thought the time of the appointment was 10am, got ready checked the letter, FFS its not till 12! 2 hours of extra waiting… I am getting sick of waiting and becoming an impatient beasty.
I got to Furness General Hospital, made my way to x-ray department, where the staff were friendly, helpful, and welcoming. I waited about 20mins embarrassed about coughing the place down, thinking everyone was staring, accusing me of spreading germs, when actually it’s asthma!! Fucking breathing problems I don’t like you.
I was called in there were 2 lovely ladies in the ultrasound room, a consultant radiologist and a sonographer, they asked what I thought I was there for, “to have a biopsy of the lumps in my neck” I said, “well we will hopefully take the biopsy from the lumps under your arm”, “I HAVE LUMPS UNDER MY ARM??” Oh wow these surprises keep coming…
So, I have lumps in my neck;
lumps in my armpits;
lump on my ovary;
and..
an appointment in breast clinic?????????
I was actually grateful to have lumps under my arms as this meant I did not need biopsy in my neck, which to be fair had been a tad concerning.
The ladies were amazing, anesthetic in virtually no sting, not even as bad as a horsefly bite, biopsy x3, no pain or discomfort, small dressing and instructions, to take it easy and not use my right arm for 24 hours; that on its own is not easy, first of all leaving the room the door needed to be opened oops, USE THE LEFT ARM! Results will take 2 weeks.
I got home sat down called the gynaecology secretaries as I had still not had a response from the haematology department, Christmas was coming and I had more questions than answers and every time someone talks to me there is a new problem. The secretary was lovely and said she would get someone to call me that day.
I suddenly went into complete meltdown, bawling, shaking, needing hot-water bottle and cuddles.
I got a call from the most amazing lady, Vicky from Royal Lancaster Hospital, she was a consultant in the gynaecology department. She asked me what I knew and what I wanted to know… I told her what I have already told you in this blog and she took time to explain everything she knew to me:
· I have a lot of enlarged lymph glands in my neck, armpits and groins.
· I have a mass on my ovary that may be ovarian cancer but could easily be a lymph attached and so all part of the same problem.
· I have a lump in my boob that has been there for 20 years that is probably no problem but due to the glands in my armpits being so close to my boobs, I will have full MOT in boob clinic.
· On the plus side all my major organs are clear!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yippee, some positive news 😊
I then went back to Furness General Hospital 20 minutes before the pathology lab closed for Christmas and got the bloods done that the gynaecologist needed, yet another lovely experience with kind caring staff.
When I got home I was on a high, I could breathe more easily and the asthma was not feeling like it was going to kill me first anymore. Relief that I probably only have one type of cancer, oh the little things that mean a lot.
It was then time to start to prepare for Christmas, doing my shopping online as much as I could as I was still supposed to be on bed rest after all. My deduction is that bed rest is only available to the rich or lazy hahahahahaha…
Saturday was for food shopping and present wrapping; the ones that have arrived that is, hopefully the rest will come today!
Well now I’ve done the update all that’s left right now is to say have a vey merry Christmas everyone, keep breathing and see what the new year brings, hopefully health and happiness for all.
xx