Its been a while.............

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Hello everyone. It has been a while since I was last here but I feel the need to let off some steam. Long story short - lumpectomy last July, followed by chemo which finished in December. Then rads which finished in February. Went back to work in March. Now it gets longer … Had follow up appt with consultant last Friday - was an hour late going in and I heard him telling the nurse he had forgotten about me :frowning: I was on the couch behind a curtain whilst he was rummaging around in my notes. Asked me if I had chemo - he couldn’t find any record of that in my notes and he couldn’t explain where that part of the record was! Then he examined me - I told him I was experiencing some discomfort to my breast and to the area just above my breast. He said “That’s probably something to do with the radiotherapy, its nothing I’ve done”. When I was dressed he told me that I should have been seen 2 months ago but because of an “admin error” blah blah de blah “and we’ll do another mammogram in February”. At least I’m glad they didn’t want to do a mamm on Friday as I couldn’t have gone through with it - that’s how painful it is.

On writing this down it now seems a bit feeble - I thought I was being pretty tough about this whole cancer crap but I just felt he was being so offhand. I also thought any post rad symptoms would be more skin-related and not tissue-related. Has anyone else had similar?

Thanks for your time xxxxxxx
Jan

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Hi Jan I had a mx in August 2010 and then radio and have been experiencing pain but not all the time it seems to come and go on the scar line and slightly to the side for the last couple of months I rang the BC Nurse and got an appointment with the consultant and he thought it was rads related but sent me for an ultrasound last Wednesday and they found nothing wrong and said it was the rads and that it can go on for quite a long time,hope this is some help,
Celia.x

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Hi

I’m the same/ Had MX in August with immediate reconstruction. Have just been in contact to day with BC Nurse as the discomfort I am feeling is lasting too long. Finished Rads in March and wondering if this is anything to do with it. Have an appointment Wedneday to be checked but she seems to think its nothing bad. It does not hurt but just does not feel right. Michele

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Darlings it does take simply ages to settle after rads. it’s not something that ‘they’ go on about’ so we are so unprepared it comes as a shock.
So sorry to hear of an unsympathetic and unprepared medic but we at the end of the day are just hospital numbers not ‘real people’…with real families.

This isnt to say we let them off the hook - got an ache/soreness/ pain go get it checked - we dont mess aout anymore and we have suffered so much energy eating anxiety over months / years that we now find ways to cut corners and get it sorted.