I was diagnosed 3 years ago, Grade 3. Had WLE, axillary clearance, chemo and rads. Apart from the side effects of Arimidex I am now very well and feeling good. Today I’ve had my ‘annual check up’ at the Breast Care Centre ( Glenfield, Leicester) where I was seen by a Nurse Practitioner.
I wasn’t kept waiting and she gave me a thorough breast examination and was pleasant and efficient.
My next appointment with the ‘Surgical’ team at Glenfield will be in July 2013.
What exactly is the point? I had a clear mammogram only 3 months ago so obviously I was OK unless I had other symptoms- and if I’d had any of those, I would have been the first to know about it and would have arranged my own re-referral. Mammograms here are done on an 18 month cycle which is NOT linked to the follow-up appointments. My next mammogram will be in November 2012 and I shall be seen by the Oncology team at the LRI in July 2012, 4 months before then.
It just seems to be a box -ticking exercise - complying with ‘protocols’ ; nothing happens at these routine clinic appointments apart from a brief physical examination. All the BC professionals know this and will actually agree with you if you raise it. It really does seem to be a wasteful use of NHS resources -or do other people feel differently?
I would have liked more support 2 years ago when I was a the end of my ‘active’ treatment and was given a follow-on appointment that was 8 months ahead.
If so much surgeon/oncology and BCN time was not spent in ‘routine’ follow-up clinics, surely more time, individual care & support could be given to patients when they are really needing it i.e. during their treatment period and in the first few months after treatment finishes?