Check up appointments send me into a spin!!!!

[Jill1998]

Great news,such a relief isn't it.Hope you have a nice peaceful nights sleep!

[Minimedal]

I got all clear from 2nd year mammogram today. What a feeling. After lumpectomy, chemo and rads it's a huge relief. After 2 large glasses of wine I am now ready to flop into bed 🍾

It's exhausting isn't it but how lucky are we to have wonderful BC nurses and fantastic NHS. 

Big hug for my kids tonight and grateful thanks for good health. 

[Jill1998]

Great news Jane!!!Enjoy your Prosecco!!!If you can summon up the energy at some point you should write a letter explaining how this policy made you feel ,hopefully they will change it cos it's really ,really wrong when you are so anxious to be left in limbo like that .

[Jane_61]

I can finally breathe out! Called my BCN before work and left a message to say how much I have been struggling. By lunchtime she called back to say all is fine. And yes that is the procedure at my hospital - had I not contacted her I would not have had any notification to say things were OK. Seems a really unfair way of doing things considering you always get a letter after a routine mammogram one way or the other. She did say they need to review the policy - I couldn't agree more. Thank you again for your kind words of support. It helps so much to talk to ladies who really get it! Glass of prosecco tonight I think.

[Jane_61]

Thank you!  I will also confirm with my BCN that this is Iin fact the procedure as it was the radiographer who told me that I would not hear if they did not need to do further tests. Seems crazy and designed to cause maximum stress!

[Jobey68]

Jane I can't believe they would only contact you if there was a problem, do they not understand how bloody stressful this is for us!!? You will never rest if you don't at least get told if nothing else, I know all health authorites have different procedures but I've never come across this before, it's totally unacceptable , I'm with Jill, keep hounding until they give you an answer Xx Jo 

[Jill1998]

Good luck!Keep ringing til you get an answer and then you can look forward to wedding .

[Jane_61]

So glad you didn't have to wait 4 weeks. That would be torture. I'll let you know how I get on tomorrow. Have my best friends wedding in 2weeks and would love to be able to concentrate on that! 

[Jill1998]

Yes it's horrible, everyone I know who has been through this feels exactly the same re mammogram, it puts you in a really bad place mentally for a while ,life put on hold til you know you can heave a big sigh of relief and breathe again !Ive not come across the "we will write to you if there is something wrong " before ,I think that's unacceptable .They told me could be 4 weeks til results when I went for mammogram, couldn't believe it ,waiting for the dreaded letter to come through the door for 4 weeks ,really cruel,luckily came alot sooner.Id ring up and push for the results as soon as they have them.

[Jane_61]

• Last year was fine as I had an appointment 4days after the mammogram and the radiologist told me on the spot that as far as she was concerned everything looked normal. The lady this year also hinted things were OK and said " looks like we will be seeing you in a years time" You can tell I am desperately looking for the positives! It's those middle of the night moments though isn't it! The lovely lady I spoke to on the helpline did reassure me that the way I am feeling is quite normal and she has hundreds of calls about the same thing. Thanks for your support. 

[Jill1998]

I got my results in 10 days,the letter was dated 7 days after mammogram .Most people I speak to had results after approx 10 days .I think it's rubbish to do it that way, like you say if you know the letter could be good or bad news it's hard enough .

[Jane_61]

Thanks for the advice Jill. If I thought the letter could go either way I think I could cope better. I think I will call my BC N tomorrow. It's only been a week but it won't hurt to ask her to keep a eye out. 

[Jill1998]

That's rubbish ,I would be tempted to ring up after a couple of weeks to ask about outcome .

[Jane_61]

Unfortunately have been told that I will only get a letter if I need to be recalled so I could be avoiding the doormat for weeks! 

[Jill1998]

Good luck Jane with your results ,it takes you right back to very bad times doesn't it ?

[Jane_61]

I have been told that this is completely normal. I am waiting for the results of my 2nd mammogram after surgery (1st was fine and I have no reason to think anything is wrong) and feeling more panicky now than at any time previously. Just hearing the post come through the door sends me into meltdown. I guess it is something we all have to live with but sometimes people around you expect you to have moved on and don't realise how the threat of recurrence stays with you for ever. Once I get the results I'm fine and can live life as normal but it's just that awful wait and all the memories that come flooding back as you sit in the clinic waiting for appointments. I know just how you feel!

[Jill1998]

Well I have only had one post treatment mammogram so far but it really unsettled me for weeks leading up to it and brought back lots of bad memories and a lot of the ladies I speak to felt the same way.I think it is totally normal ,hopefully gets better over time ?

[SJ19]

Getting on fine, life back to 'normal' when a check up appointment comes round the corner and turns me inside out. Takes me several days to feel myself again and just wondered if this was normal?