Tuesday 16 March 2010

Hyppocrates would be proud.....

...of all people who work at the private Hospital of St John & St Elizabeth, especially Dr Wilson, the consultant for the Breast Unit.
(well, that taken that it was Hyppocrates who wrote the oath, but I'm sure you know what I mean)
Someone else who makes proud medicine as a profession, especially taken that she is an NHS GP, is my own General Practitioner, Dr Sarah Morgan.

Making a long story short as my headache is one of those hammering ones:

When I went to the Royal Free to get the results of my biopsies, they made me wait for almost two hours only to be vague and go round in circles to tell me they wanted me to come back (again) this week as they STILL had not received the images of the mammogram I had last month.
I left in anger, swearing and banging doors.
Before I took enough Zopiclone to guarantee 24 hours sleep, I made an appointment with the private Breast Unit at St John's & St Elizabeth, which was today.

Yesterday my GP called me with the not so very good news that the Royal Free, though the biopsies came back clear were vague about not being sure if the tissue they took was actually from the problematic area, and that they were considering "removing that problematic area of the left breast completely*...

HA.

Well, at least, I thought, it is removable and not some stage 4 of something left unattended (by them) from 2006....still a surgical procedure and, giving the Royal Free's reputation, I was not enthusiastic.
My Gp mentioned St J & St E had actually contacted her, I said worse coming to the worse, I would probably choose to have surgery at UCH, but that was also a tricky option: there was were they failed with my *straight forward hip replacement* and the 3 following surgical procedures in which they try to fix it...
No point on stressing, I thought.
Lets go see what the power of money can do, right?
Right
Wonderfully right.

This guy saw me today.
Gobsmacked to the fact that they (the Royal Free) had not explained the results of my core biopsies, had a good look at me (well, my breasts, of course) and when I repeated what my GP told me to tell him, about the others contemplating the slicing of my breast, he says: *Oh...you don't wanna do that*.
He said he will be seeing me at the Whittington (an NHS hospital where he has a clinic, meaning I wont have to pay) in probably 4 to 6 weeks, but that he will still talk to the people who did the initial mammogram, give me a call. but that he sees clearly that these problematic area are calcification deposits, and that this is what they showed in the core biopsies under the microscope.
He says chances of cancer cells being inside this calcifications are remote, but all the same he will be getting me to have another mammogram in 6 months time, just in case.

So, there.
There are still people who practice medicine ethically, people who think of the whole picture apart from the pure scientific outcome.

Thanks to everyone who has been so supportive, especially Peggy , my friends Cristina (another Brazilian in London, whom we have kept a beautiful friendship alive for 20 years) & Franceska, a most wonderful soul I had the blessing of coming across sometime in 2005 and has already seen me through some other difficult times, my carer Lizzie, and of course, my daughter, my beautiful, amazing, mature, intelligent, out of this world child.
These are people who have been giving me more than amazing support in *real life*. There are, of course, all of you online who have given me beautiful words and encouragement through the optical wire, and it would take me the whole night to name you....but you know how much I value your presence.

Lets just get a huge smile in our faces and the next post will be full of scraps, as I can feel my hands itching to get on doing something :) See you soon....

9 comments:

McMGrad89 said...

Well, Yippee!!! I am so glad you were able to take an alternate path to finding the answers. I knew you it would work out and I didn't have to go postal on anyone. :-)

Rosemarie said...

It's really surprising the quality/ethics/accuracy variances between doctors. I mean, they are DOCTORS, we are supposed to trust them, and well, just talk to a few of them..... and get quite different opinions! I'm so glad you've got that second opinion!

I'm so glad to hear it's calcifications, and very glad you'll get following up in 6 months.

Scrapaholic Sherry said...

That's awesome to hear, hun, I can't wait to see your amazing creations you'll be creating! Luv ya lots!!
Hugs,
Sherry

Unknown said...

Bravo!
I am so glad to hear the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!
Hugs, hugs, hugs for you my friend, I am so sorry you (or anyone else) would have to go through all that crap!
Love,
Bev

Unknown said...

Thank goodness for second opinions!!

stroppywenchnikki said...

Excellent. Though pathetic that you had o work to get a straightforward answer.

Anonymous said...

Oh my.. feeling a little guilty for not visiting your blog in a while now... but I'm glad reading this rather optimistic post! Keep your head up dear!!!

And about your question about Leonards Cohen's "Halleluyah"... I did a page on that one! (In fact, a whole art journal!) You can see it in my gallery here

Jan said...

Woo hoo! Finally you (and we!) can take a deep breath! I'm so glad that you finally have an answer - and so sorry that you had to go through so much to get it! Love you and can't wait to see the scraps! xoxoxoJan

Roban said...

I'm so glad you got an answer and the care you deserved (finally!!). I know you breathed a big sigh of relief and can rest so much better now. I had calcifications and a biopsy a couple of years ago.... Nerve-wracking, but all good news. I hope you continue to hear good news and that you enjoy some scrapping now....

Hugs,
Roban