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(Flowers to celebrate our 29th Wedding Anniversary)Recently someone looked at my ageing walking boots (which I generally wear over the allotment) and said, "I can see you buying some new boots soon". I felt a little touch of joy, and realised I had received it as prophetic – a promise that there is a time to enjoy beyond this present time of hospital appointments. Today, however, brought another hospital appointment, this one with the X-ray department for further mammograms plus an ultrasound scan. The mammograms are to check that the calcifications are still visible. These are the 'x' that marks the spot – before the surgeon operates, a procedure similar to the needle biopsy will take place. Guided by a magnified mammogram, a very fine wire will be inserted into the breast to the area of the calcifications. This wire will be left in place for the operation, so that the surgeon knows which area to remove.
Once the radiographer was satisfied with the mammograms, she sent the digital images to the Breast care clinic, waited until they had finished sending then unplugged the data cable and plugged in the data cable for the ultrasound machine, lamenting the lack of separate data cable and socket for each machine. A lady doctor performed the ultrasound scan with a gent to whom I wasn't introduced stood watching. I'm guessing he was a medical student 'shadowing'. The scan showed some very dense tissue. Dr H_ decided to do a needle biopsy of the area just to 'make sure' – as I was going to have an operation anyway, she felt it made sense to confirm her hunch that this dense tissue wasn't problematical. The needle biopsy performed during ultrasound scanning wasn't as uncomfortable as the previous one performed under mammogram.
That's it for now – I'll hear from the Breast Care nurse soon with a couple more appointments: one to check I'm in a suitable state of health for an operation, when the Breast Care nurse will also explain the practical details such as the type of dressing which will be applied, and the other a date for the operation. Meanwhile I have an appointment with the GP on Thursday to catch him up with what is happening. In the past I've been very sick after operations, and last year it was discovered that I have a hiatus hernia. When I saw the surgeon last week, I mentioned the hiatus hernia and asked if it might explain the post-operative sickness. He felt sure it did and said I would have an opportunity to talk to the anaesthetist about it before the operation, and suggested I speak to my GP to discuss whether it would be appropriate to take a proton pump inhibitor beforehand.
Once the radiographer was satisfied with the mammograms, she sent the digital images to the Breast care clinic, waited until they had finished sending then unplugged the data cable and plugged in the data cable for the ultrasound machine, lamenting the lack of separate data cable and socket for each machine. A lady doctor performed the ultrasound scan with a gent to whom I wasn't introduced stood watching. I'm guessing he was a medical student 'shadowing'. The scan showed some very dense tissue. Dr H_ decided to do a needle biopsy of the area just to 'make sure' – as I was going to have an operation anyway, she felt it made sense to confirm her hunch that this dense tissue wasn't problematical. The needle biopsy performed during ultrasound scanning wasn't as uncomfortable as the previous one performed under mammogram.
That's it for now – I'll hear from the Breast Care nurse soon with a couple more appointments: one to check I'm in a suitable state of health for an operation, when the Breast Care nurse will also explain the practical details such as the type of dressing which will be applied, and the other a date for the operation. Meanwhile I have an appointment with the GP on Thursday to catch him up with what is happening. In the past I've been very sick after operations, and last year it was discovered that I have a hiatus hernia. When I saw the surgeon last week, I mentioned the hiatus hernia and asked if it might explain the post-operative sickness. He felt sure it did and said I would have an opportunity to talk to the anaesthetist about it before the operation, and suggested I speak to my GP to discuss whether it would be appropriate to take a proton pump inhibitor beforehand.
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