Category Archives: hospitals

pre-pet low carb day

11 Monday Mar 2013

Posted by in cancer, food & drink, hope, hospitals

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low carbApparently you are not supposed to eat carbohydrates 48 hours before a PET scan. Who knew? Well okay, I sorta knew as I used to read about some people’s pre-PET regimens on the Colon Club forum, but as nobody here had ever said anything other than I shouldn’t eat six hours before the scan I didn’t think it mattered that much.

Turns out that it is rather important as too much carb-sugar can skew the scan results, often ending up with false positives. Likewise doing any strenuous exercise 48 hours before a scan. I actually knew about the latter but can’t actually see the connection in the same way as the sugar connection – Sledpress, can you shed any light on this?

It also turned out that, coming home after two days of – let’s be honest – some rather intense tapearing in Málaga, I felt like I needed to detox a bit. So yesterday I eschewed carbs and went for nice light veggie and protein meals, which means that just by chance I am doing the 48-hour thing. But I wonder why I have never been told about this at the hospital here. Ah well, by this time mañana I will know if I am okay for another six months or if……

go figure…

20 Wednesday Feb 2013

Posted by in cancer, hospitals, tapas tours, work

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stethoscopeYou may recall back in 2008 when I was told by my then oncologist that I had maybe a year to live… and it turned out she hadn’t even checked my latest biopsy results! Well, it wasn’t long after that incident that I switched oncs and, thanks to Ricardo, started seeing Dr Ana, who happens to be deputy director of the oncology department at the hospital. Which was certainly a step up, and I felt in much better hands, but I still felt Dr Ana was a bit cold and so I kept our conversations as short as possible and talked to Ricardo about anything that I was really concerned about. Though Ana did ask me after awhile if I was back to work, which is how she came to find out about my tapas tours, but I thought this was just professional interest in my general well-being.

And so imagine my surprise when, during today’s appointment to organise my next PET scan, she turned to the trainee doctor sitting in and said… “You wouldn’t believe how incredible this woman is. First she was out of work after during and after her treatment and desperate about what to do next, but she picked herself up and started her own business, and now look at how successful she is! I am so proud of her!”

Huh? I mean, I was stunned. Guess it just goes to show that you never really know what people think of you. Though it took having a ‘third party’ in the room for Dr Ana to say this, but I got the feeling she was also saying it to me, and I  know that from now on I’m going to feel much more at ease talking to her. Cool, innit?

the best laid plans…

29 Tuesday Jan 2013

Posted by in cancer, hospitals

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blood testsWell, I thought it was kinda brilliant. Last week I realised that I had to get my chemo port flushed out soon and that I also had to get blood work done for my upcoming oncology appointment in February. So hey, why not get it all done at once? Especially because when I go to my neighbourhood clinic for the blood test they huff and puff and simply cannot find my veins. At leat at the hospital they can usually find veins and anyhow, they can just use the chemo port! I mean, that is in part what it’s good for.

So last week I got in touch with Dr. Ana and told her about my cunning plan. She said “no problem!” and that she would be there on Tuesday morning so I could pick up the blood test form. Of course one small glitch in the plan was that they only do chemo port cleaning between 12.00 – 1.00 pm, so I’d have to go all morning without eating or drinking (though the hardest bit for me was having NO COFFEE). No matter, it was worth saving a trip to the hospital and I planned to meet up with my friend Fourat for a nice tapas lunch after the whole ordeal.

So I was there at Oncology just before noon, foolishly thinking my blood test form would be there ready to be picked up. HA! Of course it wasn’t. I had to speak to three different nurses who got in touch with Dr. Ana, who then said I’d have to wait for her to squeeze me in between appointments. Huh? Well, after a fretful 45 minute wait I got in to see Dr. Ana, got my form, raced over to The Lab and said I was there to get my port cleaned and blood drawn for these tests. The receptionist told me I couldn’t get blood work done without a special appointment. I told her it was fine, that I’d had it all cleared over in Oncology (lies, lies…). Then when I showed the port-cleaning nurse my blood test form she said “I can’t do that now, it’s too late!” while she started taking out the vials needed to store my blood. You see, the bureaucracy here works in mysterious ways. Sometimes “you can’t do that” means that the person who can make it happen simply can’t be bothered, and other times it means that you just need to be gently chastised but of course it’s going to get done.

bacalaoTurned out the lunch was more of an ordeal than the whole hospital visit. Both Fourat and I were appalled by the rude service, mediocre food and crazy high prices. Afterwards she had to go home as she’s fighting an infection, so I popped over to Bodeguita Romero to see if Peter was still there with his walking tour couple. And they were. So I had a proper glass of wine there and a fabulous tapa of grilled bacalao, which was a wonderful antidote to all the gastrobar bullshit. And later the icing on today’s cake was that I met with my landlords and they were willing to renegotiate my contract – so it looks like I may not have to move after all!

I honestly hadn’t expected so much to happen today. Really love it when days turn out like that. How was your Tuesday?

girdling my loins

05 Wednesday Dec 2012

Posted by in health & happiness, hospitals

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4200 playtexSo remember my hernia? Well, I finally got to see the surgeon this morning and, after a bit of poking and prodding, I was told that after so many surgeries it wasn’t unusual for me to have a hernia and, all things considered, it wasn’t a very big one. As such, the doctor said he wouldn’t recommend that I have any more surgery at this point.

To alleviate the chronic discomfort I was told that I should “lose a little weight” and use a “faja” (girdle or corset). Meh.

I still have the faja I was given at the hospital after my last operation (and to be honest I didn’t wear it as much as I should have during recovery), which is basically a length of spongy stretchy material with a strip of velcro on one end to hold it closed after wrapping it tightly around my belly. But it’s very bulky and tends to ride up. When I mentioned this to the doctor he said it would be just as useful to go to a lingerie shop and find something there…

Well imagine my surprise when I popped into one on the way home and found all manner of elasticated shape-shifting undergarments on offer. Most seemed to be made for already thin women wanting to look thinner, promising that slipping into a lycra-laced item would help them look two sizes smaller! Others promised to lift and show off their butts. I was at a loss. So I finally asked a salesclerk for assistance, explaining that I had a hernia and had to wear something for support. She very helpfully showed me half a dozen options and sent me off to try them. Holy crap! I honestly thought I wouldn’t get any of them on, but after a major heave-ho managed to pull them up and… yes! There was definite support going on. I finally opted for this simple Playtex model – which was also the cheapest at 20€ (some of them went up to 85€!). I would have preferred it in black, but this awful liverish colour was all they had in stock. Well, who the hell is going to see it anyhow?

So I reckon I’ll wear the wrap-around hospital faja at home and try out this one for when I’m out and about. The doctor promised me I’d feel much more comfortable after doing this for a couple of weeks. I hope he’s right. I was all set to hear the worst – that I’d need yet another operation. But it turns out I’ll only have to girdle my loins… oh, and “lose a little weight”.