Tag Archives: hospitals

irony

02 Monday Dec 2019

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So you may recall that I had a CT scan on November 4th, after insisting on some follow up preventative testing when I was told “you’re fine now” last February and to just come back if I had any pain. Duh. In the end managed to get my oncologist to agree to an ultrasound, which happened in August. Well, the ultrasound results showed some dodgy stuff going on with my liver, and an MRI was recommended. THEN my mystery pain returned, so the oncologist set up another CT scan.

I got the test results three weeks ago, only because my GP prints them out for me once they are in the hospital database, otherwise I would still be totally in the dark. And since then I have been waiting for my next oncology appointment, because frankly the results are a bit worrying and I don’t know what they plan to do about what they found or suspect. There is a hospital number to call for setting up an appointment, which takes you directly to an answering machine where you leave your details. I did this twice and still haven’t heard back. Then it ocurred to me that maybe they didn’t understand my phone message because of my accent and so today I went to make an appointment in person with the Oncology secretary.

When I arrived there were about eight people already waiting in the hallway outside the secretary’s office, which seemed pretty normal, so I joined the queue. But the queue wasn’t moving at all. Then it transpired that the secretary wasn’t actually in the office. WTF? About half an hour later we were told that all the computers were down so they wouldn’t be able to make any appointments BUT they would take down our details and call us back. WTAF??

And so we waited until someone who wasn’t the oncology secretary (never did find out where she got to) wrote down our names and other details on a sheet of A4, saying someone would get in touch when appointments for our doctors opened up again. Say what? Well, apparently the doctors are all fully booked and so they aren’t making any new appointments until… oh, they didn’t actually know. Maybe end of December? Some time in January?

Meanwhile, ran into a friend of mine while I was in the hallway queue. He was on his way to an oncology appointment because DAMMIT he’s had a recurrence and now has a tumour in his lung. We hugged and kissed each other and I was left feeling so sad. Also frustrated because, even though I know Spain has a very good public health care system, it somehow feels like it’s less efficient than it was a few years ago. I mean, I am definitely a “squeaky wheel” kind of patient, but what about people who don’t push for extra testing or follow-up appointments in time to maybe save their lives?

And the irony? When I finally got into the Oncology secretary’s office I saw this photocopied message taped on the wall. Don’t worry bitches, I am ON it.  😉

ct scan results

12 Tuesday Nov 2019

Posted by in cancer, hope, hospitals, sevilla

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Picked up my CT scan results today. I’m so glad my GP will print out a copy for me once the report has been uploaded onto the hospital database. Then I type it out in Spanish and put it through google translate (with medical terminology it’s pretty accurate). And then I read it. Because I know it will be weeks before I get another appointment with my oncologist and it’s good not to feel in the dark all that time.

Anyhow, remember last year after my November 2018 CT scan when my oncologist told me I was fine now, cancer free for ten years, so I didn’t need any more scans, but you know, I should come back if I’m ever in pain? And I thought, fuck that shit, by the time you are in pain with cancer you are practically dead (as I found out back in 2008).

So I convinced her to at least let me have an ultrasound, which happened late last summer. And guess what? They saw something on my liver that they felt warranted an MRI. Meanwhile, my mystery pain came back (again!), so then my oncologist agreed to another CT scan, instead of an MRI, which she said was a more “complete” test.

All I can say is… damn good thing I am still getting tested! The report from last week’s scan is a mixed bag of inconclusiveness, but there is concern about “this and that”, so it looks like more testing is on the horizon. Not going to go into details now since nothing has been confirmed, but they could not entirely rule out more cancer, along with a few other new “issues” which have kind of left me reeling. On the other hand, it may all be nothing but inflammation from previous operations and illnesses. Me? I’ve gone numb. And am keeping on with my daily walks. There’s nothing else I can do for the moment.

difficultitis

07 Monday Oct 2019

Posted by in health & happiness, hospitals

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Difficultitis – a chronic condition arising from repeatedly trying to get your doctor to take your complaints seriously. Symptoms include frustration (mild or otherwise), a sense of helplessness, loss of sleep and occasional tears. Although the cause has been well established there is so far no known cure.

I went to see the oncologist today fully armed with notes and print outs of the results from my last ultrasound and blood test, ready to tell her about my latest bout of diverticulitis, and ask about getting a blood test to check for possible infection. And well, that almost happened.

First of all, the possibility of having diverticulitis was shot down when I was told that my last colonoscopy (done a month after I had the first abdominal pain episode) didn’t show any evidence of diverticula, hence they couldn’t be inflamed if they’re not there. Okay…

So I went through my questions and the doctor said that, because of the new pain issue,  instead of an MRI (which had been recommended after the ultrasound) I’d be having a CAT scan. Even though I’d read that an MRI is much better than a CAT for detecting liver problems I was assured that a CAT was a preferred “two birds with one stone” approach. So, okay…

I asked the doctor if she had any idea what might be causing the abdominal pain (accompanied by shooting pain in my right arm and shoulder, just like the previous time) and she said no, and that this was why I was getting another CAT scan. And that was it.

My feeling is the liver issue is probably more important than this recurring abdominal pain thing, so a more specific test for that might be better? Rather than a shotgun approach to check out the entire abdominal area. Oh, and I had mentioned that the previous time I went to emergency with the belly pain they did a blood test to check for infection, but then forgot to ask if I should do this again, especially as I am supposed to be travelling next week and the CAT scan probably won’t be for a couple of weeks at least. So now I’m left waiting again.

I really miss my old oncologist. I felt she actually listened to me. Sadly she ended up with cancer and retired shortly afterwards. I mean, this new one is better than some of the awful ones I’ve experienced, but I just don’t feel “heard”, if you know what I mean.

diverticulitis

04 Friday Oct 2019

Posted by in health & happiness, home

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Remember when I got a mystery lower abdominal pain a couple of years ago? It began mid-November and lasted until I had a PET scan near the end of January, and was similar to something that occurred a couple of years previously. WELL IT’S BACK!

The abdominal pain (lower left hand side) started up again on Wednesday. I’m not talking about the usual discomfort I have due to adhesions, hernia, etc. I’m talking PAIN. But fuck it, rather than race to emergency again, I decided to leave it until I see the oncologist on Monday (FINALLY got an appointment). Then I was talking to my friend Ann about this and she said “sounds like when I get diverticulitis”. Say what? So I googled diverticulitis and there were my symptoms to a T. But I mean, wtf? You’d think the many doctors I have described this problem to would have also heard of diverticulitis, no?

Anyhow, learning that this is a fairly normal disease and is rarely life-threatening (though it can be) helped me relax a bit. And now I have a bit more “ammunition” for getting the scans I need when I see the onc. I had an ultrasound done a couple of weeks ago – a month later than it should have been – and they recommended an MRI because they found a couple of dodgy bits in my liver they want to check out further. So now I have to press for the MRI and probably another colonoscopy. DYI post cancer revisions.

And another amazing thing! I casually mentioned to Ann that the radiating pain in my right upper arm had also returned, and although I was sure they couldn’t be related I also thought it was weird that I had this exact same arm pain during the two months I had the belly pain. And good ol’ Ann sent me this…

Referred Pain in Right Arm from Abdominal Wall Pseudoaneurysm

I mean seriously, who’da thunk it?? Especially as I mentioned the arm pain to the oncologist two years ago and she said it had nothing to do with the abdominal pain. I know I know… diagnosing yourself on the internet isn’t often accurate (or advisable) but it sure does seem like these two problems have been explained, and that they are related. So now I just have to get through the next few days and maybe also get a blood test done to check for infection… it’s always something.

blood!

14 Wednesday Aug 2019

Posted by in cancer, casa azahar, home, hope, hospitals, sevilla

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WARNING: although this looks like a Jackson Pollock (it’s actually BLOOD!) the rest of this post might be a bit TMI for some of you. Nothing gross or anything, just, you know, perhaps somewhat more info than you may want to know about. So you have been warned. And it’s totally fine if you don’t want to carry on reading…

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