Boobie- situation May 24th

This update i wrote after getting home from the most recent surgeon (and the next morning), later i will go back and write an actual post about each surgeon apt in more in depth if only so others can know that if your truly uncomfortable because of a surgeon or the idea of them cutting you open terrifies you because of them (and not the idea of surgery itself) its worth being stuburn about seeing someone else. Might not always work but i am currently very glad i stuck with my feelings and thoughts.

                   "Boobie- situation update as of May 24th

Today I met a third general surgeon (or 4^th doctor) in 3weeks. What a month, well last few months being told I have a lump, found by a total fluke and oh by the way you might have cancer in addition to everything else. My coping skills with any stressors have sort-of disappeared and because of the level of anxiety it seems some of my medications for other health issues have quit working of course leaving me more uncomfortable and on edge, but with where things are now I am hoping I can get back to at least a reasonable level of managing life again.

Cliff-notes:
found a surgeon I like, and who is able to do the surgery, surgery is booked. Will have tumor removed at Guelph general hospital June 14^th.

Detailed:
1^st surgeon (out of Kitchener) as I said in last message left me more confused, unsure and scared (and also made it clear that he had no concern or care about how surgery would leave me looking as he “knows many women with breast cancer and none of them care how they look, they are all just very happy to be alive”), my issue with that quote is from the women I know it’s wrong, second we don’t even know if I have cancer yet so a 3-5” scar across the top would leave me upset, extra if I know it’s possible to be avoided. There were other issues with him but the one that I think might bring the best understanding is that reading size 12font with glasses on seemed impossible for him. I left the appointment of meeting this dr. in tears as I had no idea how tricky it might be to try to see another surgeon. All in all I did not want that dr cutting on me. 

 

Grand River Hospital Kitchener

Luckily my family dr. had no issue giving me another referral once I stated I was uncomfortable with the first surgeon. My discomfort was enough for him without logical reasons to back it up.

                                 

 

 Groves Memorial Hospital Fergus

 

 2^nd surgeon (from Fergus) I really liked. She couldn’t do the surgery however, or at least not in the best way. Due to my situation* for surgery they need a wire-localization done before I go in the OR and with the Fergus hospital smaller than most, they don’t have the equipment. She could do surgery on my but would have to do so blindly, cut out more and hope for the best. Doing so means she would do her best but without a way to get visuals in the OR or have it marked for her she could miss part or all of the tumour and I’d have to have a 2^nd surgery. For this reason she said although she could do the surgery it wasn’t good patient care when other doctors could do it with better odds of doing it right, she said she’s refer me to one of 2 surgeons in Guelph that she liked and sent women in my situation to. That said I was still debating if I’d go with her as she made me feel much more relaxed about everything and in charge of the situation. 

 

Guelph General Hospital

3r surgeon (from Guelph) I met yesterday afternoon. Not only does she make me feel relaxed, normal and such I feel confident she will do surgery well and she is the one who brought up the *idea* of trying to make it so hopefully I won`t look much different after the surgery, and discussed how she would go about that. She also was the first person to take into consideration the medications I’m on and conclude I should perhaps talk to the anesthesiologist so they understand what I’m on and a better plan can be worked out. Surgery with her has been booked.

So this is the timetable:

1.       ________ (will learn apt date/time next week) Will meet with the anesthesiologist who will be in my surgery at Guelph G.H. to go over my medications, what I should or shouldn’t take the day or the week of surgery (as some of my medications are in patch form).

2.      ________ (will learn apt date/time next week) Pre-op clinic appointment. Will have blood work done, oxygen levels taken, height/weight/pulse, and other questions asked. I will be told how to prepare for surgery, what to expect and discharge plan.

3.      June 14^th  ____ (morning don’t k now time yet) Will go to Guelph General Hospital to have my wire localization procedure done by radiologist. If unsure what this is and care to know more: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68RxrTtNnQs

 

 

 

  

 

 

4.      June 14^th 10:15am have to be in Guelph general Day-surgery wing for prepping to start

5.      June 14^th  12:15pm Left Breast excisional biopsy with preoperative wire localization surgery will begin. Basically it’s a lumpectomy but as the tumor their excising still needs farther studying to know if I have cancer or not it’s called an excisional biopsy. The surgery should take under 60minutes. The incision will try to be hidden as best as possible, if it is possible in order to conserve my present appearance. After surgery I will be moved to recovery where I will wake up, and after I am alert enough to leave, and able regain control over my body parts that might have been impaired due to aspects of surgery I will be sent home. S will be at the hospital for much of the day and will be bringing me back home that afternoon or evening as long as all goes to plan. If anyone wants to reach us he will likely be playing on his cellphone whenever possible to kill time, and unless for some reason we get home really late or something unexpected happens he will likely be checking his email/Facebook when home that evening, and possibly mine.

 

6.      June 27^th Post-op appointment to see how I am healing and such IF pathology on my tumor is back at this point this is also where I will learn what the tumor was and if cancer/malignant what will happen next as that would possibly mean more surgery. If pathology is not yet back than I guess I wait till it is and learn the results from my family dr. perhaps.

* my situation is not only is my tumor not very large so hard to locate for others by touch who don’t feel pain once they locate it, I also have fibrocystic breasts so it is not the only lump they can feel the last to surgeons both agree it’s in the midst of 3-5 lumps they can feel, some larger that the tumor that their concerned about. This also allows them to understand why at 19, and again at 26 (and would have between if I had a local family dr.) I’ve gone for breast imaging as self-breast exams for me are next to useless as I’ve always been able to find something it is just a matter of will it go away in a day, week, or few months. The tumor they are worried about I’d felt before and that left me feeling like I should have let them know sooner, but heck there are 3other lumps I’ve been able to find for the past 6months too depending on when I do a self-exam and none of them are anything to worry about so I can’t report every bump I find or I’d never leave the dr’s office.

Skullcap for Interstitial Cystitis

well i have been working on the post i said i would be doing next, but i am having issues getting the details on one of the treatments, since to be honest most doctors don't know about it and apparently there isn't exactly research on its use either, and i don't know how to give details about it without quoting right now so i will start off with the safest treatment that anyone should be able to get their hands on, and in the next post i will cover the next treatment and so on.

Alternative treatment for bladder issue, in my case semi diagnosed Interstitial Cystitis (i think i have explained being "semi diagnosed" in a past post, though later i might check and if not, i will explain it in a later post)

Herb (found at health food stores)
name: Skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)

Traditional Use:
It is used in alternative medicine as an anti-inflammatory, abortifacient, antispasmodic, slightly astringent, emmenagogue, febrifuge, nervine, sedative and strongly tonic.
Traditionally it is known as a nerve tonic and sedative for relieving anxiety, neuralgia, and insomnia. In China it is found in prescriptions for fevers, colds, high blood pressure, hypertension, insomnia, headache, intestinal inflammation, vomiting of blood, and other
conditions. Because of its calming effects on the nervous and musculoskeletal system, it was also at one time considered to be a remedy for rabies, thus it's name "mad dog weed."

Percautions: A medicinal infusion of the plant is used to promote menstruation, it should not be given to pregnant women since it can induce a miscarriage. There have been no documented cases of negative interactions with other herbs or medications, it does have a sedative effect and should not be combined with prescription sedatives.(for the record i have never had it effect my menstruation in any way at all, and i have taken scull cap and then a prescribed sedative without thinking and no issues personally). Overdose symptoms include giddiness, stupor, confusion, irregular heartbeat and twitching

Preparations:
Skullcap is available in dried form as teas, capsules, tablets, and tinctures. Care should be taken to buy skullcap from a reliable source to ensure the identity of the plant material.

How i take:
2-4capsles (425 MG each) when i am starting to get a flair or getting really bad sudden issues. (granted i find my IC flairs are at times semi anxiety related so that might be why it helps me but it being a sedative effecting nerves might also be part of it, so who knows. But i do often find it impressively effective.  I find if i am feeling urgency and pain before i take it, it takes effect and makes it so i don't feel the need to rush to the washroom within 20-40minutes of taking the pills. This seems to happen for more anxiety based flairs or when its not too extreme IC flair.

having megga anxiety issues about this week.

I wish I wasn’t on the verge of an anxiety attack at the thought of going to Toronto to see my pain management doctor all because my period is likely going to show either the day of the appointment or the day I am trying to bus back home.

Its really sad in my eyes that the anxiety is cause I know where ever I am when my period shows up I am trapped for the next 18hours since I can often not walk, lift things anything really and often in too much pain to communicate, what bugs me more is this is all to go to a PAIN MANAGMENT appointment, yet this issue lies with the fact they fail at managing my pain (on a day to day it’s okay done but not at my worst pain points at all) Another doctor has had to pick up the slack (Thankfully another doctor who understands endo, but because he is a god in the pain management world, people can often only see him 5times total and the next available appointment that I booked almost a month ago is in late January)

So I might have to postpone my f-ing appointment with the doctors I dislike simply because I can’t go see them from pain and then will be even more scrutinised when I do see them after period for the fact that I put off appointment (they will ignore the fact I couldn’t walk as they have before) and then you get rewarded with my joyous monthly urine test (a new perk of seeing the doc in the last 4months) I will get hell likely for the higher concentrations of items in my urine even though what else was I supposed to do? Or if it goes as it has the last few times (when I show up a week before period so no high concentrations) am told there is no sign of my pain meds in my system so the logical explanation for that is that I am selling my medication. Oh how I love going to a doctor that doesn’t take my pain issues as real and either makes me feel like I am a druggie, or a drug dealer. Fucking fantastic.

oh and another thing is 2months ago back really started bugging me then a month ago worse, then I was in my friend’s car when she was rear ended (do you see where this is going?) so my back really fussy/painful now. The doc gave me muscle relaxants that I tried before last period and found completely useless (tried one 2nights in a row) so I plan on bringing them to him next time I see him for him to dispose, since he seems to think I am selling everything.