Tamoxigang New Year, New Thread, *46*

[BetsyBoop]

Hands round a for everyone.

I'm para about lymphoedema too and I only had 2 nodes taken. I exercised so much I'm sure that's what knackered the nipple graft - doh!

I'm going back because the house is too cold!! No, seriously, I spend my days at home sat at my laptop googling. I might as well go to work and sit at my laptop doing something more constructive. It helps that the office is only 5 mins' walk from home.

I'm in Belgium and the labour rules here (for my type of employment) mean that I get paid 100% for the first 30 days off sick after which I go on to some complicated equation whereby my work insurance tops up the social security - to a limit, but benefits start being affected. If I go back to work for 15 calendar days, that resets my sick leave. I realise that I won't be able to carry on like this but I feel well enough to go back tomorrow. The hardest part was telling everybody at the office and I solved that by sending an email on Friday!

Hi harriet - sorry to hear that you have a mystery rash. I can't add anything useful, just to say that I hope it's nothing serious.

Ah right updating, I understand now and you do right. I am in a more fortunate position with work, can take up to 6 months with full pay in any one year (with Dr's note). I'm thinking of going back in a couple of weeks when I'm fully better and have my sleep/anxiety under control - seeing Dr next week to see if he can help me with that.

I went in to the office and told my colleagues (some of them are the type to slag one off if you're not there so I felt I had to justify absence). Some were supportive, some were their usual charming sourpuss selves, but at least they can't argue that I'm swinging the lead. I'm not the type to go off sick anyway so I suppose I should have let them stew!

I feel awful for some of the ladies in the US who have to take finances into consideration for their treatment. Thank God for the NHS, I worry so much that we won't have it for long.

Do you need insurance in Belgium as well updating?

harriet, I got an allergic skin reaction after my op, in my case to aqueous cream. It very quickly spread outside the area touched by the cream and started cropping up in several other parts of my body. It was small red bumps in an inflamed area and very itchy. Similar? I think my body - not normally hyper reactive - was fed up with stress and surgery and just decided to over react. Have you tried piriton? might help you sleep. My rash escalated, I'm afraid, and was finally banished by a strong (GP prescribed) topical cortisone cream plus double piriton at night plus a different anti histamine in the day. I was so relieved to get rid of it.

thanks all - that's exactly what it looks like, and my gut is that it's from the dressing. i think i got itchy after thyroidectomy and just took dressing off because they said i could (this one they said to keep on till next friday). i'm not usually reactive at all either wren but think my body's probably equally pissed off from all it's been through! weirdly it's kind of everywhere apart from my boob, but all around it. It's just red little dots, and a bit itchy. Have dispatched brother to try and find some piriton.
problem hello! sorry to meet you here, but nice to have another friend. i think i've only had a couple taken too - they didn't see me after the surgery so i don't really know! But they said 2 or 3. i'm a couple of weeks behind you - waiting results of lumpectomy pathology on friday.

ok - so will try piriton if i can track some down and avoid the delights of central london a&e on a sunday night unless i get a temperature. thanks for advice guys.

harrietv oh that all sounds very good. Much reduced risk if you only had a few taken. I don't think lymphoedema would show itself so soon after surgery either. Fingers crossed it's the dressings - doesn't this disease make one jumpy?!

Oh, and the fact they didn't do a clearance is VERY encouraging. Good luck for the pathology appt!

Hi problem, in Belgium you need insurance for anything medical. I have basic insurance to cover doctor's visits, some prescriptions and basic dental care. You pay at point of service and reclaim the money. You get back 75% of a limit defined by the government. Some doctors charge more than this but you don't get any more back. Of course, the waiting list to see the doctors who don't charge more is longer.

We then have extra insurance for any dental care above the basics. My dd has braces; this will cost us 4000 euro and with all the different insurances, we expect to get about 2000 back.

I get hospitalisation insurance through my work. For this, provided they are notified in advance, they will pay directly and will cover any related medical expenses for 1 month before and up to 3 months after but for these you need to pay up front, claim from the first level insurance and then claim any remaining outstanding from the second insurance. I'm going to be making inquiries tomorrow about whether the timings are different for serious illnesses. It is of course complicated by the official languages being French and Flemish. My French is not fluent and my Flemish is non existent!! I am relying quite heavily on the Office Manager at work!

My work insurance will also top up the social security pay, but only a percentage of the difference between the social security and my actual pay.

Bloody hell updating, that's a right mess about, and an expensive one. In Flemish or French as well! It's a pain on top of everything else. I love the NHS and it's important, and in the UK sometimes people are too quick to complain about it. Makes me crazy!

harriet, it would be worth getting the dressing changed - your GP nurse might be able to help or the hospital. If the itching is awful, my GP friend (and subsequently my GP) said it was fine, if unorthodox, to take 8mg rather than 4mg piriton at night to quell itching and help sleep. Hope your brother finds some!

he found some and i think it's working! dots looking less red and angry. i'll go to my GP in morning and see if they can take it off/change it. typically my entire breast care team are off on a conference tomorrow so i can't just show up there but my local hospital has a minor injuries clinic so much better than going to casualty.
what would i do without you all.....!! (probably be in a&e waiting and panicing)

Warning. Yet another selfish dumping post:
Still in hospital. Had evening meds (about 7 pills) zonked

I'm expecting results any day this week - from tomorrow. Absolutely terrified. Highly anxious. Might help my low blood pressure though. Lol
Either low grade sarcoma (cancer) unlikely of further treatment or care but would be monitored for regrowth.
Or
Bastard aggressive type of benign tumour calked fibromastitis that re grows commonly as doesn't like to be disturbed and only resounds to high doses of chemo, radiotherapy and cancer-fighting drugs.
Please stand with me and hold my hands. If it's not good news, I dint think I'll be able to handle it. It'll throw everything into the air. Future. My DCs' lives. DH wig recently lost both of his DPs within 3 years. Everything.

Oh goodness. Hand to hold waiting for results. You will feel better when you know what it is and have a plan. (())

Even if...?
Just woken up mid-nightmare of being given bad news by smiley 'minimising don't scare patient' surgeon.

(((((((Hugs))))))). Goodness. Waiting is absolutely horrible as all your mind can do is play on all the options. I'm not surprised you're having nightmares, and it's hard expecting the possibility of results every day. Plus you've just had a major operation, so will be short of resources. Do all you can to get stronger day by day; it sounds as though you are doing brilliantly on your recovery.

Morning everyone
Hope everyone slept ok ? Not too bad here for a change though didn't want to get up when the alarm went off !

Goodness hope you get your results soon and whatever they are you will cope. Don't think any of us thought we would cope with having cancer but you just have to with children, homes etc to look after.

So nice to be without my wig, I can go out in the wind and everything!

Talk about a wake up call:
"Good morning Karen. I have an injection fir you and I'm going to remove your catheter."

Welcome world!
It's Monday ;(

I'm dreading results - and they may not even arrive today.
Also (and I know that this sounds odd) I'm dreading going home.
My autistic (not yet diagnosed -awaiting results of assessment carried out day before op) DS is a blummin' lovable nightmare. I do have childcare but put it this way, we havebt had 17 au pairs in 3 years for no reason. He is hard. So am I. Maybe. Lol

As for it being cancer, it'd be a better care plan if I do (hopefully just the op I've just had). If it's benign, it's a nasty fucker that actually acts like an aggressive cancer and comes back more often than not, responding only to seriously tough cancer-appropriate drugs (tax, chemo, rads, etc).
And no support from Macmillan as not called as a cancer.
Exceedingly rare. Blah blah blah

This morning I'm feeling down n why me. Self-pity trip.
Anorexia, molar pregnancy, adult glandular fever - all seemed big. We're big. Now this. Why.
I know the answer: why not. Why shouldn't it be me. Bad things happen to good people. Blah blah blah

Emotional anyway. Did first (giant rocket hard poo the length of a leek) for 6 days, last week. Not great when you've had parts of spine removed and a tumour the size of an orange fri your sacrum. Oh, and guess what joy of joy happened in that moment, too... I came on.
And my DH texted to have a dig cos I didn't jump for joy when he brought the wrong soup having been waiting for it (from home) in anticipation for 3 days here in hospital.

Yup
Tell me to shut up. I really should. Trapped in a room, looking at a brick wall from my hospital room ain't helping. My mood has to lift later. If surgeon doesn't deliver fibro-news.
Sorry for depressing self-pity post (henceforth known as SPP).

Have you got any visitors today goodness ? If not text people and see if they'll come in.
I wouldn't worry about lack of support from Macmillan I thought they'd be really good but haven't had anything from them. Friends and family are the ones who help you through it all.

You sound as if you're going stir crazy and I'm not surprised. I'll be like you in a couple of weeks (assuming I ever actually get admitted for chemo). I'm having a blood transfusion today. They've got air bubbles in my line and spilt loads of the blood bag. Not impressed.

That's rubbish about lack of support. Before I was diagnosed with cancer they thought I had aplastic anaemia. I would have had no support despite treatment being the same (bit less chemo). Having said that my dad had liver cancer and he had no support at all.

did you watch Wanted Down Under today Malt? - they had a family that actually moved and loved it in Aus.

Aargh. That does sound unimpressive, pickle. Hope they get their act together and do it properly.

I've not used Macmillan, so also not sure how much one would miss it. I dropped in on their unit in the hospital and was quizzed by a well meaning but inexperienced individual who quickly had me in tears.... A good place to make tea and pick up leaflets, but I didn't come away seeing it as my first resource.

goodness don't be so hard on yourself. Waiting for results is awful, but at least if you are at home you have things to get on with that distract you. Stuck in hospital you have nothing else to do/think about, no wonder you are going stir crazy. I'm another one who hasn't had anything from MacMillan, not needed anything TBH - I thought they are more aimed at people with a terminal diagnosis, palliative care etc. ?

Well I saw OH Dr earlier and I'm cleared to go back to work next Monday :) Will be good to get back to "normal", Jezza is really starting to annoy me!