Woman DENIED breast reconstruction after cancer due to funding cuts.

[HelenaDove]

inews.co.uk/news/mum-denied-breast-reconstruction-nhs-cancer-mastectomy-funding-cuts/?utm_source=fb&utm_medium=fb&utm_campaign=ijp&fbclid=IwAR2SK1n5MW35jGdA4cT9g1XwPA3tw2POnqhW3O3v0Z3Poo8bmjtoLkCI4DM

and some of the comments on the fb page are fucking disgusting misogyny.

HelenaDove

Broomfield in the regional centre for plastics isn't it - are the long waiting lists due to lack of provision elsewhere in the area? This lady had her initial treatment at Queens in Romford and the report makes it seem like there are no other options (unless you live in Norfolk or Oxford) so no wonder they are overwhelmed if taking all patients from Romford to Chelmsford.

How is that impacting on the treatment of patients living in Chelmsford? Presumably it's worse because where is their alternative?

I have just come home from having a mastectomy at 32. Having reconstruction surgery is the o it thing keeping me going. I've lost my hair, eyebrows and I may now be infertile(we don't know for sure) I've still got radiation and another 6 cycles of chemo ahead of me.

I've got a fake soft boob but it is no where near what was chopped away. I was rather fond of my boobs, in fact I now need a whole new wardrobe as 95% of my rope showed a bit of cleavage, which I now don't have.

It sounds so vain as I'm happy to be alive but my surgeon has told me to go away and lose a lot of weight(over 7 stone) before i can have any reconstruction surgery. BUT at least I have the chance to have a reconstruction compared to this poor woman.

It's not right.

Pandoraslastchance
It is absolutely not vanity.
You are going through so much, I hope you have lots of support.

Pandora

Has anyone pointed you at YBCN on FB? It's for women who've been diagnosed with BC under the age of 45. I found it very supportive.

Weetabix said ...Then maybe start a general thread to talk about it?

I responded. Now that's wrong?

Pandora . Wishing you every luck, and sending strength, for your continued treatment.

I just fail to understand why every discussion turns away from the initial point and ends up being about trans issues.

There's no mention in this story about trans men or women having any bearing on waiting times at Broomfield.

No one is looking at why this has happened or how it can be addressed, it's just turned into a discussion about TRAs and mastectomies, regardless of whether it is relevant here.

Weetabix You are showing scant regard for women on this thread discussing their experiences of cancer treatments.

How the hell am I showing scant regard for women?

I am asking why this is happening? What can be done about it? Why we appear to have only 1 hospital covering an area stretching from Greater London to East Anglia that can perform this surgery? Because that is frankly outrageous if that is the case.

How the hell is that showing scant regard for women?

Weetabixandshreddies
If you took the trouble to read posts around yours you wouldn't need to ask.
You won't I'm sure.

R0wantrees

I have read them.

Again I ask , why is there only 1 hospital treating patients from East London through to East Anglia, offering this surgery?

Do you not think that is scandalous?

Pandoraslastchance
Have you heard of the 'Look Good Feel Better' courses?
I know a number of friends who found them really useful.

I had a mastectomy 6 years ago and was given an immediate reconstruction. The first thing I did when I came round on the ward was look at it. I was so pleased with it, even though there was a big scar and no nipple - that was to be reconstructed at a later date. When I went to the hospital a week later for a dressing change the nurse asked me if I had looked at it yet, I said yes, it was the first thing I did after I woke up. She said some women can't bring themselves to look at it, even a week later!! It is a traumatic event, physically, mentally and emotionally. Anything that can be done to ease the pain can only be a good thing.

I don't get how this is misogynistic, unless I've missed something. It's unfortunate for the poor lady but the NHS has to prioritise, she will probably get a reconstruction in time, just not yet.

My mother had to go private for her breastcancer treatment. As the NHS wanted her to have a reconstruction in her remaining breast, but also said the chances were very high for it to come back in that one. So she wanted both off. Apparently the NHS do not chop off healthy body parts So she was told reconstruction or nothing basically. Luckily she could afford to go private and sort it though. But the double standards in so many aspects of NHS care are just ridiculous.

www.thesun.co.uk/living/3549187/bionic-willies-on-the-rise-nhs-operations/

"THE number of men getting bionic boners on the NHS is at an all-time high.

Last year 548 blokes with severe erectile dysfunction had the £8,000 ops — up a quarter in just four years.

And health service bosses predict the number having penile prosthesis will continue to surge.

Funding changes could see around 900 men benefitting from the procedure annually by 2020.

In 2011/12, the number was just 444. Around five million Brits suffer from erectile dysfunction

But six per cent of those seeking GP help do not respond to drugs including Viagra or treatments such as vacuum pumps.

Their options include having tubes implanted in their willies that can be filled with water by pressing on a “reservoir” next to their testicles.

Flexible rods can also be put into the shaft, allowing them to snap their willy into place.

Experts said demand for the devices, which allow patients to have full intercourse and climax, is being fuelled by older blokes

Dr Geoff Hackett, ex-president of the British Society for Sexual Medicine, said: “This is great news. No doctor wants to tell desperate patients to forget about having a sex life.

“These are patients who have come to the end of the line with every other treatment

Greater awareness means demand is going up. Lots of older men are not ready to give up on their sex lives just yet.

“Many widowers and divorcees are not willing to start a new relationship unless everything is working in that department.”

Since last month NHS England has taken charge of deciding who should be allowed a bionic todger.

That ends previous patchy availability which was down to local health groups ruling on funding and eligibility."

Experts said demand for the devices, which allow patients to have full intercourse and climax, is being fuelled by older blokes

Dr Geoff Hackett, ex-president of the British Society for Sexual Medicine, said: “This is great news. No doctor wants to tell desperate patients to forget about having a sex life.

There is a massive disparity in how many Drs ask men who have had treatment for prostate cancer about their sexual function after treatment and how few ask women who have been treated for gyaecological cancers.

Sorry Weetabix i just spotted your post from Saturday. Yes Broomfield is the main centre for plastics and for burns patients.

There is a massive disparity in how many Drs ask men who have had treatment for prostate cancer about their sexual function after treatment and how few ask women who have been treated for gyaecological cancers.

They might ask about sexual dysfunction after surgery (once the damage has been done) but they don't offer less damaging treatments because they are far more expensive. So open prostatectomy and trans urethral resection carry risks of incontinence, impotence, virtually guaranteed retrograde ejaculation whilst cyberknife radiotherapy treatment has much lower risks of side effects but is only available in a handful of centres and requires special funding consideration.

I think this is a problem with all genito urinary and gynaecological cancers (and I worked in this specialism for many years).

The point I was making was whether Drs asked about sexual function.

They rarely ask women.

Pandora

Weetabix
2015 study
'Sexual activity and functioning in ovarian cancer survivors: an internet-based evaluation.'

OBJECTIVES:
Sexual dysfunction is a known complication of treatment for many cancers, but there have been relatively few studies investigating outcomes for ovarian cancer survivors. We have previously reported that women treated for ovarian cancer experience persistent psychological and physical problems. Sexual functioning was highlighted as a significant factor and we sought to investigate this further.

RESULTS:
Across all responders (n = 102, mean age 51.3 years), 63% of women reported their ovarian cancer diagnosis had negatively changed their sex life. The most common reasons given for an absence of sexual activity were a lack of interest in sex, physical problems that prevented sex or no partner. Of the 46% of responders who stated they were sexually active, 77% reported pain or discomfort during intercourse and 87% described vaginal dryness.

CONCLUSION:
For the majority of women, treatment for ovarian cancer negatively impacts on their sex lives. Many of the symptoms described by participants are potentially reversible and clinicians should be open to raising the issue of sexual functioning with their patients."
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25029389

But what purpose does just asking do if you have already done the damage to the patient?

Too often the focus is on treating the cancer (which absolutely is probably the most important) but little thought is given to life after cancer - this applies to women and men, as we can clearly see in this case. The patient's quality of life seems to be dismissed after treatment.

Weetabixandshreddies

I am surprised given your often flouted medical credentials that you seem unable to process information which relates to your claimed experience.

However, this is the conclusion to the study I have linked and I have highlighted the key points:

CONCLUSION:
For the majority of women, treatment for ovarian cancer negatively impacts on their sex lives. Many of the symptoms described by participants are potentially reversible and clinicians should be open to raising the issue of sexual functioning with their patients."

Also FYI I was diagnosed with gynaecological cancer and so do have considerable awareness of the issues.

R0wantrees

I truly don't know why you get so aggressive.

I am not saying that women are treated well in this respect. They aren't. Much much more needs to be done, and done better.

Where I disagree with you is that men are treated better than women.

Even if men are asked post operatively there is nothing that can be done to help them because the damage is irreparable.

They could offer less destructive treatment but it is too expensive.

What benefit do men get over women, simply by being asked the question?

To be clear, women absolutely should be asked because quality of life after treatment is of huge importance and that should apply to both sexes.