After all my tears of frustration the previous night, I went into work and one of my friends spent ages phoning around to see how quick a private CT scan would be and how much it would cost. I also made an appointment to see the GP for later that morning so was going to leave work early. I was looking at my emails when I came across one from the occupational health nurse manage who said if she could help in any way then she was happy to do it. I emialed her and she phoned me back to get all the rest of the details and I set off to the GPs. I was sitting there having a sympathetic but not quite helpful discussion about the lack of urgency in scanning me when my phone kept ringing. I turned it off and as I was in pharmacy I listened to the message and found out that the nurse manager had managed to get me a bone scan the next day and a Ct scan on friday. I was so relieved!!
I went out again wednesday evening with another young woman who had breat cancer about 5 months after I was diagnosed. We set up the after school club together. We had a lovely time but I will be so relieved when smoking is banned in pubs!!! So yet another late night!!!
The bone scan appointment was at 11am. The nurse saw me early and put a butterfly cannula into my arm as she was flushing it I said it hurt and as she put in the radioactive stuff it really hurt and I told her this very strongly but she wouldn't listen. When she tried to flush it, no joy apart from more pain for me. She then sytarted to rub my vein vigorously to get the radioactive stuff into my blood stream and of course that hurt even more. I was very upset but went down to the tursday clininc and met one of my ex-workmates and we sat in the sunshine having our lunch. I went back after 2 hours as is the usual procedure and waited and waited. Eventually I was told that the delay was due to the cock up when the radioactive dye went in. Would have liked someone to have told me that at the time. I then had the most bizarre bone scan ever. It was aon an old machine and I had to adopt different positions so they could scan different bones eg one arm at a time, the front of my head and then the back of my head. I had to stand for 35 minutes and so was exhausted.
I got home and my nursing friend had come down to see me - luckily she had bought some cakes with her as I really needed cheering up -so thanks for that thought and the flowers!! We had an indian takeaway so that was easy!!
Friday - I could feel myself getting all panicky about having another cannula put in as my arm was still sore. I went in via the chemo ward and the senior nurse told me to come in at 10am and she would get one of the other really experienced nurses to put in the cannula. The Ct department wweren't impressed but gave me the right cannula. The nurse in chemo got it in with no problems at all. I then met with the HCA's whose english was not their first language. I could not understand him and he kept calling me Mrs Katrin. I explained that was my first name and that I was mrs X but he still insisted on calling me mrs Katrin. He asked me if I had a high fever but then realised he meant hay fever!!! I was even more scared by this point. However, the CT lady then came in and she was someone I had met before and I explained what had happened yesterday and about the marsden cockup. She was lovely and came into the room when the dye went in just to make sure there was no problems so I really appreciated that. She then said that if I needed the scan results for my next appointment at the marsden then she could print them off for me. Isn't it wonderful when you meet really helpful people - I felt so much better after that.
Saturday hubby and Woody went off to London for the day so Laura, AJ and myself went shopping to get Father's Day stuff and to buy crab lines but by the time we were having our lunch it had started to rain so we had to abandon it much to Laura's dismay. They played happily in the afternoon whilst I slept so they were very good.
Today, I felt awful when I woke up at 845 so after breakfast and Father's Day stuff I went back to bed and slept for over 3 hours. This gave me the boost I needed so went off happily to friends for food. I'm so grateful for the way so many people will look after us - it really helps.