Saturday, June 03, 2006

68 DAYS

That is right. Only 68 days since we saw the first doctor and full circle to see him again today.

In those 68 days Mum has had a mammogram, ultra-sound, core biopsy, CT scan, bone scan, Chest X-ray, heart scan blood tests, breathing test, mastectomy and lymph node removal. She came through the op with flying colours. It even surprised the oncologist at how well she went.

She has to take the tablets for the rest of her life but today it wasn't said how long that life would be. The doctor gave her too much information and I could see her zoning out. Already the wound cut has opened along one end, only 10 mm on Tuesday at the clinic but today it was more like 30. He said it might take 4 to 6 weeks to heal from the inside out. There is also a small build up of fluid at the breast bone. The tumour was much larger than the scan showed but only one node was cancerous. So while everything visible has been removed, the cells can still be floating around somewhere.

She got in the car and asked me if I got everything he said, that's so she doesn't have to think about it. As long as I know, she's happy. Did it mean she was cured? I told her to ask again in 5 years. My sister walked in, took one look at my face and handed me a large chocolate bar. She knows the signs too well. The breast care nurses don't do home visits so I have to watch for infection and do the dressings, which is no problem but what happens to really sick women who can't make it to the hospital? District nurses, I suppose but our doctor is willing to come if he's needed.

The old girl hasn't quite given up but she did tell me to stay home for the weekend. Bad sign, no manipulating to get me to keep her company. I never thought I'd miss that. I picked up her morphine from the chemist and her tattslotto but it was a long walk home in the dark. The leg went again about 3 houses from home. It's just a leg, I can fix that.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

How can you fix it, buy another one if your mother wins lotto? (from the second-hand shop)

Link said...

You'll need that leg. Your Mum's a lucky woman.

JahTeh said...

It's one of those things where if I tense up too much every thing tightens right down the leg like a rubber band and the weakest link, achilles tendon goes snap. I just haven't had time for the phsio or time at home to knock it on the head.

BwcaBrownie said...

"breast-care nurses don't do home visits"
fan-fkn-tastic.
(I mean, where ELSE would a woman with a wounded breast bloody BE)

some of the refugee women locked up at such great expense to this nation, are probably qualified nurses who could make the home visits funded with the money saved by us not having a detention centre.
I'll bet the ranch that Janette HoWARd got home bloody visits.
and at that time, unlike CopperWitches, Janette was not wondering about women less fortunate. xxxxxxxxxxxxxx