Squish, Zzzap! Prod, Poke…

Today was my annual mammogram and 6 monthly check up with my surgeon.

After dropping the boys at school, I went and had a quiet coffee, followed by some quiet time and reading in the Himeji Japanese garden, well it would have been quiet except for a bus load of tourists and another bus load of school kids.

I arrived early for my mammo only to find that they’d shifted the breast clinic across the other side of the car park. I still arrived in enough time. I was told that the gap payment would be up to $200 – yikes!

They went to the cupboard and got the BIG plates out for me – saved trying to squish my well endowed rightie under small plates, or having to take extra images. After being zapped from the top, side and another angle. It was over quickly and without much discomfort. They checked them out and told me I could go. The gap ended up being $90, that’s $30 for each piece of plastic sheet!

I went and had a quiet lunch and relaxed ahead of my surgeon appointment. This whole thing is nerve wracking, although this year is better than last year for me.

I arrived early, and surprise, surprise, found that all the surgeons had moved, although thankfully it was only next door while renovations are carried out on their building. I was beginning to think everyone wanted to avoid me!

My blood tests showed everything normal, but they are not infallible, no test is. My mammo was fine too. So things are as good as they could be at this stage.

Depending on how my blood test for hormones comes back (whether I’m actually in menopause or still on the edge), he may switch me over to arimidex in October. By then I would have had 2 years of tamoxifen. If the understated joint pain is too much to handle, I have the option of going back to tamoxifen.

Now I get to wind down for about 5 months until the next round in late September.


Sunday 4 April 2004

Woke feeling a bit nauseus and woosey. Had spaghetti for breakfast. Was a bit in lala land, not being able to handle much noise or look at much (dizzy)

Breakfast came back up late morning/lunch time. Some of the liquid had been absorbed as it was a bit solid. Had jab in right thigh – OUCH, stung badly!

Didn’t eat lunch or dinner and drank very little.