Tuesday 17 March 2015

Dr. Goodman, Tamoxifen and periods

I know, I know ....... it's a couple of weeks since my Oncology appointment on 3rd March but I'm here now!!!

Sooooooooo as you know we were away for my Birthday and were then popping by RD&E for my appointment with Dr. Goodman.

We mistimed our arrival (almost sounds grand) and ended up hanging around reading our kindles for  a couple of hours!!! Not a problem when you get a parking space and are reading an Amanda Prowse book.

I have to say that the receptionists I have met recently  seem to be getting brusquer and the one in Oncolgy was no exception ...... I suppose at least she got my name on first announcement but to then bark at me 'date of birth?'  'Doctor?' And if that wasn't enough she wanted the last part of my phone number ...... well what do you class as last part?? I reeled the whole lot off!! She also took a piece of paper out of a folder and slid it across the desk towards me with no explanation...........   So apparently there is a study  involving weighing patients and asking details of nutrition and they'd appreciate my cooperation!!! Well of course, why didn't you say ......... I've lost over two stone and eat eight to nine portions of fruit and veg a day etc etc ....... Oh ok that's to come!! I suppose she did ask if I knew where to go and although I was tempted to be arse holey, I decided to be nice.

The moment we got to the waiting room, it was a relief to see that there weren't too many people there. Scanning the board and seeing that Dr.Goodman was in the house was another relief and also there was nothing saying that the clinic was running late!! Huzzah!!!!

So back to a Mothers Story by Amanda Prowse and twenty five minutes later I'm called in. Lovely nurse called Tree (yes really) asked if she could weigh me ...... 'yes of course but it has been my Birthday weekend and I've been eating and  drinking and making merry!'

'Of course you should' ........

Thank god it was her and not the miserable Tina (Teena) from the past!! 'What are you normally?' 'Around 62.2 with no clothes on. Anyway with all this eating and drinking and with my clothes on she made me 64.85 kg ...... and then calculated it to 10 stone 1lb ....... noooooooooo

I was a bit disappointed that my eating habits weren't discussed though.

After putting on the usual fetching gown and waiting a while the man himself complete with dyed hair and bow tie came in.

Now like Mr. Ferguson he started talking about changing me at two and a half years from Tamoxifen to another drug if I started to go through the menopause naturally. However he ummed and arrhed and mentioned side effects like joint pain and  took a long time to get to the point about whether this would happen. I sat there willing him to decided that Tamoxifen was good for me!!!(Well you know how I put off taking it initially and now how we're just jogging along nicely ) - I'll tell you about the night sweats and insomnia in another post!!!

When he mentioned Letrozole as being the drug in question I wanted to shout 'No' as  after hearing and seeing the side effects my friend has had with it I'd really prefer to stay on Tamoxifen. Well better the devil you know!!

I then mentioned that I was still having periods and had in fact come on the day before my appointment with Mr. Ferguson so despite being 52 and a day I still hadn't started the menopause ......... this is  the only time everrrrrrr that I'm grateful that I'm still doing the period thing!!

Anyway back to Dr. Goodman  ....... he was speechless for a moment as he hadn't known that I'd seen Mr.Ferguson a few weeks before (flicked opened my file and saw the letter) hesitated and was on the verge of saying he wouldn't examine  me because of this  but then thought better of it ....... well I'd gone to the trouble of putting the gown on hadn't I!!!

He thinks everything feels fine too and is also  impressed at how well my boob has healed! (May be there's hope yet and  I can go back to the glamour modelling!!!!!)

Now due to the crossing over of appointments and the fact that Mr. Ferguson wants to see me in twelve months  Dr. Goodman has decided to see me in six months ...... 1st September at 3.20pm. To be precise!

What's the betting then that I'm still having periods??




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