Member blog
Waiting for Pathology
I am still waiting for some conclusive results to the supposedly secondary tumor that was respected from my cerebellum (brain) last week.
Prior to surgery, my oncologist said I had progressed from Stage II to Stage IV breast cancer.
After surgery, my Neurosurgeon said that the tissue in question looked abnormal, but pathology results say it is normal and not breast tissue. They say what it is not, but not what it actually is. I wonder if the sample actually made it intact to pathology?
Hospital Alert Systems for Lymphodema Arms
I was wondering if anybody else has had experience with hospitals and alerting them that they cannot access your mastectomy / lymphodema arm for blood pressure cuffs or bloods?
If so, what policy/measures did that hospital use and or how did you make sure your arm was not compromised?
When I had my mastectomy and axiliary lymph node clearance a year ago, the local private hospital used a pink armband to denote the lymphodema arm that was not to be used for blood pressure cuffs or needles to take blood.
Dexamethasone
It is now 5 days since my neurosurgery to remove a 1cm cerebellar secondary tumour, and I am lying awake at 2am in my hospital bed.
The unfortunate side effect of Dexamethasone is all too common, as many of you may have experienced. I have experienced ravenous hunger, burning stomach pains, racing heartbeat and palpitations, feeling hot, and the ever present sleeplessness and overwhelming creative thinking. I just can't switch the brain off!
This wonderful steroid is controlling the inflammation of my brain and tempering the symptoms of nausea and vomiting.
Happy Mother's Day
Yesterday I celebrated Mother's Day a week early with my three beautiful kids and my Mum, Dad and sister. I will be in hospital three hours away from home on the real day, having neurosurgery on my brain metastase, hence the early start.
It was a beautiful day that started with a two course brekky in bed cooked by my kids! My compliments to the chef, it was delicious!
