Calling all triple negative breast cancer patients in the UK
Comments
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Hello Rhonda,
It was good to hear from you. I was glad to know that all is going well with your Xeloda treatment. I think the secret to get through this kind of treatment is to have more often. It seems that patients feel worse when they have the every three weeks cycle.
I was glad to know that you are feeling good and staying busy.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Marias,
I read your post with great interest and I cannot believe what you have been going through. Why was your painkiller drug not sorted out before? It must have been frightening to be on the operating table only to be told that because of the painkiller drug celecoxib and the problem of bleeding, that it could not be used.
What a mix up with the anaesthetist. I hope everyone said that they were sorry to you.
Do you know when you will have the surgery? Do you have a date? What painkiller will be used?
Thank you for your photograph of the humming bird. I am sure you will look after it and be able to see it fly away.
Abrazos.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Lou,
It was nice to hear from you. I do hope you will enjoy your part time job, working from Thursday to Saturday. Three days at work seems to be an ideal situation. What are you going to be doing?
I think the drink you are making sounds good. I do drink pure coconut water on a regular basis. It is very refreshing and is good for rehydration and has electrolytes in it, so is better than the sachets that are on sale with electrolytes in them because they have sugar. This coconut water is expensive so I tend to buy it when it is on special and you can get two large cartons for £4. I do like fresh turmeric and usually buy it to cook with carrots or other vegetables. I do not know what bitter gourd is. Where do you buy it? When you say fresh coconut juice, do you mean chopped coconut that you are juicing. I think those ingredients sound like a good mixture.
Thank you for your anniversary congratulations for Raymond and me and thank you for your kind words about this lymphoedema problem.
You are right about keeping busy. It keeps your mind away from thoughts of cancer etc.
Thinking of you and sending fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Pam, please let us know how you get on.
Hello to 4everStrong, Galway, and Val. Everybody in our group has popped in to keep us up to date so I hope you are all fine and that you will pop in to say hello.
Best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Everyone,
I don't have any results yet, which is a test of my stress-reducing skills. I'm hoping to hear soon. In the meantime, I'm keeping myself busy with work, and helping my dog heal after ACL surgery. We have to keep her confined for weeks to come, and that is a big challenge.
Today I made a beautiful kale/arugula salad - vegan only because I didn't have any goat cheese - to use up a gift of persimmons. The chickpeas are tossed with harissa and roasted with the persimmons, then tossed with cucumbers, nuts, dried cranberries, and a light vinaigrette. The picture's a little blurry, but you get the idea:
I hope you are all relatively well today,
Pam
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Hello Pam,
I am just popping in to say that I did admire your very colourful salad. It looks very Mediterranean and very Rainbow! I must admit I have never had cooked persimmons although I do like them raw when they are very ripe. I did have harissa soup when I was in Morocco for three years and remember it as a very spicy taste. You have a very healthy meal there.
I do hope you will get your results soon and that all the news will be good. We all seem to do a lot of waiting in this medical state.
I do hope your dog will make good progress.
The thread has gone very quiet again but I suppose the Christmas frenzy has now started and then you have Thanksgiving and Black Friday.
I received a newsletter from our local charity, Hospiscare. I enjoyed their visits when I was going through my cancer journey. There was a suggestion in there about asking people to make a donation to them as a Christmas present. I think that is a very good idea. They need £300,000 a year to provide their services in Exmouth and they do not get any funding from government.
The weather is cold here and I do not like November in general. We have just had Halloween which we have copied from the US. Tonight is Guy Fawkes night so people will be inanely letting off fireworks, making a lot of noise, causing pollution, and no doubt some accidents, not to mention sending up money in smoke! I do long for the UK to modernise. Guy Fawkes did not even manage to blow up Parliament!
I do hope you are having an enjoyable weekend.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi Sylvia,
I'm glad you liked the look of the salad. It was great, and I would make it again. Thanks for your good wishes, I can use them. I love the idea of asking people to make a donation to your locat charity, Hospiscare. To me, these are the most important, meaningful gestures.
I laughed out loud about your mention of Guy Fawkes night. When my husband and I took a short trip to London, years ago, we went in November. We had no idea what was going on when the fireworks started, so we asked the cabbie, who replied, "Well It's Guy Fawkes night, innit??? Ignorant tourists that we were, I still thought it was hilarious, and I loved London.
I am reading a brand-new autobiography, by my favorite radio DJ when I was in high school, Richard Blade. He came to LA from Torquay, which I see is pretty close to where you are. He speaks very fondly of it, and though I never knew much about his personal life, I now have a tremendous respect for his work ethic and resilience. It's not a masterpiece, but it's a giant book, and I read almost half of it in a day.
The closest we got to Exmouth was a quick day trip that included Glastonbury. We also went to Bath on the train, and it was lovely.
I hope you're doing well with your exercises and your recovery.
Cheers,
Pam
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Hello Pam,
Thank you for your post. I am surprised that no one has commented on that lovely photograph of your most impressive salad. It impressed me so much. Do you think that people are suffering from the November blahs and have gone into some kind of hibernation. Salads like yours show artistic talent.
I was glad to know that you love the idea of making a donation to your local charity. They do so much and do not get anything from the government.
I really think that we should stop celebrating Guy Fawkes. It is all so meaningless. He was born in 1570 and died in 1606, executed. Why, of, why in this strange little country do we live so much in the past? As a child I remember November 5th, the bonfires, the penny for the guy and the stuffed effigy of Guy Fawkes. Why we are still celebrating a Catholic plot to blow up Parliament and get rid of James I (an Anglican) who succeeded Elizabeth I who was Anglican and that was all following her father's break (Henry VIII) with the Pope and establishing himself as head of the Church of England!!!
I did laugh about the word "innit". That is not a word I much like and it has not been around that long. It is meaningless in my vocabulary and seems to be added on to sentences aimlessly. Our English language has been much dumbed down of late!
I can see that you are a great reader.
I was interested in what you had to say about that author Richard Blade, in that he came from Torquay, which is about thirty miles from Exmouth.
I am continuing with my exercises but I am pretty fed up with the long wait to get some treatment. It has taken more than a week for the referral from my consultant to get to the lymphoedema clinic at the same hospital! I phoned the lymphoedema clinic yesterday, and was told the referral was on its way, and that when it arrived it would take a month to get an appointment. I am not expecting to be seen this side of Christmas. The NHS is just not working. There are too many patients, too few staff, too much abuse by people who are not entitled to treatment and not enough money being put in to fund the system.
Keep us informed about how things proceed with you.
That is all for now.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hi Sylvia,
I have been back from my few days away since Sunday, but while I was gone my brother and his wife from Texas made a surprise visit and will be here all week, they are not staying at my house but nearby. I went to see them as soon as I got back and again yesterday. I have cancelled a couple of appointments for them this week and that's okay, but I will miss my acupuncture! I drive an hour each way for that and it takes about an hour so that's a pretty good chunk of an afternoon.
I was surprised to see that you are getting impatient with waiting for your treatment, I thought that was set up already. I don't blame you for being upset, it is not a good feeling to feel like a cog in a big system that badly needs overhauling. What do you think is the answer? I notice you said there is too much abuse by people not entitled to treatment? I thought with the NHS everyone is entitled to treatment. In my opinion such systems don't work well, as there are more and more people using the system and fewer people paying for it. Do your political leaders etc. use the same healthcare system as the citizens use? Our own system is far from perfect.
I saw Pam's picture of her delicious salad while I was gone, and I would have loved to have one just like it. I do not know what harissa is, haven't looked it up. But yes, I agree it looks beautiful.
Also while I was gone we went to the old market of Omaha NE, and found lots of restaurants and some cute shops. And we found an amazing old bookstore. Old and a bit dusty, with piles and stacks and bookcases full of books of all ages, genres, conditions and so on. Most of them were labeled by shelves, and in a semblance of order, but it was overwhelming how many books were there. I could have spent hours, but there was nowhere to sit, just pathways through piles of books. I did buy three to read and keep, and fondled some of the signed, old first editions but didn't buy any of those.
I was glad to see Rhonda checked in along with Marias, Kathy, Angie and Nancy and Lou.
Talk to you soon, love,
Mary
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Hi, Pam
Having been chastised by dear Sylvia, I want to say I also thought your salad looked delicious, healthy and beautiful! Covered all the bases.
I hope you hear about your scan results soon, that is nerve-wracking if you think about it too much. Hate it when the worrying time is on a weekend!
I have always been a little puzzled about node involvement in BC. I had one doc tell me a while ago that in his opinion that's what the nodes were for, to catch bad things before they spread to the rest of the body. I found that reassuring but haven't heard that from any other docs. I had 3 removed at surgery time, with micromets in 2 of them.
I had a flu shot a few weeks ago, and a funny thing happened about a week later. One evening I became very achy and painful and that lasted for almost a week. I felt as if I'd had a bad fall and just every joint and muscle ached. When I told my acupuncture doc about it and about the timing of the flu shot, he said that could have been the reason. I do normally have aches and pains but not usually entire body at the same time.
If you see my above post to Sylvia, I mentioned an old bookstore I loved. You probably have those where you are, there are not any around here like it. There are some antique places here with lots of books, but they are mostly jumbled, messy and it's just too time-consuming to go through them for very long. That being said, I do have a couple of first editions found in such places, and bought for a song!
Talk to you again soon, Pam, good luck to you!!
Love, Mary
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Hello Lou,
I like to be busy too, sometimes I wear down and have to catch up on rest, but my normal routine is busy days and quiet nights. I like the feeling of normality, and sometimes when I am in the middle of feeling normal I remember the hard days and it's like a little shock.
I think the idea of working 3 days a week sounds great, hopefully it's something you will enjoy.
You are so fortunate to have access to all the fresh fruits and foods, I suppose year-round. We had a big pear harvest from our trees, but they are about finished. Fall gardens are winding down, from those we had turnips and other root vegetables, but the autumn green beans have frozen already, and the tomatoes too a while ago.
Glad you are feeling well, traveling, and enjoying family!
Talk soon, love, Mary
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Hello Mary,
It was nice to hear from you. I do hope you enjoy your visit with your brother and his wife. You certainly have a long drive to get acupuncture.
My treatment was not already set up. I had to go through the bureaucracy of getting back into the health system at the hospital, because I had been discharged from all that two years ago. I phoned my GPs surgery on October 16th and by some miracle I was able to see her that day. Often there is a three week wait to see your GP! That went well, but she told me she had to refer me to my former breast cancer consultant who would then refer me to the lymphoedema clinic. The two departments are in the same hospital. I had to wait two weeks to get to see the consultant. I saw her on October 31st. She saw me quickly, said all was in order, but that she wanted an ultrasound scan. For that I was waiting around for an hour and a half. I waited a week and then yesterday phoned the lymphoedema clinic to ask if the had the referral from my consultant. I was told it had not arrived but was on the way. How they know this I do not know. I asked how long I would have to wait for an appointment with the lymphoedema nurse once they had the referral. I was told about a month. I shall then have to go to the hospital, get measured for a compression sleeve etc, and then wait for the sleeve to be ordered and arrive back at the hospital. Then I shall have to go back to try it on. It is quite possible that it may not fit properly then!!
The NHS is not working. It is a system that was brought in for a 1948 country, with simple medical procedures and a smaller population. It is now over-used, under-staffed and under-funded. The NHS for England is supposed to be for English people. They have their own system in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Unfortunately we have all sorts of people who have not paid into National Health Insurance, deducted from our pay when working, that is now treating anyone who turns up from anywhere in the world. They are supposed to pay but they get the treatment and do not pay. All the immigrants walking across our borders are treated. This is not sustainable.
The answer is for our government to get tough, but it is useless. Lots of the politicians use private insurance and so they live in a bubble.
Would you believe that last week on the news we were told that the government had lost the papwerwork and indeed lost the actual people making up 56,000 illegal immigrants and who were supposed to be deported. Where have they gone?
The NHS is not free, in fact it is expensive. It is free at the point of receiving it, you do not give up cash, but you have paid for it through your National Insurance contributions.
I do not know what the answer is because people go on about their 'rights' but not their 'responsibilities'.
I have just sent off my paperwork to join the Lymphoedema Support Network (LSN) with my subscription. They seem a worthwhile organisation. I have been reading some information also from an article from Chris Woollams, dating back to 2004. In that article I read "In lymphoedema, time is of the essence. Wasted time doth time doth waste the body".
I am treating myself through manual lymph massage, exercise and keeping the arm moving, keeping it elevated when sitting, keeping hydrated, taking care of my skin and not lifting anything heavy.
I was not chastising you, Mary. I know that you were away for a few days. You are one of the strongest posters on here. I do think that people on here should be prepared to post and not just to view. If we all had that attitude there would be no thread. It there are no threads there will be no forum.
Sounds as though you had an interesting time in that old bookshop.
That is about all for now.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Mary,
This is the information that I have about the lymphatic system and I got it out of the information pack that I requested from the LSN.
"The lymphatics form part of your immune system, helping to deal with infection at a local level, but just as , they are responsible for cleaning your tissues and maintaining a balance of fluids inside your body.
"It can be likened to a waste disposal system, taking tissue fluid, bacteria, proteins and waste products away from the tissues around skin, fat, muscle and bone."
That is all I have time to type today, but I shall try to do some more during the week and I shall see if I can scan the illustration of the lymph system within the body. It is very interesting.
It is really awful that with cancer we have to have lymph nodes removed, which leaves us with an impaired lymphatic system and prone to lymphoedema. It is not confined to cancer surgery but all surgery and radiotherapy can damage the lymph system as well. It all states the case for having successful cancer treatment with as little treatment as possible.
You can subscribe to LSN from abroad for £30.
Sending you fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Everyone,
I want to get back to all of these interesting posts as soon as I can, but I wanted to let you know that I finally got word about my CT scan last night after I left work. It's clear, so I can breathe a little easier for the moment. My MO is still monitoring my blood work, but I'm less worried about that.
Pam
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Hello Pam,
I just noticed your post and wanted to say I was so glad to know your scan was clear. You must be so happy.
Fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Everyone,
Sylvia, I am happy. I was trying to be happy while I waited for results, but that was difficult. Eventually I just got exhausted. I can imagine how you feel a little "lost in the system" right now, while you wait for your appointment and do your self-treatment. I felt that way too, since I usually get quick responses, (if not results) from my MO. I couldn't even get a reply to an email. His office said that they were extremely busy, which is concerning, when you think about it.
It sounds like you are doing all the right things for your treatment. I hope this is a completely reversible condition, and a distant memory for you at some point soon.
On the day I got my results, I had driven home from work twice, because my dog would not tolerate being kenneled and alone. Then I had to drop her off at her vet, where she will stay until at least next Fri. It was quite a day.
About the word, innit, I was much more amused and in agreement of our ignorance, than by the word. It was that we were informed that we knew nothing, and then asked to confirm it! We've had some unique conversations with cabbies during our travels. I don't regret any of them.
Richard Blade from Tourquay was a hopeless philanderer. Other than that, he seems relatively decent for a celebrity. By his account he was not involved in drink or drugs, even though he was a disco DJ in Europe throughout the 70's. Then he and his father were hugely influential in the "2nd British musical invasion" during the 80's, when I was in high school.
All I wanted then was to go to England, the home of my favorite bands. I would have been thrilled then that I would someday know people from Sheffield and Birmingham, and would correspond with someone from Exmouth.
Mary, I am on the fence about getting another flu shot, even though my MO insisted that I get one last year. It sounds like you're feeling better now, but I don't want to have the kind of side effects that you described. I stopped getting it for years before the last one.
The bookstore that you described sounds great. We don't really have them here anymore. There was a 2-story Tower record and bookstore near me, but it's been gone for almost a decade. Even though I get as much reading as I can for my Kindle, I miss both kinds of stores.
I recently won a gift certificate for an acupuncture treatment, which I have never had before. I'm curious, since that is a "stick," do you have them avoid your arms during treatment?
I really appreciate the support here,
Pam
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Hi everybody
I'm back. After several months of not being here because of lots of stressful events in my life, I'm back here with no good news.
I don't know what to say but there are sometimes some problems you do not feel comfortable talking about them. My brother's marriage ended after 20 years of living together and having 2 children in such a bad way that was a real nightmare to all of my family.
I went through a bad mental break down as my brother s wife and I used to be close friends. She in fact betrayed us all. It's really a shame to even talk about such these things.
Now, after all the emotional impact of that family crisis, my disease is back. I just received my fna results of a mass in my breast. I had totally forgotten about my disease and now I don't know what to say.
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Hi everyone,
I just acupuncture today for my neuropathy. I had great luck with it while going through chemo, and stopped after 4 treatments, I should've continued because the neuropathy came back as I was still doing chemo. I'm 6 weeks post chemo so started treatment agin while waiting for my wound to heal. I'm happy to report that's it's the size of a pencil eraser compared to the lemon size I started out with. I'm still on the wound vac, can't wait to get rid of it The wound doc insists the slow healing is because of chemo.
Pam,
The acupuncture needles are not sharp, and are very short They poke you according to your needs So far I've been poked in between my eyes, the meridian line, my cheekbone, my bald head, sides of my wrist, between my fingers, between my toes, above my ankle, and my ear I had no issues with her sticking my surgical arm. They leave them on for 40 minutes. I feel the effects after 3 or 4 days
By the way your salad does look delightful
Glad to hear about your scans Honeytagh,
I'm sorry you hear you are going through this ordeal all over again. Have you found out what stage and treatment yet?
Angi
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Hello Pam, Angie, and Hanieh,
I am just about to go out so I shall read your posts later on.
Hanieh, I am so glad to have news of you. I have missed you on the thread. I was sorry to read that you have been having such a hard time. I shall talk to you later.
Best wishes to all three of you.
Sylvia xxxx
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HI, Pam
Congratulations on your scan results, that must be a load off your mind, onward you go!
How nice to have a gift certificate for acupuncture! When I go to see my acupuncture doc, he does not put needles in my right arm, which is the one affected by right mastectomy. As Angie says, he puts them in many other places, from my toes up to and including knees; from the fingers of my left arm to the elbow; the top of my head, my face, and all over my ears. I sometimes have a good effect immediately after the needles are removed, and sometimes it is more gradual. I think depending on what the main issue is at the time. The last time I went in I had all-over aches and pains, and I felt much better as I was driving home. I go every 2 or 3 weeks, he is in a small town and only charges $45 per visit. I feel lucky to have found him, even though I have to drive an hour each way to see him. I think part of the benefit is the time afterward when he leaves you for 20 minutes in a darkened room and tells you to just totally relax and breathe. Meditate or nap as you like.
I am glad I got to enjoy that bookstore, I hope the next time I am in that area it will still be there! Bookstores are endangered species, as are the book and music stores.
I do hope your dog is recovering, they are such good companions, and it's painful to watch them be unhappy.
I go back and forth about the flu shot every year! I got them every year when my husband was so ill, and got used to doing it, but I always wonder if I'm doing the right thing.
Pam, I shall talk to you again soon, so glad about your test results!
Love, Mary
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Hi, Sylvia
My family is still visiting, I am afraid I got worn out yesterday and had to stay home and just be quiet last night.
Your healthcare system issues do seem to be difficult. I'm glad you got right in to the GP at least. I can usually get in to see my GP on the same day, but they are definitely not all that way. This country has a shortage of GPs, I have read that. My GP will even come to the phone and talk to me, or any of his patients who call, while he is in the office. It can save a visit at times. He will order tests or send a patient on to a specialist after he sees you as he sees fit. It does seem odd that the lymphedema clinic would not have the order for you, but would know it's on the way. If they know it's on the way, wouldn't they have knowledge of it?? Isn't it all done with the click of a key?? I hope it all gets straightened out as soon as possible, I know you are taking the best care of yourself through all this.
The NHS sounds like our Medicare, (which isn't free either!) which I am now using. It is for people 65 and over, who supposedly have been contributing to it all our working lives (although most of us pay over and above that too); it is also used by other people through different divisions of itself, such as Medicaid.. The problem arises, as you say, when it is used by people who have not contributed, such as people who won't work, or people who are here illegally, or people who have worked but work "under the table", so they don't have to pay taxes. There are more and more of us who are 65 and over, and less of the people contributing, the problem is compounded by all the waste in the system that comes from our lawgivers, who are only interested in their own welfare, seemingly.
Yes, it is hard to not feel a bit bitter about the issues we are plagued with after cancer treatment; the only saving grace is that these issues are better than dealing with another cancer. Which brings me to our dear Hanieh, who has contacted us.
I shall talk to you again soon, Sylvia
Love, Mary
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Dear Hanieh,
We have thought about you a lot and missed you here, it's good to hear from you and I am so sorry for all that you are going through now. A divorce in a close family is almost like a death, it is so upsetting, when there are children it's even sadder. Such a lot of stress for you to deal with, and then to get the diagnosis you have received is really piling on. Did you have a lumpectomy the first time, it looks like the mass they have seen is in the same breast?
If you don't want to talk about all this now, I understand, it must have come as such a shock. Please know that we are thinking of you, and hoping for the best; you have become like a little sister and we care about you and have wondered how you are. Try to think of positive things as you move forward, I know that's harder than it sounds.
Thinking of you, dear Hanieh!
Love, Mary
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Hello Pam,
Thank you for your post and for your kind words.
I do hope that everything will work out well for your dog.
It sounds as though you enjoy your visits to the UK and I am not surprised that you enjoy your conversations with taxi drivers.
I was interested in what you said about how much you like some of the English music. What were your favourite bands?
It is really interesting that we can now correspond to people anywhere in the world. I have got to know so many people on this thread.
Thinking of you and sending best wishes.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Hanieh,
I was sorry to read that you have been living through some distressing family events. I hope that as time goes by you and your family members will be able to pick up the pieces and get back to a more normal life. These unhappy events seem to be part of life, which is full of ups and downs and we just have to learn to move forward.
The stress of all of this has probably not done your health any good. You went through such a lot with your breast cancer and had so many different problems that you needed many years of calm to recover from it all.
I read the paperwork you posted and it looks as though you have a recurrence in the right breast and this time the doctors think it is invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) which is the most common type of cancer and is used to describe cancers of no particular type. It may not be much of a consolation at the moment but a recurrence is better than having spread (metastases) to other parts of the body.
Have you discussed your treatment plan with your doctors? You can get through this and you must now concentrate on yourself and be optimistic about coping. We shall all be here for you.
Sending you all my love.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Angie,
Thank you for your post. How much more chemotherapy do you have to have before you can put it behind you? Will you be having radiotherapy?
I do hope your wound will be healed soon. It must be difficult for you dealing with it and with chemotherapy.
Keep looking forward. It will come to an end.
Sending fond thoughts.
Sylvia xxxx
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Hello Mary,
I am too tired to do any more posting this evening. It has been a busy day. I shall post tomorrow when I do not have as much to do (I hope!!).
Thank you for all you do on the thread. I still have some information to post about the LSN regarding lymphoedema.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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hi Sylvia,
I've been done with chemo for the last 6 weeks just waiting for my wound to heal. I will be having 6 weeks of radiation.
Angie
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hi everyone,
Has anyone had delayed radiation? I'm getting nervous that my radiation won't start for at least another two weeks which would make it 8 weeks post chemo. Originally I was told I would start two weeks after chemo ended. My RO says it's okay, but in my mind, I'm seeing cancer cells floating around
( Angi
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It has been a while since I have been on the bco website and there has been so much happening.
Pam - so happy for you that your scan came back clear - I understand what a sense of relief that news is - it is like being able finally to breathe out after holding one's breath for a seemingly long time. That is great news.
Sylvia - how frustrating to have such a long wait to see the lymphodema specialist and get measured for the sleeve. Hang in there - and hopefully you will get your appointment sooner than you expect. I have heard similar complaints about the NHS from friends and family in the UK - there definitely is a need for a major overhaul - but where would one start with that? It is such a huge task providing healthcare for the masses. We have had major cutbacks in health services here in British Columbia and all over Canada. Our son lives in Quebec and it sounds like a nightmare there - one cannot find a family doctor there - if you get sick, you have to go to emergency and sit for hours to be seen. British Columbia seems a bit better compared to that - it does vary from province to province. In British Columbia we can access private clinics with relative ease - all you need is money for that.
Maryna - good to hear that you are well and keeping busy.
Hanieh - like others have said - we have missed you. So sorry to read about your bad news regarding the divorce in the family - that is so tough on all family members. How difficult it must be for you to have the diagnosis of another tumour - my thoughts and prayers are with you. You will always have a listening ear here from all of us on this thread.
Angie - how wonderful that your wound is getting smaller. Your patience has certainly been tested. Hang in there.
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Hello Mary,
Thank you for your last post. I do understand how you get worn out with visitors and need some quiet time. Having people staying in your home makes for a lot of extra work.
I do not think the NHS here will improve. The staff work so hard and I have no complaints about them. They are trying to deal with too many people and insufficient staff. I think patients could at least try to make an effort in their everyday lifestyle and meet the medical staff halfway. Too many seem to be happy to swallow pills and make no effort. There is too much abuse and not enough responsibility. It is the same in everyday life. There is too much emphasis on rights and never a murmur of responsibilities.
Here in the UK, all people who are legally resident are entitled to NHS treatment. I think everything has also gone wrong since we joined the EU. In theory, all EU citizens are entitled to treatment in countries belonging to the EU, but I somehow think this does not work and people come here for treatment.
I do not think we shall ever get out of the EU, even though the people of the country voted for it in a democratic referendum. The establishment and the remainers are doing everything they can to stop it or push it into the long grass. Everything to do with Brexit is about what is good for business. Our sovereignty and especially our right to control our borders, is never mentioned. In the meantime, foreigners just keep walking in.
I have switched off thinking about the appointment with the lymphoedema clinic. I am just doing what I can to keep my arm in a stable condition. The hospital where I go is now on a special regime due to an outbreak of norovirus, so I do not want to be going there at the moment. I put that virus down to lack of hygiene because hospitals are far too big and swarming with crowds of people.
That is about all for now. It is a dull November day.
Love.
Sylvia xxxx
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