Had my four-monthly check-up with The Tango Man today and all is well. So relieved. Always nervewracking, especially considering I felt so well when I was diagnosed with cancer so I know that feeling great is not neccessarily any indication.
Now see him again in February, before which I have to have my annual mammogram, plus he is sending me for a chest x-ray and a abdominal scan. Guess I will be hyper hassled before all that but until then, can relax.
Two interesting things: he said that with tamoxifen, I shouldn't have taken calcium pills. "You didn't listen to me," he chastised. Well, I did and always do listen to him: he never told me although might have mentioned - or did I read it somewhere? - that tamoxifen helps the bones. Anyway, that kinda explains why my calcium was raised.
Then he also said that there was no need to take aspirin a week before and after flying. Just the day before the long flight, the day of the flight and the next day. He also said there was no need to wear special flight socks, like the nurse had told me to last year when I flew to Monaco.
Oh sad news is that darling, wonderful Joyce, the oncology nurse who called everyone "Poppie" has died. What a shock. Heard she had got sick, had had an ulcer, had a large part of her stomach cut away and now, Sister Emily tells me, she died. Can hardly believe it. Was about 30-something. Apparently leaves a 14-year-old daughter and that her husband had died when she was eight months pregnant.
What a bloody tragedy. And how ironic that she helped everyone get over and deal with their illnesses and so she helped save lives, yet now she is dead. Funeral was two weeks ago. I would have gone, I told Sister Emily, but apparently it was in Vryheid, which is pretty far away. If there is a memorial service - Emily said there would be - I will go. Hope it's not when I am away. Joyce helped me a lot and feel I must help her family in some way.....
Now see him again in February, before which I have to have my annual mammogram, plus he is sending me for a chest x-ray and a abdominal scan. Guess I will be hyper hassled before all that but until then, can relax.
Two interesting things: he said that with tamoxifen, I shouldn't have taken calcium pills. "You didn't listen to me," he chastised. Well, I did and always do listen to him: he never told me although might have mentioned - or did I read it somewhere? - that tamoxifen helps the bones. Anyway, that kinda explains why my calcium was raised.
Then he also said that there was no need to take aspirin a week before and after flying. Just the day before the long flight, the day of the flight and the next day. He also said there was no need to wear special flight socks, like the nurse had told me to last year when I flew to Monaco.
Oh sad news is that darling, wonderful Joyce, the oncology nurse who called everyone "Poppie" has died. What a shock. Heard she had got sick, had had an ulcer, had a large part of her stomach cut away and now, Sister Emily tells me, she died. Can hardly believe it. Was about 30-something. Apparently leaves a 14-year-old daughter and that her husband had died when she was eight months pregnant.
What a bloody tragedy. And how ironic that she helped everyone get over and deal with their illnesses and so she helped save lives, yet now she is dead. Funeral was two weeks ago. I would have gone, I told Sister Emily, but apparently it was in Vryheid, which is pretty far away. If there is a memorial service - Emily said there would be - I will go. Hope it's not when I am away. Joyce helped me a lot and feel I must help her family in some way.....
Gillian, I a, so pleased to hear there is a solution to the elevated calcium levels.
ReplyDeleteMay the lovely Joy Rest in Eternal Peace. I am so sorry to hear the news, especially for her daughter and the many patients whose lives she touched.
Thanks Cheryl. Yes, I was pretty frantic about my elevated calcium levels. But it clearly is not a problem, plus on last count it was only 0,01 above normal, and that was after only three weeks without calcium supplements.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, very sad about Joyce. She helped me so much with my chemo and Herceptin treatments, always there to cheer me up (oh I wasn't miserable but she really made it all seem fine), and provided support I really needed, not least 'cos my mom died suddenly when I was having chemo.