I live in Johannesburg, South Africa, where I was diagnosed with breast cancer on Thursday January 15 2009. This is my journey with cancer and other musings as surveyed - initially temporarily hairless - from under my hats.
Monday, October 26, 2009
no mammogram and scan after all
After making myself hysterical with fear - although woke up this morning and said: "Whatever happens I will deal with it" (does one have a choice, really?) - I did not have to have a mammogram or scan after all.
When The Tango Man had asked me when my last mammogram was, I said "October", forgetting that when I found the lump below my armpit on Christmas Eve last year, I then had a mammogram plus a scan in January (there were no doctors in town to do one before).
So when I went there today, was called in to my appointment and then told that it was too early. It either had to be a year since my last one and now was three months too early, or six months since I finished radiotherapy. Now no clue when I finished that but do know, cos I checked via this blog yesterday, that I finished chemo on April 14, that is, six months ago so it's a far shorter time since I had radiation.
The woman who was gonna do the mammogram said she had had breast cancer 23 years ago and had had a masetcomy. By the same surgeon I had seen but who had decided not to operate on me.
"Didn't you have surgery?' she must have asked me about three times. And I explained that I did not have a primary tumour.
When The Tango Man had asked me when my last mammogram was, I said "October", forgetting that when I found the lump below my armpit on Christmas Eve last year, I then had a mammogram plus a scan in January (there were no doctors in town to do one before).
So when I went there today, was called in to my appointment and then told that it was too early. It either had to be a year since my last one and now was three months too early, or six months since I finished radiotherapy. Now no clue when I finished that but do know, cos I checked via this blog yesterday, that I finished chemo on April 14, that is, six months ago so it's a far shorter time since I had radiation.
The woman who was gonna do the mammogram said she had had breast cancer 23 years ago and had had a masetcomy. By the same surgeon I had seen but who had decided not to operate on me.
"Didn't you have surgery?' she must have asked me about three times. And I explained that I did not have a primary tumour.
Sunday, October 25, 2009
first haircut since chemo
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/blogger/thread?tid=306372cce44213da&hl=en
Anyway, that pic shows what my hair looked like before I had it cut yesterday. Had to look it up on this blog but last had chemo on Tuesday April 14. That means it is now just over six months. So that's how long it took to have my hair grow out long enough to have it cut. I wanted to cut it earlier but Carlos, my hairdresser, said it was too short.
Now Erica, the head nurse at the oncology centre, has advised me not to tint it while on herceptin treatment. Initially was told not to tint it for six months after chemo but she said it's best not to do it while on herceptin. She said it would make my hair brittle. I trust her. She is the one with the experience. Pity because I would like to brighten it up. But there are bigger issues. Like going for a mammogram and scan tomorrow. My first mammogram since the one I had in October last year and was given the all-clear before finding a lump below my armpit just under two months later. (Also having herceptin tomorrow.)
And another issue is the fact that am suffering from fatigue. Went to a party on a farm in the Magaliesburg area yesterday. Drove there and back and afterwards, in a restaurant last night, almost fell asleep. One cup of coffee and I was fine, but feeling far more fatigue in the last three weeks. A heavy day at the office and I feel wacked. Think it's the tamoxifen.
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