Friday 20 December 2013

The Twelve Days of Christmas

On the twelfth of December my true love sent to me, a fever of 38 degrees.

Plus serious aches and a general feeling of malaise. Contacted the Breast Care unit who saw me same day and I had 40ml of fluid drained from my recent surgery wound. Advised to "do nothing" to avoid further fluid accumulating. Off work AGAIN.

On the thirteenth of December my true love sent to me, an emergency visit to the GP.

My wonderful GP agreed to see me at 5.30pm on a Friday as I was in a right flap about feeling so lousy and not knowing why. I was concerned I might be reacting to the Tamoxifen tablets that I had recently started. He rang microbiology who said that the fluid drained off was not showing any infection as yet. As the fever seemed to have broken and the wound wasn't that red, he thought we could probably watch and wait over the weekend.

On the sixteenth of December my true love sent to me, revised results from Microbiology.

The fluid was infected. Having tested it they knew which antibiotics should work and which wouldn't. My GP stepped in again, liaised with the hospital and prescribed Flucloxacillin. Take 4 times a day on an empty stomach. How do I fit that in around actually eating as well?!

On the seventeenth of December my true love sent to me, a planning meeting for Radiotherapy.

Went to hospital, had a CT scan, had a snakes and ladders/grid affair drawn on me with black pen and then three prison method tattoos (seriously, just ink and a needle readers - no fancy buzzy tattoo pen) dotted in the middle and sides of my torso. Yes they are permanent.

On the nineteenth of December my true love sent to me, a check up of the infected vicinity.

Saw the Breast Care nurse again. Infected area still red and hot but no further fluid accumulating. She measured the red area so that we can tell whether it is getting better or worse. She also reassured me that the infection is sensitive to other antibiotics as well so if this one doesn't clear it then they have others to try. 

The good news is that today the redness seems to be reducing. I am going to limit activity until at least new year now as the nurse advises to try and give the area time to heal so that hopefully there are no pockets for fluid to gather in once I start being active again.

Onwards and upwards!

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