You are here: Home > 2011 - Blog   Go Back

2011 - Blog

28 December 1911: Christmas was over.  I attended an appointment in the Oncology Department to see Dr S Dubey who went through JH's medical history and JH's familial history with calm, unhurried precision - in spite of JH's eagerness to interrupt with questions - which would be answered in due course, if only I stopped to listen!  Dr Dubey went through all the options available to me with regards to further treatment.  During August 2011, I had been told by Miss Prance and Jennie that my lesion was sensitive to Oestrogen, and the significance of this information had been explained to me.  I had inserted the following footnote into my Donation Diary:-
 
http://thehippolady.co.uk/page.aspx?filename=2008---june-3rd---tuesday.aspx

1] In 2011, JH had to research her own physiology following having a left mastectomy for breast cancer!  it was only then - after having been put on anastrosole 1mg tablet daily for 5 years - that JH realised that oestrogen continues to be 'manufactured' 'here and there' including in the fatty tissues {of which JH has a lot} after reaching the menopause.  Hence the efficacy of taking anti-hormone tablets - should the histopathology on the cancerous breast tissue indicate that the cancer is 'hormone sensitive'.  JH stopped using HRT cream.

Dr Dubey prescribed anastrosole 1 tablet to be taken each day for 5 years.  To obtain my medication, I went to the Lloyds Pharmacy situated by the Outpatients Department: this branch of the Commercial Business was set up some years ago so that patients did not need to go down in the Hospital's dungeons to the in-house pharmacy - or make a trip to their local pharmacy to obtain their medication. [In my day local pharmacies were called chemists.}  One of the WRVS Tea Bars, where JH occasionally worked as a volunteer, was originally located, here, in the Outpatients Department - until such time as the Tea Bars were taken over in-house and finally closed down as they became uneconomic to run.

On 29 December 2011 Jenny aspirated 120ml of fluid from under my skin flaps: she had to manoeuvre the cannula about to reach the pockets of fluid which were separated by the fibrous bands developing between my chest wall and skin flaps.  Actually my skin flaps were almost numb but underneath I had a 'tickling' sensation which was strange rather than uncomfortable.  The amount of serous fluid was diminishing and, eventually, any remaining tiny pockets of fluid would be reabsorbed into the subcutaneous packing tissue. 

http://shop.breastcancercare.org.uk/


A display board stood in the corridor by the entrance to the Primrose Unit on which the Nurses pinned letters received from patients about their experiences of being treated for breast cancer.  The stories were frank and uncompromising.  One lady explained that her husband vomited  in the consulting room when the Surgeon confirmed his wife's diagnosis.  Some ladies sensitively but frankly wrote about their expectations with regards to future intimate relationships with their spouse.  I chose to use the word 'spouse' rather than 'partner'.  Neither word is gender specific.  The book Sexuality, intimacy and breast cancer published by Breast Cancer Care - talks about 'partner/s'.  I talk about myself . . . as still wishing to be able to entertain myself even though I felt violated:- the latter word was provided by Jenny whilst I was chattering on in one of my most wobbly emotional moments.   It had been intimated that I could write a letter to be pinned on the display board; Jenny suggested that perhaps I should wait until six months post-mastectomy.  Was Jenny actually a bit apprehensive about receiving an exposé . . . which required censoring, ie, the removal of allusions to some items by Tracey Emin's bed . . . from me?  In any event, eventually the display board was removed.

KEEPING ABREAST FLAPPED INTO 2012
 


On 4 January 2012 I had a Bone Density Scan which Dr Dubey considered was clinically indicated.  My previous Scan had been done in 2008.  I was osteopenic.  Subsequently I commenced taking Calcium 600mg chewable tablets twice a day for ever*!

For the fifth time . . . I went to the Primrose Unit on 9 January 2012 where Cheryl - a new recruit to the Nursing Team - aspirated 120ml of serous fluid from under my skin flaps.

My Dénouement was reached when I attended the Amethyst Room on 30 January 2012 - three days after my 71st birthday - to be fitted for a breast prosthesis.  I took my newly-purchased front-opening bra with me - into which a amoena natura 1S 665 - size 12 prosthesis was placed by Jenny, together with Cheryl . . . and with a great deal of 'Sturm and Drahm' of adjusting straps and eye-level appraisal to assess that JH's false nipple and real nipple were level: JH had of course lost her nipple with her left breast . . . which fact she had been warned about by Mr Cant; however Mr Cant had told JH that she had lost weight - in view of the amount of tissue which he had removed and which had - on each occasion - been weighed in the Histopathology Department.  However, my falsie weighs 900g!

 
alfresco suckling: an unusual occurrence

 

 

The logo design is adapted from an ornament depicting two Hermit IBISes on either side of the ankh sign, (as displayed on the front cover of this edition).  This was found at Giza, in the necropolis around the Great Pyramids, in the tomb of a woman of the Fifth Dynasty (around 2500 BC).
 
Similar examples have been found in the tombs of other women; the symbolism appears to be associated with rebirth and fecundity.  The ankh is the Egyptian hieroglyph for ‘life’ and the crested ibis is the hieroglyph ‘ankh’.  This has the original meaning of shining or luminous, from which it derives the more common meanings of beneficial, glorious and useful.  When hieroglyphs are combined in this way they are designed to be read, even if the context is decorational.  The whole group can therefore probably be interpreted as something like:  ‘glorious of life’ or ‘beneficial for life’

The ibis is also the bird sacred to Thoth, the god of wisdom, who is usually represented with an ibis’ head.
Thanks to Kate Spence, who provided the artwork and information for our IBIS.
 

 

 Postscript one


After an interval of over four years - in July 2015 - I received a missive from the IBIS Office with a request that I re-sign an updated Consent Form because previous Forms were illegible and, of course, did not meet the requirements of up-to-date confidentially protocols (which, JH observes, had exponentially multiplied as computer records multiplied) and other considerations.


Postscript two*

In May 2016, JH informed Dr Tutty that she intended to stop taking Adcal Calcium Suppliments [and Losartan Sodium].  Subsequent blood analysis indicated that JH's was not osteopenic.
 

 
 
Print Print