Today is Monday 27th September

At 8pm, our day is almost over. It has been one of our busiest, but most positive and productive.

We were up early as I had a hospital appointment and not exactly sure where we were going as the hospital in question is having a vast extension built, and what looks like a multi-storey car park to replace the original parking facilities which is now a mass of meccano framework.

The Breast Clinic was easy enough to find, and the staff were lovely. It was my first time here having been sent for referral by our new GP as I had some concerns about ‘The Football. I’d phoned up for an appointment a few weeks ago, got a telephone consultation the same morning and a face to face appointment within an hour and a half!
My annual mammogram should have been this month but last year was delayed by two months and when following it up, I was told it wouldn’t be until November. I had been thinking about having my notes moved more local as Cheltenham is a 370 mile round trip from here.
Anyway, I had been signed off from my treatment this year, though kept on an annual mammogram watch following Dick’s demise two years ago. Hard to believe, isn’t it.
Today I had a full examination, mammogram and an ultrasound. Everything is looking OK and I’ll get the results of my mammogram in a couple of weeks.

Funnily enough, I had a phone call from the Gloucester Health authority this afternoon about arranging a date in November for my annual mammogram at Cheltenham.
I explained what had happened and she was really pleased for me considering the distance now. She suggested I call the breast clinic here to find out if I was on their watch notes.
If not, all I had to do was request that the new clinic contact them and they could transfer my notes directly to them. As it turned out, we had taken photocopies of my notes and I was able to give them to the consultant I saw today.

I spoke to a lovely receptionist on the phone at the clinic, who was the same one who had made my appointment today. She remembered me and checked her records. I am now officially under their care, and on their watch list for five years. I have also been referred to their Family History specialist (which was mentioned today) as breast cancer affected my twin aunts and a cousin, and have an appointment for that at the end of next month.
What a result! I am convinced that if we were still at the old surgery, I would still be trying to get through to make an appointment to have a telephone consultation with a doctor, let alone a face to face appointment or anything else!
Keep safe everyone.

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