A weird, full on week, overall. In the last 10 days I have seen 5 different medics for 3 different issues! Having not seen any doctors for a long time suddenly I’ve seen loads! I’ve also suddenly realised that I am eligible for a senior rail card, and 2 of the medics asked me “are you still working?”, (one answered for themself “no, you aren’t” which I corrected “I’m writing a graphic novel”)……..all of this has made me feel I have become “an old lady”!
Let’s deal with all those health issues, firstly I’m on HRT. It seems women fall into 2 camps, those who are suspicious of it / didn’t get on with it and those who love it. I’m in the second camp, my fear is that it will be taken off me and in fact I just negotiated an increase in my Testosterone gel as the guidelines have shifted and a higher blood level is recommended. My personal take on it is that HRT helps slow down changes due to falling hormone levels and keeps me fit and active, so I’m a very big fan and would recommend it to anyone.
So that was one medic.
Next, I had a lump that needed investigating, for that I entered a fast track system seeing an emergency GP, a surgeon and a radiologist. So far, after mammogams and ultrasounds it is looking like “normal” but a biopsy was taken and that won’t be back for a while.
So that was another 3 medics
Finally, I had a small lump / blemish on my face, between my nose and eye, that I had been watching for quite a few years. A while back I had it removed and it was a slow growing cancer (basal cell carcinoma). Anyway, yesterday I saw another surgeon about that as a more extensive operation is needed. It is nothing to worry about in that it doesn’t spread throughout one’s body but it is in a tight corner and the operation has to be done carefully, maybe involving a skin graft. The operation is a much bigger, more extensive one that I was ever expecting when I originally saw a dermatologist a few months ago and apologetically asked them to take a look at the tiny bump between my eye and nose.
Don’t you just love getting older! It’s all just fun, fun, fun!
Overnight I was thinking about some good stuff though. In all this my husband has offered to come with me, in each case I have refused, I always handle stuff alone, that is what I’m used to, I’m tough, I can handle it.
In each situation (except the GP about HRT) he has ignored my refusal and came with me, sitting on the other side of the paper curtain whilst I had an uncomfortable biopsy, sitting outside the scanner, taking part in the conversations with the surgeons.
And it turns out, I was so glad and thankful to have him there. As a child with no parental support and then going to boarding school at a young age, I learnt to cope with every crisis alone and I’m relearning that it is actually much nicer to have some loving support in the background and not to be afraid of showing vulnerability.