To say or not to say??

Hello 🙂

I just realised I have not written a blog post in 2014 yet- so happy 2014 although a little late hehe. I’m sorry I have not posted but things at Uni have been pretty much the same. I am a true believer with my blog to write when I feel I have something to say and so the time has come for me to start writing again. In all honesty as I write this I have realised how much I have missed doing so, hopefully a couple of more blogs in the pipeline 🙂

So what’s been happening with me? Uni has been pretty much the same with lectures and work to be completed, it was really nice after Christmas to get back in the swing of things again. I celebrated my 20th Birthday in January and had an amazing birthday weekend. I went clubbing with my Uni friends and also had a visit from the family which endured lots of lovely cake and tapas at a Spanish restaurant. I was also lucky to receive some lovely presents, cards and many birthday wishes- thanks guys 😀

I have now started my second placement block at a different hospital and completed my first week- wooo 🙂 This time last week I was not enthusiastic about going in and would have been quite happy not to turn up on the Monday morning.  This really surprised me as I really enjoy placement and the patient care is the aspect I really love about the course. I still felt nervous on the Monday morning but as I put on the uniform everything just clicked- I felt fantastic and ready to face whatever the day would bring! I received my rota for the 5 weeks and I was a bit displeased when I saw I had CT the first week. If you have read my previous blog about placement you would be aware I struggled with CT at first and it took me time to adjust. I wasn’t looking forward to CT but decided to go in with a positive attitude and that it may be different this time. It again took me a couple of days to adjust not only to CT but being back on placement but I had a fantastic week 🙂 I managed to sign off a few things in my competency framework which has made me feel positive, alongside a really good weekly comment. So I am really pleased my second placement block has started off so positively. There is a little more pressure this placement as I have to undergo an assessment but I have 4 weeks left and will cross that bridge when I get to it 🙂

Anyway back to the title of my blog 😛 More and more people now on my course know I’ve had cancer and received radiotherapy. I’ve recently been given a group activity which is 80% of one of my units where we have to talk about health care professionals and the patient pathway.Our group was given the pre-assigned 4-year-old girl with leukaemia. To help our group it was obvious to talk to them about it so they could have some understanding about the impact not only on me but also my family.

I recently had a conversation with a lovely lady on my course about would I tell the staff or patients on placement that I’ve received radiotherapy. This for me is a really tricky situation and it’s the case of do I say or do I not? I don’t have a problem in talking to people that I’ve been ill- trust me I could happily sit and talk about it for many hours. However it’s the fact of is it appropriate for patients to know? Is it appropriate for staff to know? Would they treat me differently? For me it’s a really tough thing, I suppose if it comes up in a conversation and I feel comfortable then I would say. However, I don’t want people to treat me differently or think it’s the only reason I wanted to become a Radiographer.

I want to become a Radiographer because I truly want to make a difference to the patients so they have a positive experience. I want them to look back on their treatment not with fear or anger but appreciation like I do for all those that helped me along the way.

Love S

xxx

Patience…

Hello 🙂
Oh my days I can’t believe it’s December already! Where has the time gone? The past couple of weeks has flown by and its nearly the end of what’s been an AMAZING year! As much as I love the countdown to Christmas all I can think of at the moment is my January exam :s oh well no point stressing about it (even though I do) I shall try and channel it into revision instead 🙂

Anyway enough of the intro- the reason I’m blogging today is to do with patience 🙂
As Take That would sing-“just have a little patience” but alas my patience is wearing thin
Now I’ve grown used to patience with hospitals and their own unique timing schedule however there are times where my patience is tested with them. I’m being impatient over my heart MRI scan as I want to know if its good, bad or ugly! But it seems to be taking ages to find the result for numerous different reasons. I know that the report has been sent to one of my hospitals I am seen under however I have not heard anything from the consultant who I actually need to see. This consultant is like trying find a needle in a haystack! He goes between two hospitals and is a locum at both however doesn’t seem to have a secretary or someone we can speak to. When I had my echo a couple of months ago he wanted me to have a follow up appointment in 6 months time but this hasn’t been arranged and still no results or follow up of the scan. This is weird as when trying to get hold of him we spoke to someone in the MRI department who said that after a cardiac MRI they usually do a follow up appointment a month after, but alas no appointment! This has lead to going round like a head less chicken between hospitals, hospital departments, consultant and consultant secretary but NOTHING. So I’m still waiting…  No news good news???

So what else is testing my patience…

UCAS! I know that I shouldn’t be impatient about this topic but I am and for this I am sorry. I know some people will find this funny and silly but hey at least is a bit of a “lighter” topic in some respects to be impatient with (At the end of the day with me my health comes first everything else second.) At the end of the day this is also out of my hands, I’ve done my bit and sent off my personal statement and I’ve finally managed to get my tutor to write my reference however it still hasn’t been sent 😦 I’m waiting for the college system to add the reference and finally send it off but it seems to be taking forever. I feel like I’m wading through treacle waiting to get to the other side and that’s even without the Universities looking at it! I just want it to be sent because then I know its up to the Universities and fate in what happens and at least they are looking at it instead of it sitting doing nothing. The deadline is l5 January so fingers crossed it will be sent soon!

Overall I am ticking along, just feeling a bit frustrated and impatient at the moment but lots of lovely things planned in the next couple of weeks 🙂 Hope everyone is well and getting into the Christmas spirit!

Love S

xxx

Insight into a Cardiac MRI :)

Hello 🙂

Not much of an update on the UCAS application at the moment, my reference is being sorted out by my tutor at the moment so everything is underway which is good! It’s moving in the right direction, wooooo 😀

Today a little blog about the insight into the Cardiac MRI that I had on Monday- don’t worry it’s not a squeamish horror story! I thought you might like to have an insight into some of my medical life-some of you may be interested others not but you might not to get to hear about some of these investigations otherwise. I feel its good to try and have an understanding on different things in life 🙂

When my Mum was initially told by the cardiologist that I had to go for a Cardiac MRI he apologised that I was being sent to a London Hospital. My mum’s reply “Oooo that’s ok another hospital off the tick list. ” This is a typical response to being sent to a new hospital hehe- try to look at the positive rather than the negative 🙂 . I’m hoping to go to as many different hospitals as I can,whether this is as a patient or as an employee (one day fingers crossed). I’ve already got a nice little tick list of hospitals in London and the South East so I’m on my way!

So Monday I head up to London for my appointment, initial thoughts of the hospital 1) Wicked it’s got a M and S food shop (food is an essential after appointments!) 2) Nice view of London! 3) Wow it’s busy 4)It has a NatWest-cool

When I get into the MRI facility I sit and have to fill out a consent form (pretty standard procedure). I am told what’s going to happen etc and then have to put on a pretty fetching hospital gown… which I have to hike up so I don’t fall over, this is because I’m short and the gowns are so long! I have a cannula put in- didn’t hurt one bit. Funny site though- me  waddling to the scanner with a cannula in one arm and a bunch full of hospital gown in the other hand so I didn’t fall over!I then go into the room and have to lie on the table which is able to go in and out of the scanner.  I am then hooked up to different equipment (sorry can’t remember the names)- I have ECG nodes attached to my chest, something (not sure what) attached round my waist, this plate thing that goes over my chest which measures breathing/heart rate, a buzzer to call for help and headphones. The best bit of equipment… the triangle thing that goes under my knees! Makes it so comfy…well as comfy as you can be lying on a bed for an hour!

I don’t mind MRI scans- yes there noisy and uncomfy but there not too much trouble. My scan went ok I was in the scanner for an hour but it didn’t seem that long, not that I’m saying its relaxing though. The worst part was for the Cardiac MRI you have to do breathing techniques- I found it exhausting and felt like I needed a pair of iron lungs! Half way through the scan I was injected with a contrast, this went ok apart from a small metallic taste in my month but this was short lived. The people who looked after me were wonderful which makes you feel so much more at ease. I really like the radiographer who told me to close my eyes as I was going into the scanner- this was such a helpful tip as previously I have kept my eyes open and it made me feel claustrophobic. This scanner seemed to be noisier than normal so it was nice to get some fresh air after the appointment.

I left feeling quite happy and the investigation was pretty easy- wouldn’t phase me if I had to do it again. On the way out popped in to the M and S cafe and was rewarded with Hot Chocolate…I have to have some compensation after going through that 😛 I was so tired afterwards we headed straight back home where I proceeded to sleep for an hour and a half! Now just waiting for the results…

Yes just a standard day in the life of moi 😉 Hope all is well!

Love S xxx

Medical Rant- Option A or B?

Hello,

Beware!! today I’m going to rant a little about medical rubbish, sorry! So you can skip ahead if you want!

Not all of you reading will be aware of my medical background… but it’s very vast and complicated. Not that I mind talking about it, but I’ll save my entire life story for a rainy day 🙂 Anyway back in August as part of my ongoing medical problems, one of my consultants wanted me to have a heart echo. I set off to the hospital that day with my Mum and Dad in tow to keep me in good spirits. I don’t mind having medical investigations, frankly I’m used to them and just want them to get over and done with. The things I dislike about heart echos are that they are painful and I don’t like the sound of my heart when they are listening to the blood flow, it’s creepy! But my dad was there to cheer me up behind the cubicle curtain playing tunes and making me laugh (probably when I shouldn’t be). After they finished the scan, we asked them to tell us if everything was ok. We waited five minutes and went back into the room.. the lady was happy with the results and all seemed fine. So I left the hospital with relief that it was over and it was all fine…

But all was not as well as it seemed! A day later my mum got a phone call from one of the Cardiologist consultants who didn’t realise I should have seen him alongside having the echo. Although some of my results were ok, some were on the lower side of normal, my “normal” as well! Therefore he was going to arrange a Cardiac MRI at a London Hospital which means another hospital off my tick list and another medical investigation 😉 (got to look on the bright side).

Anyway the end of August passed no appointment letter and September passed too, so at the beginning of October we decided to chase it up. So I was happy to receive post on Friday because there in front of me was my letter for my Cardiac MRI….YAY. I was seriously happy to get the appointment, so I can get the scan over with and go on from there,as it’s hard not knowing whats happening and how serious/un-serious it is.  I look at the date and see 5th November hmmm that rings a bell and I realise it clashes with another important hospital appointment that I’ve waited a couple of months to see this consultant!

So do I choose option A my heart appointment or option  B my bone/pain appointment… ???

In the end me and my mum decided to choose my heart appointment as the procedure itself can only be done in specialist units and as it’s a major organ we want to get it checked so we can go on and sort out whatever needs to be done.

We go to rearrange my bone/pain appointment and find that the next available appointment is in APRIL!!! I was soooo annoyed… it’s not my fault I have more than one medical problem that needs dealing with. This leaves me with Friday afternoon my Mum trying to get hold of my consultant who had referred me see if there is anything they can do. I don’t think it’s acceptable to wait til April (in constant pain) to find out some scan results and see if there’s anything they can do which could benefit me.  But beware, trying to get hold of a consultant on a Friday afternoon is like finding a needle in a haystack, frustrating and awkward!  Please pick up the phone or at least have a voice mail service so I can leave a message instead of constantly going back to switchboard… sigh.

It leaves me frustrated and annoyed and this is one of many times that I have a problem with medical appointments. I also want to try to sort the majority of my medical rubbish out so that it is manageable and under control if i get into University next year.

Is it too much to ask for a properly functioning heart and not to be in constant pain?

Life goes on and I try not to think about it too much otherwise I think about it too negatively. I enjoyed the rest of the weekend by visiting family and seeing one of the University’s that I am applying to 🙂 I’ve never seen an open day sooo busy and it went fairly well, fingers crossed.

Here’s to a good week…hopefully!

Sarah x