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How can we trust the medical profession?

15/10/2015

2 Comments

 
Trust is a very fragile thing.  When we place our trust in something or someone we do so in the hope that it will be honoured and respected.
When that trust involves our health, it becomes even more important that it is honoured.
When you are diagnosed with a serious illness such as cancer most of us place our trust in the people who are there to look after us; our GP; our Oncologist; the medical staff on the wards etc.
Imagine having that trust betrayed and finding out that those who you thought were supposed to have your best interests at heart were doing completely the opposite?
I came across a story recently about 2 oncologists who treated cancer patients with an extra strong chemo regime without telling the patients and it only came to light years later because of a whistleblower. Rather disturbing is the fact that the oncologists are still working, treating other patients, and have faced no disciplinary action whist the whistleblower was suspended!
As patients we need to be able to place our complete trust in the people treating us yet very often that trust is violated.  We are made to feel as though we should not ask questions and should just submit to whatever treatment is deemed suitable for us. Once treatment has ended many of us are just left to our own devices and expected to just get on with life and be thankful for what has been done to us. I remember when I went for my first chemo session and one of the nurses telling me that each bag of chemo solution cost £1,000 – almost as if I should be forever grateful that this money was being spent on me!  Well actually I wasn’t; I would much rather have not been in the position  to needed it but there you go.
I had very little trust in my own oncologist; he was a very pompous and arrogant man and in the 5/6 minutes I spent in his office when I first went to see him he spent most of the time looking at his computer screen. I felt like just a number on his list of tasks to do that morning. I was told that I would be having chemotherapy followed by radiotherapy and that would “sort me out”. At no time was I given the option of asking questions or even declining the treatment. To be fair, I was very upset and having travelled for 3 hours in the back of a patient transport ambulance to get to the appointment, I wasn’t feeling too good either especially as it was only 5 weeks since I had had my hysterectomy. Had I known what I know now I would have questioned him and demanded to know about the side effects of the treatment and why he felt it necessary to prescribe both treatments, especially as according to the CRUK website “It isn't usual to have chemotherapy for early stage womb cancer, stage 1 or 2 at the moment. This is because there is not enough evidence that chemotherapy after
surgery (adjuvant chemotherapy) reduces the risk of the cancer coming back”
The patients who were treated by these 2 oncologists have apparently received no apology,   just a letter from the hospital  concerned which stated “We are writing to let you know of a situation that has arisen. We do not believe this has caused you disadvantage or harm.’
Hardly something that is going to promote trust between patient and Doctor!
I hear time and again from women who say that they are not listened to; their fears are dismissed; their questions go unanswered and they have very little trust in the people who are supposed to be treating them. This needs to change. We are in the 21st century, not the 19th. We have internet access now and many patients are a lot more clued up about their medical conditions these days and although some GP’s and Doctors don’t like it, they are going to have to get used to it. Patients are becoming more empowered and deserve to be treated with respect. Only then will the trust return.

You can read the full article here

xx Kaz xx



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My womb cancer story - by J.K

9/10/2015

1 Comment

 
Another peach sister shares her story of a womb cancer diagnosis.

"My cancer journey began in January 2015 when I woke one morning to find I had been bleeding in the night. As it was the weekend I went to the doctor the following week and saw a lovely Locum Doctor who told me he didn't think it was anything to worry about but because of my age he was going to send me on the two week pathway. I was 58. I got an appointment for 27th January to go to my local hospital to have an internal and external ultrasound. After the ultrasound I had to wait to see the consultant who told me the lining of my womb was very thick at 16 mm and she was looking for polyps or fibroids with the possibility of it being cancer and did I want to come back for further tests or have them done now! I said while I was here I would have them done now so I had a hysteroscopy and a biopsy taken.
The consultant found some polyps so I was booked in to have them removed and told the results of the biopsy would be ready in 10 to 14 days. I had my pre-op for the polyp removal but a week before I was due to go in the Consultant’s secretary rang me and asked me to come back for my results. I knew then it was serious.
I went on 10 February with two of my daughters to get my results. When the consultant gave me the diagnosis of cancer my two daughters burst into tears but I took it rather calmly as I think I've been expecting it. The Macmillan nurse was off sick that day so we couldn't see her, but we were given cups of tea and the consultant arranged for me to have a scan within the next two weeks.

The nurse rang me the following week and took me through the ultrasound results which made me feel a lot happier as she said they were all positive. I told her I had a date for my scan, so there and then she booked me in to Northampton hospital for my hysterectomy which was to be on 16 March after I had my scan.
I went to Northampton General to see the surgeon and get my scan results; he said there was no visible spread and that he was hopeful that he could do it by keyhole, so feeling a lot happier I flew off to Portugal on that Friday to see family as I thought I might have to cancel.
I went into Northampton hospital at 7:30am on 16 March and had my op at 2pm. I came home on the morning of 18 March with some horrible green surgical stockings and a month’s supply of injections which I do suspect that my youngest daughter took great pleasure in giving to me!
Two weeks later I went back for the results; my cancer was grade 3 stage 1A I was offered three sessions of brachytherapy which was to reduce the risk of it returning. I started the sessions at the middle of April and I was finished by 5 May.
I am now on three monthly check-ups at my local hospital in Kettering. I consider myself extremely lucky because I had a Doctor who took my symptoms seriously as I do not fit the stereotype of women supposed to have this cancer. I am not overweight; I'm 9 1/2 stone. I am very active; I dance. I do Pilates, I walk everywhere. My job involves a lot of walking and organising games for children. I've had three children of my own. I didn't start my periods until I was 14.
So any ladies of any age reading this, be aware! You know your body better than anyone. Any symptoms you're not sure of get them checked. I'm so glad I never left mine as I naïvely thought that any problems will be picked up by a smear test.
I'd never heard of womb cancer."

If you are willing to share your story then please email wcsuk@hotmail.co.uk

xx Kaz xx



1 Comment

Womb Cancer Ambassador Margaret Chandler talks about Reiki

6/10/2015

0 Comments

 
I am Margaret Chandler, a 55 year old Complementary Therapist who is married with a 16 year old son.
I have practised several therapies,including Reiki for 10 years, but in February 2013 I was diagnosed with womb cancer, I underwent a total hysterectomy one month later and found I had no healing ability left at all.
During recovery I had time to re-assess my life and felt drawn to Reiki as part of the healing process.
In Deb Shapiro's book 'Your Body Speaks your Mind' I learnt that diseases of the womb relate to the repression of deep emotions related to womanhood and mothering, conflicts from the relationship with your own mother and feelings of being uncared for and emotionally undernourished.
I received several reiki treatments from a friend and a local cancer charity, and found the sessions soothing and relaxing. Afterwards I felt guided to deal with the issues mentioned above.
I realised that I had always put the needs of others before my own  I found that it was now ok to nurture myself and pursue interests that gave me pleasure without feeling guilty. I learnt to place firm boundaries at both work and home and am now not afraid to ask for help if I need it. Most importantly I can say no if I don't want to do something. Life is now less stressed and more enjoyable.
I would recommend reiki as a therapy but maybe warn clients that they may have to deal with emotional issues that could arise. Not everybody is able or willing to do that.

Reiki is a non-invasive technique which can be performed with the recipient fully clothed. The client absorbs only as much healing as they require and it therefore does not interfere with any medication or treatment regimes.
Reiki is one of the most popular therapies I offer at the moment and may be effective with sleep problems, relaxation and pain relief.

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Prevention is better than cure.

1/10/2015

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Well, September's awareness campaign may well have ended but the awareness raising never ends.
The fact that many of the women who come to us had never heard of womb cancer before they got their diagnosis shows just how little awareness there is out there of this cancer, despite it being the 4th most common female cancer and the number 1 gynaecological cancer.
In the past we have focussed much of our awareness raising around the signs and symptoms  to be aware of and the risk factors involved  but we need to get back to basics and look at ways of lessening a woman's risk of getting womb cancer and how women can do things to try and prevent getting womb cancer in the first place.
Knowing the risk factors is important but there will always be women who don't tick any of the boxes for risk factors and have none of the usual signs or symptoms associated with womb cancer yet still get diagnosed. So you should never assume that because you don't have any symptoms or any of the risk factors that you won't get womb cancer.
There are sadly still many women out there who believe that womb cancer only affects older women - this is often reinforced by the medical profession who tell young women who present with heavy bleeding that they are too young to get womb cancer. It can and does affect women of all ages - I am aware of at least 4 young ladies who were diagnosed in their very early 20's!
So, as we move on into October we are going to be looking at ways to try and lessen the risks involved and at how we can help and empower women with the knowledge they need to not allow womb cancer into their lives.

xx Kaz xx

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    Blog posts about life with womb cancer; by me and other womb cancer fighters and survivors. Plus occasional guest blog posts on relevant subjects.

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