I wasn't going to ask

On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 20:11:39 +0000, Christina Websell wrote:

> Hi, Gang,
>
> Thanks for all the good wish purrs.
>
> Well, I've been to the hospital for my first real-on check up. I had one
> after 6 weeks but that was a mere nothing compared to this one.
> I will just say: Ouch. OUCH. OUCH!! OUCH!!!! WAAAAHHHH. You get my
> drift. I saw the consultant surgeon who did my op. Let's just say he was
> very thorough today..
> I often hear people say how pleased they are to be (sort of honoured enough
> to be) seen by the consultant for aftercare. This is not necessarily a
> good thing - but I never tell them that. Most follow ups after operations
> can be seen by the young doctors who are training under him/her. The
> consultants keep the more challenging ones for themselves.
>
> We talked fairly briefly. Him: Any lumps anywhere, swollen tummy,
> bleeding? Me: No. Him: Bladder and bowels working OK? Me: yes, but my
> bladder took a long while to recover. Him: How long? Me: Several months.
> Him: that's normal after an operation like you had. Everything OK now? Me:
> Yes
> Him: Now go for a blood test down the corridor. I'm delighted you have
> done as well as you have, have a nice Christmas, see you in 6 months. Me:
> Thanks.
>
> I went for my blood test. It was for CA125, an ovarian cancer marker. To
> see if it's still there somewhere I suppose.
> Then I got to thinking while I was driving home afterwards, what did he mean
> that he was delighted that I had done as well as I had?? did he mean he
> didn't think I would?
> We had our office Christmas lunch today just after my appt, and I told them
> everything was fine. It's my day off, so I came home after the nice lunch
> and drove to my brother's house. He's finished work for Christmas already.
>
> I asked him what interpretation he, personally, would have put on "I am
> delighted you've done as well as you have.."
>
> My younger brother never minces words. He was behind the curtain when tact
> was given out and that's why I asked him.
> He said "he means that he is very surprised that you aren't dead by now."
> I thought that might have been what he meant, too.
>
> Actually, so am I. Purrs and prayers are very powerful.
> Please send me the odd healing purr when you think about it. I'm not quite
> out of the woods yet.
>
> Tweed
> sore and painful


The first five years are the hardest. Actually, he must not have been too
concerned if he hasn't seen you in six months. My surgeon had me come in
every 4 weeks for the first year and every 4 months for the second year.

Best wishes for a Happy Christmas season and purrs for the kitty folk to
have a great New Year. MLB
 >> Stay informed about: I wasn't going to ask 

"Christina Websell" <spamfree.RemoveThis@tinawebsell.wanadoo.co.uk> wrote:
>I asked him what interpretation he, personally, would have put on "I am
>delighted you've done as well as you have.."
>
>My younger brother never minces words. He was behind the curtain when tact
>was given out and that's why I asked him.
>He said "he means that he is very surprised that you aren't dead by now."
>I thought that might have been what he meant, too.

I actually thought it meant, "All right! I can now write a conference
paper on what a great job I did on this operation!"
 >> Stay informed about: I wasn't going to ask 

Takayuki wrote:
> "Christina Websell" <spamfree.DeleteThis@tinawebsell.wanadoo.co.uk> wrote:
> >I asked him what interpretation he, personally, would have put on "I am
> >delighted you've done as well as you have.."
> >
> >My younger brother never minces words. He was behind the curtain when tact
> >was given out and that's why I asked him.
> >He said "he means that he is very surprised that you aren't dead by now."
> >I thought that might have been what he meant, too.
>
> I actually thought it meant, "All right! I can now write a conference
> paper on what a great job I did on this operation!"

If he had been an American Doctor, I would have thought that. For some
odd reason, I believe that physicians in other countries (particularly
those with universal health care) are more concerned with patients than
their fees and personal recognition. Probably wrong, but there you
have it.
 >> Stay informed about: I wasn't going to ask 

This message is not archived
 >> Stay informed about: I wasn't going to ask 

"Julie Cook" <jcook03.RemoveThis@emory.edu> wrote in message
news:doch54$s3f$1@leto.cc.emory.edu...
> Purrs continue for you to well and for all of your test results to be
> negative for the next five years and beyond! The CA125 is a tumor marker
> for ovarian cancer as you mentioned. There is a "normal" level and when
> that level shows a pattern of rising it can indicate a tumor. Similar to
> the PSA test for prostate cancer. HOWEVER!! Remember this carefully,
> Tweed!! This is important and DO NOT FORGET THIS in any state of panic
> that might arise some day. An increase in the CA125 numbers does not
> necessarily mean that the tumor has returned. There are outside factors
> that can cause the CA 125 to increase that are unrelated to tumor.

Really? What are those?

>The CA125 is simply one of a number of tools used to detect cancer.

Yes, it was used in my case to confirm it really, after a body scan and an
ultrasound scan which showed a large mass present.


> I think that your doctor's comment that he "was delighted that you have
> done as well as you have" is 1) a pretty standard response similar to
> "have a nice day" following surgery and 2) means that considering the >
> extent of your surgery you have recovered very well, very quickly.

You are probably right. Consultants here definitely don't say "have a nice
day.." The thing is - and I don't think anyone can imagine it if it hasn't
happened to them - that if told a) you have ovarian cancer b) just talk to
this nice nurse (oncology counsellor) c) they take most of your innards
away d) you catch a glimpse of a letter to your own doctor which says you
have abnormal cells in your peritoneal fluid (sp?):
you tend to get a bit paranoid about it, because this is bad news that you
haven't been told.
>
> Hugs to you and continued purrs and gentle headbutts.

Thanks

Tweed
 >> Stay informed about: I wasn't going to ask 

"Adrian" <anca.RemoveThis@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:lc2dnSTl3fwLSjTeRVny2Q@brightview.com...
>
> Continuing purrs, and we're all glad you aren't dead by now. :-)
> --
> Adrian

I am quite pleased myself actually! It has excused Debbie & Helen from
having my two cats, one each, and my friends from having to sort out what
would happen to my poultry. In the short term at least.

Tweed
 >> Stay informed about: I wasn't going to ask 

"mlbriggs" <mlbriggs.DeleteThis@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:pan.2005.12.21.22.56.41.531271@nospam.com...
> On Wed, 21 Dec 2005 20:11:39 +0000, Christina Websell wrote:

>
> The first five years are the hardest. Actually, he must not have been too
> concerned if he hasn't seen you in six months.

That is standard here. You are seen after whatever appropriate time they
think you might be recovered for whatever operation you've had at first.
Then it's 6 month intervals for all cancer patients, unless you report
something alarming.

> My surgeon had me come in
> every 4 weeks for the first year and every 4 months for the second year.

That is unlikely here unless the doctors think you are likely to die quickly
if they don't keep a close eye on you.

>
> Best wishes for a Happy Christmas season and purrs for the kitty folk to
> have a great New Year. MLB
>

Thanks, Marie, and the same to you.

Tweed
 >> Stay informed about: I wasn't going to ask 

"Irulan" <lrulan.DeleteThis@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:QPudnfdTMo_6bzTeRVn-sA@comcast.com...
> sorry you are sore and in pain, but I take everything to be good news.
> Please know we are constantly keeping you in our prayers.
> Lily & her mama

Thanks, Lydia, much appreciated.

Tweed
 >> Stay informed about: I wasn't going to ask 

"Pat" <pdavis RemoveThis @fidnetspamfree.com> wrote in message
news:o_adnatdU_J7ijfeRVn-vQ@fidnet.com...
>I missed the original so looked for this one. Very happy for your clean
>checkup!
>
>
Thanks. I am finding it hard to keep up myself. My computer says I have
985 unread posts on rpca at the moment.
I will have to wait for the results of the blood test, but I shall put it
all out of my mind over Christmas so I can enjoy it with my family.
The main thing is that I am still here despite the dire predictions of the
hospital doctors when I was first admitted. I put it all down to the purrs
and prayers I got from rpca. Like Adrian always says "never underestimate
the power of the purr."

Tweed
 >> Stay informed about: I wasn't going to ask 

Continued purrs and best wishes for the test to be negative,
Polonca and Soncek

Christina Websell wrote:

> Hi, Gang,
>
> Thanks for all the good wish purrs.
>
> Well, I've been to the hospital for my first real-on check up. I had one
> after 6 weeks but that was a mere nothing compared to this one.
> I will just say: Ouch. OUCH. OUCH!! OUCH!!!! WAAAAHHHH. You get my
> drift. I saw the consultant surgeon who did my op. Let's just say he was
> very thorough today..
> I often hear people say how pleased they are to be (sort of honoured enough
> to be) seen by the consultant for aftercare. This is not necessarily a
> good thing - but I never tell them that. Most follow ups after operations
> can be seen by the young doctors who are training under him/her. The
> consultants keep the more challenging ones for themselves.
>
> We talked fairly briefly. Him: Any lumps anywhere, swollen tummy,
> bleeding? Me: No. Him: Bladder and bowels working OK? Me: yes, but my
> bladder took a long while to recover. Him: How long? Me: Several months.
> Him: that's normal after an operation like you had. Everything OK now? Me:
> Yes
> Him: Now go for a blood test down the corridor. I'm delighted you have
> done as well as you have, have a nice Christmas, see you in 6 months. Me:
> Thanks.
>
> I went for my blood test. It was for CA125, an ovarian cancer marker. To
> see if it's still there somewhere I suppose.
<snip>
 >> Stay informed about: I wasn't going to ask 

"Sam Nash" <nsw1 RemoveThis @blarg.net> wrote in message
news:11qkck3fotgi8cb@corp.supernews.com...
> "Christina Websell" <spamfree RemoveThis @tinawebsell.wanadoo.co.uk> wrote in message
> news:40tr86F1cfj1aU1@individual.net...
>> Hi, Gang,
>>
>> Thanks for all the good wish purrs.
>>
> Couldn't catch the group last night - out of town working. I'm glad
> you're still with us, too! Stick around, will ya?
> Sam, closely supervised by Mistletoe
>
>

Thanks Sam for saying what I've been thinking, and for doing it better than
I could.

Pam S. who loves the stories about Boyfie and KFC
 >> Stay informed about: I wasn't going to ask 

"Smokie Darling (Annie)" <Barnabus1993.DeleteThis@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1135264582.598381.59570@g44g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
>
> Takayuki wrote:
>> "Christina Websell" <spamfree.DeleteThis@tinawebsell.wanadoo.co.uk> wrote:
>> >I asked him what interpretation he, personally, would have put on "I am
>> >delighted you've done as well as you have.."
>> >
>> >My younger brother never minces words. He was behind the curtain when
>> >tact
>> >was given out and that's why I asked him.
>> >He said "he means that he is very surprised that you aren't dead by
>> >now."
>> >I thought that might have been what he meant, too.
>>
>> I actually thought it meant, "All right! I can now write a conference
>> paper on what a great job I did on this operation!"
>
> If he had been an American Doctor, I would have thought that. For some
> odd reason, I believe that physicians in other countries (particularly
> those with universal health care) are more concerned with patients than
> their fees and personal recognition. Probably wrong, but there you
> have it.
>

Well it is certainly true that the health care system in America is
different from the one we have here in Britain if I have understood
correctly the examples that have been given by those of you in the USA.
Whilst it's possible for doctors here to be in private practice once they
are very experienced - and therefore charge fees for their services - a lot
choose to work within the National Health Service where they are just paid a
salary by the hospital, or a general practitioner (are they called primary
doctors?) is paid a fee by the NHS for each patient on their books,
regardless or not if s/he sees them during that year. The primary doctors
have to pay from this budget every time they send a patient into hospital,
or for tests, or a consultation with a specialist.
The ideal patient for our GP's, therefore is a healthy one! They get paid
anyway. I was such a patient for years, hardly ever saw them.
I must have almost bankrupted them in the last 5 years.

Tweed
 >> Stay informed about: I wasn't going to ask 

Granby wrote:

> Just the word cancer can strike fear in the heart of any human. We are
> still waiting for an appointment for my son. Probably will be after the
> first of the year. The Doctor says, you have a "mass" at the side of your
> spine hear a shoulder blade. Then after a MRI they told
> Mike he also had some sort of "Mass" showing up on his brain with three
> droplets off to the side. I know they can't take everyone the next day but
> waiting is a real bummer. Not that it would make it any easier but wish they
> could have waited until after....wouldn't matter. Glad you are doing ok
> now.


Lots and lots of purrs,
POlonca and Soncek
 >> Stay informed about: I wasn't going to ask