We are in a large GP practise and never get to see our own GP. As anyone who has read my blogs is aware mum has had a difficult couple of days bcause of her hair so the last thing I needed was the grim reaper turning up, unannounced, on the doorstep! The district nurse must have told him that mums leg pain hadn't improved at all during the two weeks that she had been taking the amitriptyline so he had decided to come and see mum. He is a lovely young man and came in full of concern, commiserating with mum on her terrible diagnosis! He then asked about the leg.
He felt all down her spine and then said he wanted to have an x-ray on her back just in case the cancer had spread to her bones and something was pressing on a nerve! My mums face dropped, it just wasn't what she needed to hear even though he went on to say it was a precautionary measure and that it would probably be fine. Mum is having her chest x-ray and seeing the oncologist tomorrow and since her breathing has improved and her cough is practically non-existent I was hoping we might get some news that the early signs were that the chemo was having an effect. Now she has the added worry of the back x-ray as well.
Considering we have not seen him for a few years and he had no idea of what mum knew or how she was coping I felt it may have been better if he had just asked her to get the x-ray on her back just to see if he could see what was causing the pain rather than leaving her to ponder on whether it is related to the cancer. Am I being over protective? If I am I make no apology! My mum has terminal cancer and as I see it they know it may have spread, that's why it is extensive and they've decided the only course of action open to her is the chemo so why burden her with where it might have spread to. Oh well, we'll find out tomorrow when we see the oncologist and I suppose he is just looking after his patient. Maybe someone else in this situation would have been unhappy if their GP hadn't reacted swiftly to ascertain the cause.
We are still being positive that mum has improved since the first chemo.
