How long does it take?

Hi Happy feet and thank you for replying. I'm feeling a little calmer now! I've decided to ring the breast nurses tomorrow and tell them how concerned I am and see if they know when the appointment is likely to be through. If they think it will be soon then fair enough, if they're none commital I will tell them I'm going to PALS to get it sorted. I'm not over reacting, my sister died at my age of a grade 3 breast tumour and it was tiny when they first found it With that family history, I don't want to take risks. I was told I would meet the surgeon, go through everything, get the magnet fitted and arrange an op date. Meeting the surgeon would be the first day of treatment, I guess and that is unlikely to happen withing the next 12 days. Anyway, let's keep our fingers crossed x

Hi Lesley, oh my gosh! 6 weeks from referral, that is awful! Was that meant to be the two week emergency suspected cancer referral? Mine was three weeks and I wasn't best pleased at that! Six weeks! Sorry, I'm trying to get my head round that! Did you have chemo before your mastectomy?  I know these things take time, but my sister died of a grade three breast cancer, at my age and hers was smaller than mine when it was found, so, yeah, I'm a bit twitchy!

Yes, it was supposed to be 2WW referral.  I contacted PALS and they couldn't hurry it up either.  All blamed on the other dreaded C word - Covid.  I live in Birmingham and the whole of Birmingham only have ONE breast care clinic running.  I didn't have chemo so my first actual treatment was my mastectomy, apart from giving me Anastrozole whilst waiting for surgery.  It was 7 weeks from getting my CT scan results to having my mastectomy.  but this was down to me needing an anaesthetic referral due to my comorbidities.  Just waiting for 6 January to come to find out if they got it all!

OMG! How on earth did you cope with waiting that long?? That is so scarey. I hope that they have got it all after all that time! I have my fingers and toes crossed for you!

I am sorry that this has happened. So annoying and frustrating. Hang on in there. Sending virtual hugs. R. 

Good idea to keep ringing. I always have to leave a message for the BCNs, but to be fair they always call back. Ok, they always sound rushed but they do have access to the files. Hope you have a good day today and find some headspace in spite of everything. COVID is affecting our situations very dreadfully. R

Just an update. I phoned the BCN's this morning as my appointment for tomorrow to see the surgeon had been cancelled. I told them I was on day 51 since my GP referral and the next thing I know, she is ringing me back and saying can you come now? So, I've been to see the surgeon who was very nice, had my bp and swabbing for msra, (or whatever it is) and been told that due to my ashtma i will have to have my operation at the local infirmary instead of the lovely hospital that i was going to, 30 miles away! Result for me!  I should be getting called back later this week/early next week for magiseed and pre op assessment and then hopefully have the op in two to three weeks.

I too have asthma and sleep apnoea so had to go to the NHS hospital for special post anaesthetic support instead of the private hospital who are doing mastectomies for the NHS,  Not too long now then.

Hi Lesley, glad your op went ok, I am a larger lady too and that with my asthma means that they said I was quite high risk for surgery. That made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside! the surgeon herself didn't seem phased by it, but did say that as there wasn't an aneasthatist at night at the little hospital, i would have to have it at the big one... I don't understand that as I was told that I would be able to go home the same day. I supose it means if something goes wrong?

Anyway, it has to be done, so no point worrying about it x

So glad that things are moving more quickly at last ! The sooner it’s done, the sooner it’s over! Xx