Impending surgery

That's great news that things seem to be moving forward for you !

x

I know! About time eh!

4 years too late!

My surgeonsurgeon agreed had the specialist done a biopsy 4 yrs ago, I wouldn't be facing this huge surgery! Because he saidsaid itit well be big.

It's a bit gutting, but at least it's going!

Thank you! 

I know! About time eh!

4 years too late!

My surgeon agreed had the specialist done a biopsy 4 yrs ago, I wouldn't be facing this huge surgery! Because he saidsaid itit well be big.

It's a bit gutting, but at least it's going!

Thank you! 

I find outout mymy date on Tuesday!!!

Hi

Have you been given a date for your excision yet?

x

Hi there, nope, well, he promised me week 8 if not before. 

That's Christmas week. Long story but basically the girl put me down just for the PRE OP on December 30th!!!!! Suffice to say, I'm far from impressed!

When I spoke to the girl who does the dates, she was horrible, told me 8 weeks isn't written down by the professor so I'd just have to wait saying there are other people on the list waiting for ages! 

I told her I haven't only been waiting for 5 weeks! This was fobbed off 4 & half years ago! Finally diagnosed in January, sent to 3 Different specialists, had the biopsy 5 MONTHS ago and 5 weeks ago promised 8 weeks and it's over!

So yes, I was a little upset, but I didn't show that to her. But the more bolshy she got towards me, then I let her know I was upset! So she said she needed to speak to the Dr... 

10 days later, she hasn't! 

So I phoned his secretary and explained. This has grown a lot since the biopsy, it now protrudes an awful lot more and it even look like its got blisters on it! I told her this. Right away she said I needed to see my Dr to tell her and she would speak to the surgeon. 

I saw my gp we'd afternoon by which time I'd had enough!

I told my gp start to finish, she listened and never rushed me which was good. Then she made excuses like most of them have and told me it's winter, beds are needed and unfortunately they have to give your bed away!

So I said to her,

"This can go on for months then?!" She said yes!

So I told her the only reason she wouldn't book me in was cos all she went on about was its not written on her papers. But then she told me she didn't even have all my papers anyway!

So that was it, I told her I'm fobbed off for years, they are not doing as promised, it's called NEGLECT!!!!

So I then informed her if this isn't done by Christmas week which he promised me, I'll be suing! Told her I'm seeing a medical neglect solicitor! She did go rather sick, but I said to her this isn't just a broken leg, this is cancer! And all everyone is doing is called, neglect! 

I even said to the Prof the other week he knew and I know that had it been biopsied 4 & half years ago, I wouldn't be facing this big surgery!

I told my Dr something recently happened, I won't say what on here, wouldn't be appropriate. But it scared me!  So Im not having it any more!

Sorry for the rant... 

Don't worry about having a rant , that's what the site is for as well as sharing experiences. I'm hoping you're feeling a little better having written it all down.

I don't understand why your GP said that they'd had to give your bed away as surely you're only in for a day procedure. I know when I was due to have a wide local excision and sentinel lymph node biopsy for my melanoma there was a winter crisis when even cancer patients were having their operations delayed. I could have been in overnight but said I would be happy to go home the same day, so didn't need a bed, and this meant that my operations were able to go ahead as scheduled.

Hopefully your op won't be delayed too much longer.

x

Hi 

How are you and have you had your BCC removed? I know you were expecting to have it removed during Christmas week.

x

Hi there! 

Nope, it's not done yet! I'm far from impressed! 

Lots of problems with arranging the surgery, the woman who gives the dates out wasn't a very nice person to be honest. She said he didn't write down on my notes to be done by 8 weeks. Not impressed with her, because he did.

Then she was supposed to see the professor who arranged it, and she never. I spoke to the surgeons secretary 3 times and told her what was happening and that the woman was now supposed to have phoned me back twice. 

This lady was great! She said she'd make sure she did. And though she told this other woman to call me back, on 3 different occasions, she still didn't. So I contacted her again and told her she'd still not called me back. 

She told me to expect a call at 4pm and she'd make sure she did. 

My family had arrived, my son from Cyprus with his wife and baby. He knew nothing except I had a cancer on my face. He was there when she phoned. When I said 'hello' she very snottily barked at me, 

"I can't hear you!"

I was alone in the kitchen, she said this 4 times, and I knew she could hear me, she was just in a mood. As she's still saying it snotty my son came into the kitchen. Leaned againt the unit and could hear the call... Then I asked because it seemed to be a bad line, which it wasn't, I asked her if she could please call me back on my home number. (Which she was to have called me on anyway) ...

She again said she couldn't hear me and then... Hung up on me. 

My son wanted her name and number, but I was reluctant to give it. So he told me he wanted details, so I told him what had happened since diagnosis last Jan! He was not impressed. And he was the attitude, you know the one...

"Oh, its just a BCC, it's nothing!"

So I took the opportunity and very graphically told him exactly what they were doing. lol 

He is 6ft 2in...big burly ex RAF sergeant! He never said a word, but he went very white. Took the phone and rang her. She never answers much, mostly answer and never returns calls. But she answered immediately! 

He started with... "My name is..." then he said... "And I'm calling about my mother." 

She never said one word. She listened. lol He never raised his voice but told her firmly this was not acceptable. Told her she better sort this out and quickly. He said a lot more but I'd stopped listening, lol Then he told her he was putting her on with his mother and ended with...

"This needs sorting out ASAP! So you sort it out!"

Then gave me the phone...as he said to her, "Sort it!" She was all sweetness and light with me...lol Its a longer story involving my gp and medical negligence... lol but I go for my pre op Monday and they said they'll have me in right after. They have a window of 2 weeks to do the surgery after a pre op. 

So after many problems, oh, and the fact this woman had told me it would be months before I go in cos there are people waiting a long time!!! I told her they won't have been waiting 12 months like me and 4.5 years in total misdiagnosed!

I'm certain she put me right down the list deliberately. 

My worry is, this thing is now more than 4 times it's size, from AFTER they removed half of it with the biopsy! It protrudes a heck of a lot more and bleeds at times.

But my voice will be heard, I'm not one to be fobbed off and walked over like I'm nothing. and I'll make sure they don't do this to anyone else by the time I'm through with them. Its disgraceful!

So, pre op Monday, I'm on a home run. I better be! Cos if I have to call her again, I will not be Mrs nice guy again! 

I'll keep you posted after the pre op. 

And thank you for remembering me and asking!! 

Cat

Oh you do seem to be having huge problems getting a date for your surgery . I'm not surprised you're less than happy with all that you've been through. However, the pre-op is on Monday and, as you said, surgery is usually within 2 weeks of having this done. It certainly happened like that for me.

Have you thought about speaking to PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service) at the hospital that you're dealing with. They offer confidential advice and support and can help resolve problems. They can also give you guidance on what to do if you want to make a complaint.

Let us know how you get on next week.

x