Wound bleeding

Hi Nina, in answer to your last question I would say my advice would be yes to both parts. I know everyone heals at different ways and at different speeds so chances are everything is fine with your wound, however I think whenever you have any worries at all it's worth getting in touch with the professionals to make sure. Would your district nurse visit if you asked or could you make it the surgery to see the practice nurse? Otherwise there's always your CNS for advice.

Unfortunately my CNS nurse is on leave this week!

i don’t have a district nurse.

hubby can take me to the surgery IF I can get an appointment tomorrow! The surgery is down one nurse due to illness and certainly the last two weeks there has not been a nurse available on a Thursday. 

One thing after another in my life at the moment.

Nina60

Hi Nina

I hope you don't mind me popping into this conversation with my thoughts.

If you can't get an appointment with your GP surgery, does you local hospital have a walk in clinic that you could attend and speak to one the nurses/doctors for advice.

You also have option of phoning NHS111 and speaking to a duty doctor or nurse.

Another option open to you is to contact our telephone support line and speak to one of the specialist nurses and explain your problem. The lines are open every day between 8AM and 8 PM and you can contact them on 0808 808 0000.

Hope this of interest and help to you and apologies for butting into your conversation.

Ian

Hi Nina, it might be worth making sure you say up front that you have just had surgery for cancer when you phone up for an appointment. It sometimes seems to make a difference to how fast GP receptionists can find a free appointment. Make a fuss and you never know, they might squeeze you in just to make you stop hassling them . 

To be fair the receptionists are usually quite good when they know its me! Having two children, now young adults, with additional needs, they know me well. I rarely make appointments for myself and any appointment for my eldest is often an emergency. So when it's at all possible they squeeze me in! But when there just isn't a nurse in either of the surgeries there's not much they can do.

I suppose I could try for a doctors appointment or a call from one of the doctors as that can result in an appointment faster. I've learnt a few tricks over the years thanks to some lovely doctors giving away certain things!!!!

Thanks. 

Hi Nina,

How did you get on with your gp? My wound didn't heal over for a while, I went to my gp surgery a few times a week for my dressing change until it healed over and I needed a couple of rounds of antibiotics. It's always best getting it checked, they swabbed me to see if I needed an antibiotic and matched it. They gave me a load of dressing packs so I could change it between appointments, which I needed to do a few times, it gets easier when you get the knack, I half reclined to do it, which made it easier. 

Lots of love

xxx

If you cannot get an appointment try going back to the hospital that did the operation. You should have an assessment( usually at eight weeks) to check the sound but if they will not see you they will have an a and e or urgent care centre and mention the cancer diagnosis. You may have an underlying infection or the wound may have dehisced slightly( come apart) if you have accidentally bent over or lifted something. Please try not to worry as worrying as the situation is because they can treat this. In the meantime keep the area clean, wipe over with some saline solution if you have any or make some..a small amount of boiling water( half a cup) with a teaspoon of salt dissolved in it and left to cool then cover with a clean dry dressing or place some gauze or clean cotton handkerchief folded tucked into the fold of skin. My wound has only just healed completely a few days ago after twenty six weeks! This is not the normal I have to add. I had a few complications so you're shouldn't take the route mine did. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of resting though. I was resting but part of my treatment was splitting my time 75/25 with 75% of that being bed  rest flat on my back. Believe you me you do not want that as lovely as it sounds for the first week because it's soooo boring. You cannot do anything comfortably! The other 25% I was walking slowly around trying not to get a dvt! Not all at once mind you..My body would not let me. So please seek treatment and keep us updated. Any advice I can help with just ask..I've been there done it and got the t shirt finally not that I'm boasting. When it comes to dressings I've got through most of what's available, picu, vacs, wash outs, packing and daily dressings and the rest of it not to mention antibiotics. Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers. God bless love lamb.xx

Sorry that should be wound not sound...if it could tell us what's going on that would be half the battle!

Thank you everyone. I slept in again so haven't called the surgery yet. I'm about to have a shower which takes a long time!!!

I'll call the surgery first and see what there is. If there's an appointment available I'll just wash quickly and shower later. 

Got appointment with the doctor this afternoon. I've seen this doctor before and I'm OK with her. Little bit of a worry when the receptionist said she might be able to put a new dressing on!!! I hope what she meant was that she might need to, not that she won't be able to!!!

So off to the joy of the shower.