My Background

I've never done a blog before but I've kept diaries many years. My first was in 1962!
I am an extremely lucky person as I have had 3 health scares and I'm still here.
My first was in 1994 when I was 39 when I had a diagnosis of precancerous cells on my cervix. In view of Jade's demise I was very lucky it was picked up. I had always had smears from the age of 21 which you could in those days. The abnormal cells were never found on any smears I was told by the consultant because of the position of them!!
They were only found after a blood marker test as I was having 6 monthly screenings for ovarian cancer as my mum had had it.
As it happened the CA125 showed up because I had endometriosis which had never before been diagnosed even though I had had symptoms since my 20's and had an ovarian cyst removed when I was 27.
As a consequence I had a hysterectomy. This was a shame as I partnered up with my husband 2 1/2 years later and we would have loved to have children but it wasn't to be.
The third was a second ovarian cyst in 1998. It flared up in the night and I was in agony. Gray wanted to call an ambulance but I wouldn't let him. I knew it was a cyst.
I managed to get an appointment with the GP a few days after and I explained what I thought it was and that my Mum had died of ovarian cancer. She refered me to hospital for a scan where sure enough was shown up an ovarian cyst.
When I had surgery it was found I'd also had acute appendicitis when I'd had the pain as the cyst was stuck to it!! How lucky was I !!
The third was breast cancer which was diagnosed on 21st August 2008 after my second ever routine mammogram. No lump was felt by myself or any of the medics! I had a lumpectomy on the 7th October 2008 I had a Ductal Invasive carcinoma removed by a left wide local exision and 2 axillary sentinal nodes removed. The tumour was 26 mm grade 2 and thankfully the nodes were clear. More luck!!
It turned out they didn't get clear margins and I had to have a cavity shave on 4th November 2008 and ductal carcinoma in situ was found at the inferior margin.
I aws booked in for radiotherapy 15 sessions plus 2 boosters. This started on 2nd January and finished on 26th January.

Meantime my oncologist had sent me fo a DEXA bone density scan as the hormonal treatment he is going to put me on after 2 or 3 years of tamoxifen is an aromatase inhibitor and that can thin your bones. He menttioned osteoporosis and I said that my cousin had it .
Ihad that done on 30th December 2008 and this showed that I had early osteoporosis. I was put on alundronic acid and calcium and vitamin D.

I am also on tamoxifen.

Anyway that's the backround!