RECALL

OMG! I got a letter yesterday recalling me for another breast screening appointment.
I just knew this was going to happen. When I went for my mammogram on Tuesday 7th June 2011 the nurse kept telling me not to worry if I got called back. Admittedly, she did start saying this to me before I actually had the mammogram, but she said it so many times that I'd already convinced myself that something was wrong and that I was going to be called back.

How can I not worry? In the last month I've heard of three people who have discovered they have breast cancer. None of them had any symptoms. All of them felt fine.

My letter says; 'As explained to you in the breast screening unit, some ladies need extra views to make sure that all is clear'. It goes on to give me an appointment for next Monday morning. Well, I can't make that - I'm going away for a few days. So, I cried for a bit, and then I did what it said in my letter and phoned the 'above number' for an alternative appointment. Only to be told that any appointments had to come from the doctors office and I would be sent a new appointment out in the post.

I thought I might have got my new appointment today. After all, I phoned as soon as I got the letter yesterday morning, so they should have had time to send me a new appointment out in the post yesterday afternoon. Does that mean that I'm not an 'urgent' case? And if I'm not an urgent case does that mean they don't think there's anything seriously wrong with me? Or are they just being inefficient?

I spoke to some of my colleagues today:

One said I was probably just fidgeting too much for them to take a proper picture.

One said that she'd been recalled a few years ago, she knew how I felt, but in her case everything turned out fine.

One (whose sister has just been diagnosed with breast cancer) said not to panic and the screening service is really good and that it's good to catch things early and she was sure there was nothing to worry about.

And then another colleague (who had obviously heard on the grapevine that I was panicking about this) came to me and said I wasn't too worry, she'd been called back loads of times, as had another colleague, and they were OK. She also offered to go with me when I do get my new appointment. Just how kind is that?

I know I shouldn't really worry. It's probably nothing. The nurse did say that a lot of people get called back first time. But I am worrying.

I hope my new appointment will come in the post tomorrow.