Thoracic Consultant Update

24th May 2023

This week I had my follow up appointment with my thoracic consultant, he sent me for a chest XRAY first thing and we sat to discuss my progress since February and a plan for next steps.

It's always a strange feeling waiting to see a consultant. Sitting in a corridor, sitting and patiently waiting in a waiting area, room. My consultant was 20 mins late, add 15 mins on, I can't stand being late so I arrived early, I could hear him talking on the phone. His secretary had tried to knock twice to no avail.

I hadn't made as much progress as I would have liked from a pain perspective. I mean, don't get me wrong, I could now get out of bed, i'd started phasing back to work a few hours a week, I had been able to attempt a walk and go away for my birthday celebration for the weekend. However, not without the dreaded payback pain, fatigue and set back. It was getting worse with each set back, each time I over did it and with each cyclical flare up.

I had written a list of things to cover, as I always do, in order to keep on track and not miss things out:

• Chest XRAY results

• Hysterectomy and peri-menopause + bowel and endo surgery

• Hydrotherapy

• Pain management

• Next steps

We had a very quick consultation with a promise for him to refer me to a pain management specialist for a front nerve block or cryotherapy. He explained he would put my case to the MDT due to the complexity of my diagnosis. The possible hysterectomy, bowel endometriosis and pelvic surgery and at the time he suggested a thoracic surgeon checking to see whether the endometriosis is back on the underside of the diaphragm so that it can be dealt with all at once.

He suggested continuing with hydrotherapy, as i'd only completed 2 months so far and to persist when I had found a pain management solution. This could be what I needed to strengthen the core with lower pain. He also recommended a couple of bowel surgeon's who may be able to help with my future surgery.

I must admit I came away from this consultation feeling a bit lost. The XRAY itself showed that the work he had done in 2021 is in place, no hernia and nothing had 'come away' it all seemed 'ok, considering the amount of surgery i've had on that side'. To me 'ok considering' doesn't help my day to day pain or difficulty exercising that i've had since the surgery. I had never recovered enough to be able to surf, box jump, lift weights, spin, take up HIIT again or even do some of the stretch poses I used to always do in Yoga.

One thing he did say that he hadn't soon after the surgery was that it could be the nerves and neuropathic pain. I had asked this when I struggled to improve much after surgery in 2021. I asked if nerves could have been damaged and he said at the time no they weren't. I have a numb patch on my torso that I cannot feel 2 years since surgery and all around the torso on the right I suffer with so much pain.

So now I wait for the referrals and follow up letter so that I can speak to my insurance company and work out next steps for pain management.

I'll keep you updated!

LBH x