We all need to be heard for a little while.

Pyxis

Gosh, WaS! I knew you'd come up trumps, but I'm always amazed at how you get to the nitty-gritty and give so much help in a short space! You clever lady, you! You don't just give really good advice, you calm and reassure as well!

Will you be my mum, please?

Waves_and_Smiles

Aw, I'm blushing Pyxis! What a lovely thing to say, thank you. I could go on and write a book, for the good or bad I am fairly good at understanding delusional thinking! It's years of practice!

Hahahaha! Yes, of course! I am now officially Pyxis mum everyone!

mrsfrankie

Thank you for your quick replies. Waves and smiles that post is incredibly helpful. I may have to print that for reference only if you don't mind of course?
She has said that she is being watched & followed & that she is being conspired against. It is very hard to hear that she feels this way so I shall think of ways to confirm this is not true.
This thinking is making it difficult to persuade her to visit her gp, as she believes they will brainwash her. I will suggest going with her, so thank you again.
She is a lovely girl, with quick wit, creative & very bright so putting the jigsaw back together will be lovely to see. I am grateful for people like you all. You sound like a very supportive group.I shall grab a cup of tea & dunk a few biscuits & read back.
Frankie x

Waves_and_Smiles

That is very difficult for you to hear, Frankie. For what it's worth her delusions are very common ones, I have had those myself. A possible way to get her to the doctors might be to suggest to her that she must be under a huge strain if she feels people are conspiring against her (don't confirm it's true, just acknowledge that it must be very stressful) and that she should go to her GP to talk about how things can be made easier for her at this time. Don't support the delusions but use them to try to get her to ask for help. This has worked with me in the past. You can tell her that you will sit with her if she wants you to, and take notes for her at her appointment to make sure no one harms her.

Logic is your friend with delusions. Always give reasons why they aren't true calmly and clearly, and then move onto something else. Don't make a big deal of the delusions; logically dispute them, acknowledge that they are awful for her and then talk about something happier, such as times you have spent together. She will be very afraid right now and very confused, she needs to feel more secure and that she is still lovable no matter what her thoughts say. She sounds like a lovely person and you are a very good friend.

Welcome to our little group. It is lovely to have you with us even though it isn't under the best of circumstances. We are here for you, please ask as many questions as you wish. I can talk about delusional behaviour for days and it doesn't upset me so feel free to ask away.

Oh, and of course you can print the post. On the previous thread to this one (linked in the first post) I wrote small novels about how it felt to live with psychotic thinking so feel free to print any of those off too!

Pyxis

Well, I have just had the fastest mammogram ever!

I was very early, as I always leave loads of time for these things, a good twenty minutes early. It was in one of those mobile units, in a very convenient spot not far from me, with free parking.
Despite being so early, I was led straight to the changing cubicle, and before I had even got my tops off, the radiographer was calling me in!
Four quick squashes and I was out! Usually, they have to fiff and faff about with me, trying to get me between the plates for each shot, and in the past it has all felt very squashed, but it didn't feel at all uncomfortable this time! (Perhaps it has something to do with age? Less dense tissue?) or perhaps she was more experienced? I don't know! Anyway, I was in and out in about 5 or 6 minutes! And back home in another 5 or 6! So back in bed now with a pot of tea!

And a miracle, folks! My new mum is younger than I am! what jolly japes!

Waves_and_Smiles

Oooh, good news daughter err Pyxis! I am glad it went well! I am dreading when I have to have mammograms which should start in 4 years time. I have read lots of horror stories about pain so your story is encouraging! Nevermind the fact I am slightly concerned that my boobs won't fit into the machine and things could get very embarrassing!

Pyxis

Waves_and_Smiles wrote: »

Oooh, good news daughter err Pyxis! I am glad it went well! I am dreading when I have to have mammograms which should start in 4 years time. I have read lots of horror stories about pain so your story is encouraging! Nevermind the fact I am slightly concerned that my boobs won't fit into the machine and things could get very embarrassing!

They will fit. It's just a sort of square shelf that you 'flop' onto and then they arrange you artistically (;)) and bring the see-through top plate down. Honestly, even when it did 'hurt' it was only a momentary squeeze feeling lasting about 3 seconds, really nothing to worry about. It's the thought if it rather than the actuality. If it were your arm flesh, or tummy flesh, you wouldn't give it another thought! And they do bounce back into shape! you aren't left with two pancakes! :rotfl: :rotfl:

Edit......I've been having them regularly since I was 39, when I had some bleeding from one nipple which turned out to be duct ectasia which is totally benign and cured by the duct wash-out they gave me, and some antibiotics. That was followed by a countless series of benign cysts, which run in the family, so every time I found another lump, back I'd trot for either a scan or an ultrasound and then the cyst was aspirated, and that was that till the next one. I'm so small up top that I used to joke that it was only the cysts that gave me any shape at all! Anyway, they always tested the fluid that was drawn off from the cysts, to confirm their benign nature. They persisted while I was on HRT, but once I came off that, they gradually diminished and stopped.
So you see, whether it's bleeding or lumps, not everything is bad news! Having said that, although it did get 'boring' finding yet another lump and having to ring up for an appointment, and missing yet more work to go and get it seen to, I was never temped to assume it was benign and leave it 'for now'. Just because I had a history of Benign Breast Disease, it didn't mean that one lump wouldn't be a baddy, so I made sure that all got dealt with.

elsien

I think I've decided I'm not going to do them. For a variety of reasons that I won't go into here, I'm just not convinced that they're as effective as they've been sold to be.

jobbingmusician

elsien, I'm lost! Is this your NVQs? (Sorry, in work mode, worrying myself about learning more about the same subject.) Are you OK?

elsien

No, I'm still on mammograms.
NVQ is going quite well, but I am getting seriously bogged down with recent case law for DoLS/IMCA, plus trying to work out how the Care Act is going to affect everything.
I was very pleased with myself for quoting the amendments ref aftercare at a consultant the other day. Wasn't entirely sure what I was talking about, but he had even less idea.:D