Blog Post
Hi @melzzs and @Stillstanding .... welcome to the club you never thought you'd have to join xx. Well done on joining the reconstruction group, Melzzs ... there will be a wealth of information there that you can access & can ask personal questions in total privacy. xx. I hope your appointment with the surgeon went well.
Feel free to ask ANY questions of us - someone will have had experience with it & will give an honest answer. xx There are NO dumb questions. Hopefully we'll be able to smooth out some of the bumps that many of us have experienced, before we joined the group ...
It is a roller coaster of emotions for sure - so feeling sad, even confused, is totally normal as it has happened to most of us at one stage or another - so don't be afraid to 'let it all out' .... it can be quite cathartic to even have a big SCREAM now & then, probably in the safety of your car, away from other people tho! ;)
And don't forget to ring our helpline on 1800 500 258 to have a chat with our Mods if you'd like a real person to 'chat with' ... Mon-Fri, 9-5 hours.
Make sure you have a trusted friend or relative with you at all your early appointments & even consider recording the appointments on your phone, as it is almost impossible to remember everything that is said at the time.
Have a think about how you are going to tell people - with me, it was on an 'as needs basis' .... telling my nearest & dearest first - some others didn't find out til I sent out the next Xmas Letter, 12 months later! LOL .... and even then, I set up an email that I sent out every other week, so I didn't have to keep repeating the same story over & over ... as it can be quite upsetting for you.
In the mean time, try & keep yourself as busy as you can leading up to your surgery & ongoing treatments, doing things you love doing (I basically went fishing in my kayak every day between initial scans/biopsy & the actual diagnosis!) .... Maybe, consider cooking up some meals & freezing them, making it easier for after you do have your surgery.
Also, check out this post for lots of 'general' info on the forum that you may like to look at too! (Even some funny bits, as we all need a laugh xx) You can show off your garden, your fur-kids, your art & craft ..... or start a new thread, with your favourite hobby! ;)
At the bottom of the post are some Tick Sheet PDFs that you can print off & fill in, to follow your physical and mental health .... that you can take along with you & show your team, if you need xx
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/23477/a-big-welcome-to-all-new-online-network-members#latest
You may also like to check out the podcasts by Charlotte Tottman - as she is a specialist BC Counsellor who was diagnosed with Breast Cancer 4-5 years ago. She's had a double mastectomy, stayed flat and KNOWS what we've all gone thru! She was surprised too, at the emotions she went thru herself, as they were different from what she'd 'thought they were' when she was counseling women prior to her own diagnosis. So she 'gets it'. They are very easy listening too. xx
Go to this link, click on the 'list' (it should show 22 tracks) and start off with No 13 (the first one of Series 1) and work your way thru them.
https://soundcloud.com/search?q=charlotte tottman
Take one step at a time, one day at a time, one hour at a time, if needed xx. And make sure you stay away from Dr Google, as a lot of it is outdated & not relevant to your own diagnosis ... and will only confuse you. Ask important questions of your team (and/or you Breast Care Nurse, when you are connected with one) or us - those that have actually been thru it all x
Take care xx
Feel free to ask ANY questions of us - someone will have had experience with it & will give an honest answer. xx There are NO dumb questions. Hopefully we'll be able to smooth out some of the bumps that many of us have experienced, before we joined the group ...
It is a roller coaster of emotions for sure - so feeling sad, even confused, is totally normal as it has happened to most of us at one stage or another - so don't be afraid to 'let it all out' .... it can be quite cathartic to even have a big SCREAM now & then, probably in the safety of your car, away from other people tho! ;)
And don't forget to ring our helpline on 1800 500 258 to have a chat with our Mods if you'd like a real person to 'chat with' ... Mon-Fri, 9-5 hours.
Make sure you have a trusted friend or relative with you at all your early appointments & even consider recording the appointments on your phone, as it is almost impossible to remember everything that is said at the time.
Have a think about how you are going to tell people - with me, it was on an 'as needs basis' .... telling my nearest & dearest first - some others didn't find out til I sent out the next Xmas Letter, 12 months later! LOL .... and even then, I set up an email that I sent out every other week, so I didn't have to keep repeating the same story over & over ... as it can be quite upsetting for you.
In the mean time, try & keep yourself as busy as you can leading up to your surgery & ongoing treatments, doing things you love doing (I basically went fishing in my kayak every day between initial scans/biopsy & the actual diagnosis!) .... Maybe, consider cooking up some meals & freezing them, making it easier for after you do have your surgery.
Also, check out this post for lots of 'general' info on the forum that you may like to look at too! (Even some funny bits, as we all need a laugh xx) You can show off your garden, your fur-kids, your art & craft ..... or start a new thread, with your favourite hobby! ;)
At the bottom of the post are some Tick Sheet PDFs that you can print off & fill in, to follow your physical and mental health .... that you can take along with you & show your team, if you need xx
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/23477/a-big-welcome-to-all-new-online-network-members#latest
You may also like to check out the podcasts by Charlotte Tottman - as she is a specialist BC Counsellor who was diagnosed with Breast Cancer 4-5 years ago. She's had a double mastectomy, stayed flat and KNOWS what we've all gone thru! She was surprised too, at the emotions she went thru herself, as they were different from what she'd 'thought they were' when she was counseling women prior to her own diagnosis. So she 'gets it'. They are very easy listening too. xx
Go to this link, click on the 'list' (it should show 22 tracks) and start off with No 13 (the first one of Series 1) and work your way thru them.
https://soundcloud.com/search?q=charlotte tottman
Take one step at a time, one day at a time, one hour at a time, if needed xx. And make sure you stay away from Dr Google, as a lot of it is outdated & not relevant to your own diagnosis ... and will only confuse you. Ask important questions of your team (and/or you Breast Care Nurse, when you are connected with one) or us - those that have actually been thru it all x
Take care xx