Lovely writing! And many thanks for Staying Alive - a good song for everything these days.
Sorry your diagnosis is not a bit lighter and easier, but it is what it is and best to start treatment sooner rather than later. As an 18DD who had a single mastectomy, and no reconstruction, you adapt quicker than you would think but it wasn’t till I finally got a prosthesis fitted instead of a soft pad (12 months with a very large seroma) that I realised how out of whack my back was! Recovered very quickly though.
The busy-ness of the next few months is helpful for most people, you get immersed in doing and not so much reflecting. Time for that later.
Best wishes the next stages and thanks for reminding me - I soaked barley last night, time to make the soup!