I am Lisa Duffield
Hi, to anyone who is reading this! I've never blogged before, but here goes anyway!
My story is not unique, in fact it scares me how many of us there are. We are all equally important and each life matters.
This is just my journey.....
I've called this blog "I Am Lisa Duffield" in honour of our friend Ronnie, who is currently overseas in Peru, as an aid workier for children and families. She's amazing and one of the most courageous people I know. More power to you Ronnie, stay safe.
I am a wife, mother, singer and singing teacher. I'm 48 years old and live in the beautiful Adelaide Hills on a few glorious acres. I'm married, and have been to the same wonderful guy for nearly 30 years! This year will be our 30th wedding anniversary! We have a fantastic son, who is 13 and we're very proud of him, he's a kid in a million!
It all started around the beginning of December, 2010. We'd been water skiing with friends, and I was a bit sunburnt around the "v-neck tshirt" bit, so I was moisturising and found this really big, hard lump just sitting on top of my right breast, a bit lower than where your bra strap joins your bra. I was very shocked and felt a little bit sick. I ignored it for a week - even forgot about it - before I went to a GP. He sent me for a mammogram, the very next day. I went, and I remember being on the table at the medical imaging place and the lovely doctor that did the biopsy, said that she thought I'd need a breast surgeon. Life was already beginning to change. I was ok, staying calm and "working" the problem. But you know what, inside, I believe I knew. Easy to say in hindsight, but that little voice at the back of my mind, knew.
So, next day, Thursday 16th Dec, 8:30am, early appointment at the GP clinic. Yep, pathology results showed, an invasive breast cancer. At this point I fell apart, instant tears. G was amazing, very calm and comforting. The gp was young and very nice, I think he was as upset as we were! I already had an appointment with the breast surgeon booked for the following Monday, on the advice of the biopsy doc, but the lovely gp phoned and got us in that same day, at lunchtime! Which was fantastic, as the tension of not knowing exactly what was going on was awful. The next 4 days were the worst of my life, I just didn't know it then!
On the way home, I pulled myself together and started to think it through. "Keep focussed on working it through." We went home and I wrapped all the Christmas presents and got myself organised "just in case", in case of what I'm not sure I knew. G and I didn't talk about it at all, we were both too shocked and too fragile. Bit like the elephant in the room.
Lymphedema arm aching, more later........