Hi Kirsten.
How is your treatment going? Sorry I haven't replied in so long, I tend to forget to look on here and I musn't have any reminders sent to my email because I didn't know i had any replies.
I am now in Mackay and so see the staff here for my stuff now. I am three years post diagnosis and although there is no treatments (other than port flush once a month) I still have a lot of "head space" issues that I deal with. I guess its not as bad as it was in that first year and a half, but its still there.
I can't even think about looking into my reconstruction until I can get my lymphodema under control. Its pretty bad at the moment because life just gets in the way and I haven't been in to get any treatment done to help minimise it. I think I will probably either go to Brisbane or even Sydney for my Reconstruction. Because I will get the other one done at the same time (no point getting a new perky one and then have the other looking at my stomach!) it will be costly and if I am paying the money, i may as well get it done by a well known dr!
My husband has been awesome with my scar and uni-boob status - cupping the empty one or rubbing it etc as if there is nothing wrong. I have a fakey that I wear but its heavy and I hate being limited with my clothing choices. I was a little upset with Sally with my mastectomy. I have fatty bits under my arm and we PAID extra for that to also be removed but even though I paid, the fat bits were not removed and it actually looks like i have a boob (more so because the scar ends at the tip of the highest bit and looks like a nipple lol) on the side of my chest.
Have you started radiation yet? The people there were absolutely lovely when I got mine done. Make sure you use the carpark at the back right near the radiation rooms and see if you can get hold of one of the parking tickets you can put on your car too. Ask the breast nurses there if you need to.
Anita probably would not remember me as they have so many people through, but please tell her that Cathy from Glenden (now mackay) thinks of her often and is very thankful she got me through the hard times. I had three very young children too at the time - a four and a half year old, a 20 month old and an 8 month old and we had not long moved to Qld from NSW when I was diagnosed. Sounds like our stories are similar!
Anyway, hope you are well
Cathy