On the Roller Coaster
Hi. So there I was chilling out sipping cocktails in a sarong on the island of Maui, Hawaii (a little holiday before starting a great gig on the US mainland) when I felt a lump. It was just 2 years since my mammogram, and here was a really big lump. It had to be a cyst I thought. It hurt, and cancer wasn't supposed to hurt and it grew like wildfire. I was convinced it was just a perimenopausal cyst. A local doctor dismissed that notion, scaring the bejesus out of me when she said she wouldn't give me false hope, and then the mammogram machine broke down on the island the day before I was to have the test. My cousin flew in and dragged me home(thus saving my life). I was in total denial, but with a strong family history of breast cancer, she knew better. My Mum had breast cancer in 2007, and my sister also had both breasts removed (pre-cancerous tumours were found and she had implants put in during surgery, thus retaining breast skin, shape and nipples) the day of my diagnosis.
48 hrs after arriving in Adelaide, SA, I was diagnosed with stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma. 3 weeks later (while experiencing a lot of fear, anxiety and shock) I underwent a left mastectomy and lymph node removal (the surgeon chose to leave the right breast as a 'skin farm for reconstruction', for which I'll no doubt be thankful for, later). Staging X-rays, blood tests & CT scans (bones, lungs, liver, head, chest abdomen and pelvis) clarified that it hasn't spread beyond the breast/nodes, but the tumour's aggressiveness was noted.
I relocated to Port Macquarie last weekend to be with family during the coming year on the breast cancer roundabout, and frankly, I'm relieved to be home.
Today I'm at 5 weeks post-surgery, and I'm sure as you all know the pain, and emotional roller coaster ride is quite extraordinary, but I've come out the other side of that. Still having seroma drained, but the amount is lessening.
Next comes 18-weeks of chemo and 5-6 of radiotherapy. Then the right mastectomy and breast reconstruction.
Thus far, I've had to let go of some big career plans for the foreseeable future and lost a few friends as well as my lover, who found it all too 'difficult' to face. Strangely, the relationship breakdowns hurt more than the diagnosis and surgery.
But I'm somewhat philosophical, and consider the universe was clearing out the 'debris' in my life. Only the strong, the loyal and the empathetic remain. I've also met some incredible women - survivors of breast cancer who have been amazing, and that's why I've joined this group. Sharing our experiences really does help. And I look forward to chatting with members here. My first query will be about facing and handling the chemo, so once I have an idea of the drug 'Molotov cocktail' I'm to be given, I'll be asking questions! Until then, I'm learning from all your wonderful past posts. Gracias amigas!
48 hrs after arriving in Adelaide, SA, I was diagnosed with stage 3 invasive ductal carcinoma. 3 weeks later (while experiencing a lot of fear, anxiety and shock) I underwent a left mastectomy and lymph node removal (the surgeon chose to leave the right breast as a 'skin farm for reconstruction', for which I'll no doubt be thankful for, later). Staging X-rays, blood tests & CT scans (bones, lungs, liver, head, chest abdomen and pelvis) clarified that it hasn't spread beyond the breast/nodes, but the tumour's aggressiveness was noted.
I relocated to Port Macquarie last weekend to be with family during the coming year on the breast cancer roundabout, and frankly, I'm relieved to be home.
Today I'm at 5 weeks post-surgery, and I'm sure as you all know the pain, and emotional roller coaster ride is quite extraordinary, but I've come out the other side of that. Still having seroma drained, but the amount is lessening.
Next comes 18-weeks of chemo and 5-6 of radiotherapy. Then the right mastectomy and breast reconstruction.
Thus far, I've had to let go of some big career plans for the foreseeable future and lost a few friends as well as my lover, who found it all too 'difficult' to face. Strangely, the relationship breakdowns hurt more than the diagnosis and surgery.
But I'm somewhat philosophical, and consider the universe was clearing out the 'debris' in my life. Only the strong, the loyal and the empathetic remain. I've also met some incredible women - survivors of breast cancer who have been amazing, and that's why I've joined this group. Sharing our experiences really does help. And I look forward to chatting with members here. My first query will be about facing and handling the chemo, so once I have an idea of the drug 'Molotov cocktail' I'm to be given, I'll be asking questions! Until then, I'm learning from all your wonderful past posts. Gracias amigas!
