Hi, I so agree about not being too proud to accept all the help offered. But I go one step further: make sure you also ask them to do each thing in the way you need it done, eg to pick you up at the time that works for you, to cook the meals you like not what you don't like.
With people who come with me to medical appointments, I found it is worth discussing what I want of them, and what they want from the appointment themselves. We had a summit meeting to sort that out before each appointment. Often I wanted to get answers to certain questions, and also to hear what the oncologist or surgeon had to say, so I took a typed up list of dot-point questions to give to the specialist and got my companion to help me remember to give it, to help make sure I shut up to listen to the oncologist and also to help make sure I got my questions fully answered before we left. She also suggested a couple of questions I had forgotten to add. This meant she did not take over, but did help me get what I wanted.
Also, operations may be frightening, but to be honest, you are in really good hands these days having this sort of surgery in Australia. As long as you take your pain medications as advised, make sure you are careful not to pull the drain out at night, and listen to the advice on what to do and what not to do as far as exercise and movement, breast surgery is surprisingly painless. In fact my mastectomy was a lot less pain than a friend's wide-biopsy for a non-cancerous lump!
A friend gave me the following visualisation to do before my op, and I found it helpful whenever I got scared about what lay ahead.
Imagine it all going well, without a hitch, with friendly competent nurses and doctors gently putting you into a deep sleep, and then bringing you gently back to consciousness after he job is all done. These people all have years of experience at doing these ops and are able to do a really good job for you. Imagine healing well, so your body is good and strong and clear of cancer again Imagine the treatments you get mopping up any and all rogue cancer cells so none are left behind. Imagine yourself in good health and cancer free in several decades time, at a family Christmas, thinking back to 2015, and how you had this little glitch that taught you to live your life more fully and well.
I would love to know if it is any use to you.
