The Journey Begins

Kathy ...just letting you know that I took about 6 weeks recovery time with bilateral mastectomy and reconstruction. I really found it very painful and being a bilateral. I had no wound complications either but had nerve pain from the sentinal biopsy and required lyrica to settle that down. I was shocked out how exhausted I was (but I also had a flare up of my Graves disease and hurt my back in hospital due to movement restrictions).  Then if  course in week 6 I started the AC part of chemo...and I really couldn't work during this treatment. I too am a Nurse....I currently work in mental health...and knew I was not in the head space to do it. I have been able to claim trauma cover from my life insurance which meant we could pay off the mortgage and I didn't  have to work if I wished. My employee has been wonderful and happy for me to work for an hour  if that's all I could do. But presently I don't  want to. The mental recovery is probably just as hard as the physical one. We are all different...I am just saying you might need to have other options in mind. Your superannuation might have options also. I took some LSL also. My major treating hospital in Adelaide was my training  hospital and I found that comforting  (its where my nurse husband and I met) my current treatment is at the hospital I work at now in Broken Hill...some days this is hard but mostly it has advantages. It's just hard to have an anonymous day there.  Have plan b and c ready. We nurses always like plans in place. Kath x