Just need someone to talk to.....
Hello! Since my my diagnosis in Feb this year I have read through online discussions but never had the confidence to join in. After being up all night looking up websites etc I have decided my time would be better spent seeking support rather than looking up scary statistics (I know! Everyone tells me to stop looking up things but sometimes it actually reassures me). Anyway a week after diagnosis I started neo adjuvant chemo which was hard but I did really well. Surgery was performed just over a week ago and whilst I am healing really well I'm devastated that I need to go into surgery again next week as my margins weren't clear. As I am very small (A cup) they have said I will now need a mastectomy as they can't remove anymore tissue without it looking terrible. I'm actually okay with this (or in a bit of shock) but what is really worrying me is that they now want to do more scans. The oncologist said they wouldn't redo scans unless there was a reason but now the surgeon says they need to be done to restage the cancer? My tumour did shrink with the chemo but it was still there and nodes were also positive. I'm so scared they are redoing scans because they think it has spread. The nurse said it was routine? I feel like I'm back at the start again - waiting, worrying....... Hopefully I get a bit of sleep tonight! C x
The Ultimate Journey for a Cure
As promised, some photos (sorry, only these two will post!) from my Nepalese Trek to the Base Camp of Mt Everest. It was both harder than I could ever have imagined and more rewarding than I could ever have imagined. It was so much better than I thought it would be, the scenery, the people and everything else. I got there, BUT only because I had a lot of help. Help in preparation and training from the leaders of our trek, Sharon and Allan Cohrs. Help from family and friends, my doctors and especially my husband. Help from fellow Trekkers and our Nepalese guides (especially the extra strong Mingma, who carried my pack whenever I struggled) and our porters (who carried 2 x15+kg duffle bags as well as their own packs!). We were part of a small group of Queenslanders who took part in the trek to raise money for the Cancer Council. The group shot (with our super-hero cancer fighting bears) was taken at our hotel in Kathmandu before we set off for Base Camp. I am sitting with my legs crossed, hubby behind me. It took 10 days of walking to get there (slowly because our bodies needed time to adjust to the altitude, 5340m at Base Camp) and 3 big days (7-8 hours walking) to get back down (no altitude issues going down!). We spent the night at Base Camp in one of those small yellow tents you can see in the photo. Minus 12 degrees and ice on the inside of the tent! Most Trekkers just get to spend a short day visit to Base Camp so we were extremely fortunate to go with a company (Everest One) that had negotiated the right to stay overnight. It was the most amazing experience of my life and I am so glad that I did it. Surviving treatment for bc gave me a new taste for adventure and it taught me that I am tougher than I thought I was. But it also taught me that being part of a team helps you to achieve more than you ever can by yourself. Sorry I cannot get any other photos to post on my iPad. But for anyone who wants to see more, I have a blog which I will be adding photos to over the next week or so (give me a day or two) in a day by day diary account of our 14 day trek. https://deanneseverest.wordpress.com Deanne xxx
