Back to hospital I go!
WHERE DO I START ? Sooooo much has happened over the past 2 weeks!
Following the first lumpectomy the pathology report showed that the surgeon needed to take another 2.5mm off margin to ensure a cancer free barrier. This means a second operation.
We drive to Darwin the night before and I wake again to a starve before surgery at lunch time.
I don ‘the gown,’ and rest on a hospital trolley in a cubicle in a small room where nurses and doctors bustle past, laughing and talking. I close my eyes and try to take big breathes and relax.
The anaesthetist comes by and Surgeon David Read comes in to explain the procedure – that he will go in to remove the extra tissue extending the scar towards my nipple. He writes on my left breast with a black texta pen and I am wheeled off to theatre.
Under the big lights, I try to take in the scene, the colours (mostly steel grey, blue and white) and try to conjure up descriptions of the machinery so I can write about it, but, I am a little anxious and just close my eyes as the doctors and nurses busily swish around me. Within minutes, thank the goddesses – out I go.
About an hour later I awake in a long white curtained room – drips in my arms and blurry people peering at me.
I am once again looking forward to the cold tea and dry rubbery white bread sandwich. The other couple of people who had been lined up in the pre op cubicles with me are all in various stages of waking up – being checked by Doctors, given medications and discharge papers.
Four hours after checking in, disorientated and looking forward to another week of bruised sore boob I am being discharged.
At last the surgery part of this cancer story was over and now we could just get on with the treatment and in a few months time get our lives back to normal.
The next day I met with the oncologist, Dr Meena Okera from NT Imaging specialists. Just when I thought I could relax another brick comes from left field…..CHEMOTHERAPY.
Chemotherapy had not really been discussed before – all the talk had been about radiotherapy. Though the tumour was now considered fully removed it was classed as a grade 3 and 3.3cm which put it into the chemo category! BUGGER!…. I HATE IT!
Both,Shaun and I are beginning to feel a little punch drunk with all the travel, meetings, surgery, information, and constantly changing goal posts!
The highlight of the trip was seeing our daughters Shannon and Megan and picking up my little black cat – ‘Django the Lionheart.’ The cutest, cuddliest cheekiest cat in the whole universe. Shaun who keeps reminding me he doesn’t like cats, feeds him, and talks to him and cleans up the piss in the corner!
He didn’t even kick him out of bed!
Oh but he – ‘doesn’t like cats.’ 🙂
Another 320km trip home to await the results of the second operation and to absorb the changes that Chemo is going to bring to our lives, adding another 3 months of treatment, travel, sickness and uncertainty!
Kim says
still sending the prayers your way darl.
Liana says
Bugger – so sorry to hear that, Toni! Did they tell you what drugs? I won’t lie – it ain’t easy. But it’s a whole lot better than it used to be. These days chemo is much more ‘targeted’ to the individual, and they are pretty good with the drugs to manage the side effects. And you do get through it to the other side. One day at a time. One hour at a time if necessary.
tonitappcoutts says
I am feeling good and ready to take it on!
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