Surgery

This is probably the longest period of time I have gone without doing a blog post and there is a few reasons for that! Firstly I had a few admissions to hospital since chemo finished. I was pretty well throughout chemo but exactly 12 days after chemo finished - Paddy's Day night my temperature spiked. I had had a few drinks throughout the day and was exhausted when I got home (and probably a little tipsy!) I got into bed and felt freezing cold and kept putting on more and more layers. It took me about an hour to cop that this was really weird for me - as I've become a much warmer person since having chemo. I took my temperature and it was over 38 degrees! So I rang the hospital and they told me to come in. This was my first admission due to a high temperature, my bloods didn't show anything going on so they prescribed me antibiotics and sent me on my way. About two days later, my temperature spiked again and I was admitted again. This time my red blood cells were low so they gave me a blood transfusion and started me on IV antibiotics. My temperature spiked again a few days later and I was admitted AGAIN! They didn't really do anything with me this time other than monitor and let me go home. I finished antibiotics and my temperature continued to spike a few times over Easter but I just took paracetamol to bring it down and eventually it stopped spiking! These few weeks were incredibly frustrating. I was so exhausted from continually being in and out of hospital. I was covered in bruises from IV cannula's being inserted and bloods being taken. My veins are very poor at the moment after having chemo! And I was anxious about why it was happening and scared it could push back my surgery dates - thankfully it didn't!

My first surgery took place on the 26th March - which was a Sentinel Node Biopsy. I was admitted on the morning of the 26th March and a few hours later I was brought to Nuclear Medicine. Here they insert a radioactive dye into your nipple (they do this 4 times and it was horrible!) 40 minutes later they perform a Gamma Scan which shows the first lymph nodes which the dye drains to and aids the surgeon to find the appropriate lymph nodes to remove later. I was brought to the Operating Theatre shortly after this to have surgery. Before I got sick, I always felt I would never want to have surgery in the hospital I work in but as soon as it happened I knew that was what I did want. Being wheeled down the corridor to the Operating Theatres which I usually spend my days in work running up and down with instruments was a strange feeling but also somewhat comforting. I knew all of the nurses working on my case and it gave me a sense of calm knowing that they would look after me well. I had no adverse effects from the anaesthetic and was discharged the following morning. The incision for a Sentinel Node Biopsy is just a small incision below your armpit on the affected side and really caused me no problems. I got the results from this surgery on Good Friday which showed that no cancer had spread to my Lymph Nodes! This was a huge relief and I went on to enjoy Easter Weekend in Kilkenny with my Boyfriend's family.

My second surgery took place on the 9th April. After having had an appointment with the Plastic Surgeon at an earlier date, I had come to a decision to have a Mastectomy and Reconstruction just on the affected side for the moment and to come back to the healthy side at a later date. So on the 9th April I was admitted to the hospital to have surgery in the afternoon. One thing which has stuck with me since that day is something the Breast Surgeon said to me. She said that after this surgery I would be able to say I had cancer. I think for anybody about to go through a Lumpectomy or Mastectomy this is an incredible way to look at it - essentially once the surgery is finished, the cancer has been removed and as far as you can possibly tell - you no longer have cancer!
The Mastectomy and Reconstruction took place during the same surgery, in the same hospital, in the same Operating Theatre! I didn't really have much anxiety about this surgery, I was looking forward to another step in treatment being over. After surgery I came back to the ward with a new boob, two drains and a vacuum dressing plugged into a battery pack. I stayed in hospital for a full week after this surgery. My pain was very well controlled and I was given physio exercises to do to ensure I had good movement back in my arm. I do now have two different sized breasts but I know this is temporary and its much more important to be able to say my cancer is gone than I have two breasts the same size!

I was discharged from hospital on Monday 16th April - still with two drains and a battery pack in tow! I still have these at the moment, they are a bit of a pain but what can you do! I have my results appointment tomorrow 20th April with my Breast Surgeon. At this appointment they will discuss the Pathology report on the tumour. This is a very important appointment as it will show how successful chemo was at shrinking and killing the tumour. The hope would be that there was no evidence of cancer when the tumour was examined but this is probably unlikely for me as I had such a large tumour. What I already know is that the Chemo significantly reduced the tumour to the extent it could no longer be felt anymore and I have already been told this was a fantastic response so hopefully tomorrow I will be told similar. The results tomorrow will also determine whether I need Radiotherapy and Oral Chemotherapy. Hopefully I might have a drain removed tomorrow too.

In other news...my hair has started to grow back very slowly including my eyebrows and eyelashes. I am using Rapilash on my eyebrows and eyelashes and a number of different products on my scalp to encourage hair growth including; Nioxin, Lush Roots scalp treatment, Lush Shampoo bars and |Lush Veganese Conditioner. I have started to use all chemical free toiletries and I am hoping to look into chemical free make up too once I start wearing make up regularly again! I am trying to go for a walk most days to build myself back up - I'm finding it tough at the moment but I know it'll get easier!

I'm feeling pretty good at the moment. I have been completely overwhelmed by the support I have received over the past month or so and I feel very lucky to have such amazing people in my life. The day I had my Mastectomy Surgery was also the date of my Best Friend's 30th Birthday - I don't think I'll ever forget that date as it was also the date that cancer became Past Tense for me!