Tag: cancer surgery

Breast cancer lesson number 27: We make our choices and then our choices make us

On By Jackie ScullyIn Breast reconstruction surgeryLeave a comment

Decisions, decisions, decisions! When faced with ‘the big C’, every meeting, every booklet, every phone call demands a decision – and usually not a small one. Basically, a day without a potentially life-changing choice in it, feels like a day off cancer. Trust me, there aren’t many of those.

In the first few weeks following my diagnosis, my colleagues were constantly amused by the way in which I would turn up at my desk, do some work, decide about freezing embryos, drink tea, have a meeting, talk about major surgery, drink more tea, write some emails and then weigh up the pros and cons of losing my hair. It was like life was suddenly on fast forward and as long as I could tackle a few major decisions a day, I was just about keeping up (I thought I’d only have to work and plan out a wedding guest list this year).

However big, most of my decisions have been met with nods of approval and sympathetic smiles. I think there is one decision though that requires a bit more of an explanation. A few concerned friends have asked me why, when I could have had a more traditional silicone boob job, did I choose to have my tummy cut open and glued back together (a DIEP flap). It’s something I’ve glossed over in earlier blogs, but I can see why, on the face of it, I must look a little like a bit of a pain junkie or a glutton for punishment. Is a tummy tuck on the NHS really worth the effort?

The short answer is yes, absolutely. The decision to hand myself over to the surgeon and his scalpel may seem brave (or just a bit stupid), but having been armed with the facts, it was the only surgery I wanted to consider (hence the extreme chocolate eating).

Image

Here’s a quick insight into why my tummy fat is now masquerading as my right boob:

1)    Immediate reconstruction or delayed reconstruction?
The ultimate no-brainer. I don’t have much up top as it is, so to be made flat chested on one side at the age of 32 was never really a consideration. I didn’t like the idea of wearing a breast prosthesis and really wanted to keep my cleavage (especially for a wedding dress). Immediate reconstruction apparently leaves less scarring than other types and the results are usually better. Tick, tick and another tick for good measure! The only really downside I can see (and the main reason people may wait I guess) is that radiotherapy may change the appearance of the reconstructed breast (let’s see shall we?!). I also had to wait a bit longer for the two teams of surgeons to be available to operate.

2)    To flap or not to flap?
A slightly more complex conundrum, but I hope you’ll see why the tummy was right for me.

a)    I’m very healthy (apart from the obvious) and have a lot of looking-in-the-mirror time left. Basically, I am not limited due to my general condition.
b)    Implants give a less natural look. Perky boobs would be more attractive if I was having both done. Trouble is, if you have one done, you open yourself up to the possibility of more surgery down the line just to keep you balanced (especially if you put on – or lose – a lot of weight). I like the idea of something that can grow with me and age gracefully.
c)     Implants don’t feel as soft or warm as a breast formed using your own tissue. Never really fancied a vampire boobie myself.
d)    Implants don’t last forever. That means more surgery down the line!
e)    Radiotherapy and implants are not great bedfellows.
f)     An implant is a foreign body that may fail, if your body rejects it. I was next to one woman in hospital who had had problems with two implants and had opted for the DIEP surgery as the last resort. Yes, there is a 2% chance of the tummy fat failing, but that’s good odds in my book.
g)    I know I can cope with pain.
h)    Tummy fat is always an unwanted addition to the body. I’m a great believer we all need our moment in the spotlight. Now, it can feel useful.
i)      Microsurgery is amazingly complicated. Humans wouldn’t have invented such a thing if it weren’t to create great results!

3) Tummy, bum, inner thigh or back flap?
What would you rather? A) A bum with a gap that reminds you of cancer every time you sit down B) Shoulder weakness C) An oddly-shaped inner thigh that makes cycling a bit tricky OR D) a flat stomach. Hmm! Tricky! Not such a dilemma in my book.

Ok, so I’ll admit this is a bit one-sided. Yes, it was major surgery. Yes, there may be more complications down the line. Yes, implants can look amazing. Yes, I have a patchwork of scars across my body. And yes, it hurt A LOT! (and the recovery will take time). But, all things considered, at 32, the short-term-pain-long-term-gain option was always going to win.

I have no regrets. I’d made my decision before I’d left the cancer surgeon’s consulting room and long before the plastic surgeon had had the chance to draw a diagram of my tummy and explain the lengthy list of complications.

My tummy is as flat as a pancake.  My boobie is warm and as real as it will ever be (albeit without a nipple for now). When I am rubbing aqueous cream into my scars (a must-buy for anyone with breast cancer), I don’t think about the lengthy surgery or the complications. I just smile and thank the surgeons for saving my life and giving me another reason to feel thankful when I look in the mirror.

For anyone having to make this decision in the future, good luck! Listen to your body, listen to your heart and I hope you have many more happy moments in front of the mirror.

Next decision for me? What to wear to my fertility meeting tomorrow. Do I have a skirt that can fit over my corset without it riding up and looking like a belt? Pretty complex stuff!

Breast cancer lesson number 24: Not all upgrades are worth having!

On By Jackie ScullyIn Reflections on cancer2 Comments

I have only ever been upgraded once before in my life. Duncan and I were on a holiday in Cyprus and, having opted for a really tiny hire care, we were upgraded to something a little bit better. As the designated driver, I was visibly thrilled at the news. Duncan was laughing. I didn’t know why until I saw the car – or maybe juggernaut with a giant boot would be a better description. Having driven nothing larger than a Nissan Micra (I am pretty fond of my small car), it took me days to get used to it. As anyone who has been up the Troodos Mountains will know, big cars and little windy roads with sheer drops are not a match made in heaven.

Today, at my pathology report meeting, I received the results of the testing done on the cancerous mass – or should I say masses. This meeting is one of the most important meetings in the whole process because it’s the first time they’ve tested everything and it’s the first time they know for certain what really went on behind naughty right boobie!

With the results, came the second upgrade of my life (why can’t I just be upgraded to first class on a plane like normal people!?). The tumour they found was larger than anticipated; there were other masses (making it multi-focal cancer); and while there were only two lymph nodes affected out of a possible 13 (the number of lymph nodes present in a body varies from person to person), the cancer in one of the lymph nodes had spread into the surrounding tissue. This means I have stage 3 cancer, which is sometimes referred to as locally advanced breast cancer. Stage 4 cancer is secondary cancer and it doesn’t even get a mention in some cancer leaflets.

Ok, so you’re probably thinking that there’s no way Jackie will be able to get a positive post out of these findings. But, I am delighted to say I can and I have! The reason being is that I AM CANCER FREE. Yep, you heard that right. THE CANCER HAS LEFT THE BUILDING – AND THE BODY!!! Yes, it’s not the best news in the world (although the surgeon did say it was better than they thought it would be). Yes, it means I will have to have chemotherapy, radiotherapy and a course of hormone therapy. But, I can now say I HAD STAGE 3 INVASIVE LOBULAR BREAST CANCER AND NOW IT’S GONE.

Today has been a good day. The surgeon and the breast care nurse were surprised to see me looking so well – and bolt upright. The surgeon had a quick peek of the new improved me and looked very impressed with the results (it’s nice to get nods of approval when you take your top off). I met the surgeon who saved my life and got the chance to ‘thank him for working his magic’, and I am no longer waiting to hear what the next six months are going to look like. My cancer surgeon doesn’t want to see me again for a whole YEAR (woohoo) and there was an incredible amount of smiling and laughing. Anyone would have thought we were having a celebration rather than discussing the fact the cancer was trying its hardest to take me away.

Thank god for amazing surgeons and for Christmas Eve 2013. My engagement may have been the best Christmas present ever, but finding this lump on Christmas Eve has got to be up there. While no one can tell me what the future holds and whether or not it will come back, the fact is, right now, I’m lucky to be alive – a fact that’s only just starting to sink in!

Breast Cancer lesson number fifteen: Everyone needs a hospital survival guide

On By Jackie ScullyIn Breast reconstruction surgery3 Comments

As I lie here waiting to be helped into my tracksuit bottoms and discharged from the ward, I thought it would be a good time to see whether the ‘I-wish-I’d-known-that-before-I-went-in’ checklist would be extensive. You know what? It’s pretty short and mostly focused on things to think about – not items to buy.

In care terms, hospitals are the easy bit (someone washes you and even remembers when you need to take your pills). In psychological terms, they can be a trial, as patients battle with the comforts of being looked after and the often uphill struggle of getting through the day without pain.

So, here are seven little insights to keep you positive and make sure you don’t overstay your welcome:

Doctors and nurses know best: a hospital stay after major surgery is a strange experience. Within 24 hours of being sliced up, put back together and monitored closely, talks turns to getting you up and out of there. On the surface this may seem a bit mean (the NHS’s attempt to turn beds around quickly at the expense of a bit of after care). But, you know what, if you’re out of hospital, you’re further down the road to recovery, and that’s what anyone caring for you should want the most. I remember being told to get up on Sunday and thinking that it would be impossible to try. You know what? I immediately felt more human. I remember being told to start doing everything myself on Tuesday. I had a little cry thinking no one cared, but once I have washed my own face and managed a solo toilet trip, I felt more in charge of my recovery. It gave me the confidence to leap up the stairs and both the nurses and the physios thought I was amazing. That felt better than any amount of stroking and sympathy, I can tell you. Anything for a little gold star for being a good patient.

If you are uncomfortable, just ask: I have spent the last few days (with the exception of Saturday) trying to stay out of trouble (there were a lot of tears on Saturday). I asked for morphine only when in tears and I made do with everything in an attempt to be easy. Two things would have made life a lot better. More pain medication to relax me and a soft and static bed. I have just had a great night of sleep, because I listened to my body and made a simple request.

Don’t forget yourself in hospital: how easy it is to think that every swelling, shooting pain and a new ache is a life-threatening side effect. How easy is it to think that life is only as big as the four walls of the ward and a bed in the corner. The trouble is, if you fight to get back to who you are from the start, the chances are, your body will respond positively. The guy in the recovery room described me as a perfect patient, not because I didn’t ask for help, wasn’t in pain or didn’t say random things about my hand leaking. It was because I responded to everything, I was patient even when the morphine wasn’t working and I treated each person caring for me as a human being. I even found some time for humour, at which point the nurse said: ‘I can’t believe you’ve actually just general anaesthetic, let alone major surgery’. Where there is humour, there is happiness.

Do what it takes to have a good night sleep: hospitals never sleep, so don’t expect to. The bright lights in hospital make you feel like you are lying in a sports centre. Add in a few loud and random noises (the medication trolley, the blood pressure monitor, a bed brought in from surgery) and it’s hard to imagine ever being able to get to sleep. There are times when you won’t want to sleep at all (I got very anxious when I was on a combination of heavy drugs and thought I would stop breathing if I went to sleep), but when you feel like you can, you have to do everything in your power to try. I have had my first good night sleep in two weeks and I feel a lot more like me. Ear plugs and eye masks are a great idea (the hospital provided me with some, so just ask).

Thin clothes are the answer: it may be February, but the hospital feels like a Hawaiian Island (that could be due to the morphine). If your clothes are cotton and thin, you are more likely to feel comfortable and relaxed. I had a few nightshirts, a couple of bras and three pairs of big knickers and that was enough. The Royce post-surgery bra is amazing (so soft and comforting). I will probably be living in this and my abdo binder for months.

Keep strong in your mind: there are people there to treat your symptoms and take away your pain. There was no one there when I was left to look at myself in the mirror yesterday and see the results of the surgery. I cried and then I remembered why I am doing this. I drew on my inner strength and I got through. No one knows the real you when you are wheeled onto that ward and they can only respond to the person you decide to be in hospital. Be strong and they will be strong too (you might even get extra biscuits).

Order mash with most meals: just try it for me! It’s pretty special.

So, if you are about to be admitted, or find yourself in one of these caring institutions in the future, try and be the best patient you can be. You will be rewarded in so many ways – the ultimate prize being a discharge note and a bag of pills!

Breast cancer lesson number twelve: The day before surgery does arrive… eventually!

On By Jackie ScullyIn Breast reconstruction surgery6 Comments

Image

Five weeks, eleven appointments, five scans, thirteen needles, two biopsies, one arm measurement, one flu jab, seven hormone pills, one ‘dry’ January, two emotional freedom therapy sessions, one NLP masterclass, 11 blog posts, one trip to see Darius (sing in a musical not in a concert) and a lot of chocolate later, and it’s here at last! I am not sure I believe it.

So, what does the day before surgery really feel like? It feels real. As anyone who has seen me over the last two months will know, I look well, I sound well, I eat well – a bit too well. In fact, I can’t remember the last time I’ve felt quite this well. That’s why trying to convince myself there’s a serious illness lurking inside me, is no easy task. Usually someone anaesthetises you to get rid of the pain – not knocks you out to bring it on!

In my mind, I am going into hospital well to come out unwell. In truth, I am going in with a life-threatening disease and coming out with my life. I should be celebrating. After all, I get a tummy tuck thrown in, a brand new body part and permission to wear big knickers and sleep for a whole day (inducing sleep will be much-needed after all those sleepless nights). I’ve had worse Fridays!  

My inbox is empty for the first time in years, my blackberry is no longer flashing constantly and my to-do list is on hold. If it weren’t for this little thing called surgery, life would be pretty special. 

Ask me what I am worried about and you won’t hear the words pain, needles, tubes, drains or PCA machines (quite looking forward to being reunited with that temporarily). The fact I can visualise everything from the drip to the catheter makes it all feel a little less menacing. What haunts my nights and occupies my days, however, is the fact that when I wake up tomorrow, I will never be the same again. I can’t prepare for how I am going to feel and, for someone who prides herself in being prepared (I would even love to make a spreadsheet for my weekly food shop if I had the time), that’s a bitter pill to swallow. I am sure bionic booby and I will get on – I am rather fond of my seven-inch scar and 44 holes from my hip surgery. But, ask me what I fear and I’ll tell you: it’s the moment I wake up tomorrow and look down.

Up until now, the cancer diagnosis (strange as it may sound) has been life-enhancing. I have taken what positives I can from the situation and it has put my life (and my constant need to always be on the go) into sharp focus. I have seen more friends and family. I have laughed more than I ever thought possible. I have taken time for myself. I have read a book on a Saturday (although really need to finish Bridget now as the book is so big to carry around). I have cut my hair short. I have experienced criminal behaviour. I have restarted old conversations. I have cried tears of joy. I have seen the beauty behind life’s clouds. I have opened the door to bad weather and danced in the rain. It may be the day before surgery but I am smiling at the fact I am here on a Thursday in February eating chocolates with my parents (can’t remember the last time I saw them in February). I can honestly say that there is very little (if any) genuine sadness behind my smiles. For that, I feel like the luckiest unlucky person in the world. I have been selected for a life and body overhaul – and I am determined to embrace it with open arms.

All I hope is that when I look down at those scars (which will fade with time, massage and a bit of love), I am reminded not of the surgery nor the cancer that was once eating away at me, but of the fact every day can be bright, brilliant and beautiful and make you happy to feel alive. It takes work. It takes strength to escape the daily routine of life when there is no life-threatening reason to do so. But, if ever there was a time to channel that inner workaholic for myself, it is now – and for the rest of my life. Up until now, I have been convinced this disease will change me for the better. Only tomorrow, will I start to find out.

On a more important note, I hope the NHS mash potato is as delicious as it was (under the influence of morphine) six years ago. If it is, I really have nothing to worry about.

I am ready to start out on the road to recovery. First stop, kick this cancer right out of my body. Let battle commence!