Road to Recovery

Day 8 - Saturday

It has been a monumental experience this hospital visit. Very emotional and restful at the same time.

It has required me to say goodbye to the breast that fed and nurtured my babies. Be cut up that little bit more - for someone who never wanted plastic surgery my body has been pretty well rearranged from its original shape.

To receive the news of the pathology from the mastectomy - wow! At the last appointment before mastectomy, with my breast surgeon, she thought it was unlikely that there would be a 100% resolution - She said maybe 10% residual cancer cells in the tissue. This result has hit me like a brick plus the unexpected result of my train ride ending here - for cancer anyway. I never thought of how I would feel if the pathology result would be 100% clear - I guess I never allowed myself to think it. My breast surgeon is playing down her role in my mastectomy and recon.....it's all about the reconstruction, even the aftercare is now my plastic surgeon and his wound nurse. He even controlled her drain and dictated when it came out etc. but she saved my life looking after me from the first diagnosis until now (8 months). She will continue to liaise with oncology as I'm with them in the public system.

So have 2 multidisciplinary meetings happening - 1 in public, 1 in private.

Although mastectomy no.2 will be in July we are thinking, so the wait for pathology results of that breast might prove a little nerve racking - there should be nothing according to all imaging results.

Day 9 - Sunday

Today I go home. Leaving with 1 drain from the donor site still in. I am armed with all of the paraphernalia to change and care for it - it's like a newborn baby that needs to come everywhere I go, needs measuring and changing.

Still trying to figure out how to wear it in clothes - it's not in the most convenient of spots on my thigh.

I keep getting up and dragging it behind me in its bag before feeling it attached to me....ouch!

The kids are glad I'm home and Andres keeps delivering a glass of water in a'mummy glass' - wine glass! He made me another 'I love you' card last night. Very special.

I received a get well card from the kids school....