Ta Ta Cancer follows my Breast Cancer journey from diagnosis thru surgery, recovery and reconstruction. It is a candid account of my journey and I'd love to have you along for the ride.
…but I was wide awake. On Wednesday I had surgery #4. A surgery I have been waiting for for over a year. This surgery was to remove the hematoma and bulging pocket of skin left over from my mastectomy. I have been in constant pain as the area I needed removed was under my left…
Read more There’s a reason why patients are put under for surgery…
For me, every month, week, day and hour I think about breast cancer. I am more than “aware” of what this horrific disease can do to someone. I was diagnosed with breast cancer April 30, 2018. I underwent a double mastectomy June 13th, 2018; dealt with tissue expanders for eight months; had silicone implants put…
Read more October 1st…wear some pink and become aware. PLEASE!
Today I had epidural steroid injections in my back. I have them every three months to manage the pain from two herniated disks, arthritis and some nerve damage brought on by my other operations. At the pain clinic, you need to arrive an hour before your procedure. You register and then fill out a form…
Read more There’s more to me than pain and anguish. It’s just hard to find sometimes.
October 2nd….nine more days until ( and let’s hope ) my fourth surgery will take place. I have been waiting for 15 months to have the hematoma, caused by my mastectomy, to be removed. This has been quite the journey; filled with many ups and downs. It has tested my patience, my resolve, my inner…
Cancelled. That was the message I received. My loooooong awaited surgery to remove the hematoma left from my mastectomy and the unsightly bulge of skin under my arm. My surgery was scheduled for this Wednesday but now I have no idea when it will be. When I listened to the message from my surgeon’s office…
Yesterday I saw my family doctor. It’s been awhile. I know she has received every report, result and comment from the myriad of other doctor’s that I have been occupied with. I made an appointment with her to see if she can help me with the “presumed” ulcer I have developed from all the…
Labour day has come and gone. Summer feels like it is over. The nights are cooler, the days are shorter and my wait continues. I have had no word regarding my next two surgeries. I have called, asked, pestered and begged to no avail. You can’t blame me for being anxious and a bit impatient.…
Smile though your heart is aching Smile even though its breaking When there are clouds in the sky, you’ll get by If you smile through your fear and sorrow Smile and maybe tomorrow You’ll see the sun come shining through for you Light up your face with gladness Hide every trace of sadness Although a…
I am still trying to adjust to my “new” but certainly not “improved” body. It is a very bizarre feeling having foreign objects inside your body. I am always aware that “they” are there. Not just because they are still very painful, but because they don’t feel like part of me. They don’t move…literally. Now…
Read more Appearances aren’t everything…unless yours has been completely altered by cancer!
I’m a pretty positive person. I try to find the humour in every situation and I think I have an inner resilience that has served me well. Even when I was a little girl, I was always smiling and happy ( as you can see from the above photo) even though I was not the…
Read more It will take a lot more than this cancer crap to break my spirit!
If you google breast reconstruction, you will see photos of very symmetrical, round, shapely “foobs”. Most photos show women with nipples still in tact and scars that are barely visible. That is not my reality, nor will it ever be I’m afraid. Tuesday, I saw my surgeon for my post-op examination and to have my…
Read more This is my new reality. Guess I better learn to own it.
Originally posted on Sorry, I Don't Have Time For Cancer:
I had to get away. I had to get away from cancer. I know that sounds weird. How do you get away from a disease that has consumed every waking minute of your life for over a year. But I did. I went off…
I had to get away. I had to get away from cancer. I know that sounds weird. How do you get away from a disease that has consumed every waking minute of your life for over a year. But I did. I went off grid. Literally. I went to spend a week on a lake…
I am one week post-op. I am still struggling with pain and fatigue. It’s crazy how much these surgeries have zapped my energy. I have been making an effort the last few days to get out of my pj’s and get dressed. Not that anyone is going to see me, but it just makes me…
I’m five days post-op and I’m not doing well. My whole body feels like its been encased in cement. Every step is an effort. Every movement exhausts me. It’s a challenge even opening my pill bottles as I lack the strength to push down on cap to release it. I tried to make coffee this…
Well I made it. Another surgery under my belt. This surgery business is becoming second nature to me. I know how to prep for it without taking a single note. I know what clothes to have ready that I can easily get in and out of without lifting my arms. I know what food to…
Today was my Pre-op appointment for my impending surgery Thursday. This is the third round I’ve gone through since last summer. First my mastectomy June 13, 2018, then my reconstruction surgery February 11, 2019 and now for what they are calling my “revision” surgery, July 4, 2019. Revision…yup that’s how the doctor referred to it…
Yesterday, was my day to receive more spinal injections. After finally having MRI results to guide my surgeon, he and his team worked on finding the areas in my spine that they could inject steroids to numb my pain and reduce inflammation. Unfortunately, the injections only last a few weeks at best. They do provide…
Read more My pain isn’t who I am, but it controls what I can do.
Yesterday was my long awaited appointment at the Pain clinic to get the results of my MRI. Since my mastectomy surgery I have been suffering from severe nerve pain in my legs and only an MRI could show why. My surgeon “painstakingly” reviewed my scans and there it was in black and white, literally, that…
Read more The results are in. Can I have the envelope please…
One year ago today, I took the longest walk of my life down a cold, sterile brightly lit hallway to an operating room to have my breasts removed. June 13, 2018 I underwent a bilateral mastectomy. I had a 16cm x 10cm tumour in my left breast and several growths in my right. I had…
…”Yes, this is my 6th,” I answered the technician. I have been waiting for this MRI for almost a year. After my mastectomy, I developed severe nerve pain in my legs. I have been prescribed several kinds of medication but none have worked. The only way for the doctors to see if I have any…
I am in a holding pattern. I have been for months. I am currently on two waiting lists for surgeries. One list for the removal of my hematoma and one list for surgery to remove my ill-fitting silicone implants to replace them with saline implants. I have my fingers crossed that the new implants will…
First let me say that I know your comments and calls are out of concern and I appreciate it BUT, saying things like “oh, I read somewhere about some kind of breast implant that’s being pulled off the market as its making women really sick” OR ” I heard that there is a breast implant…
Yup, more surgery is needed. I saw my reconstructive surgeon today. It’s been three months since my tissue expanders were removed and silicone implants inserted. That surgery was nowhere near as traumatic as the mastectomy surgery BUT it was still very painful and still took several weeks to “recover”, although I am NOT fully recovered.…
April 30. A day I will never forget. One year ago today, I heard the three words that changed my life forever. “You have cancer!” At that moment it felt as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. I felt like I was under water, not able to breath but still…
Sorry, I Don't Have Time For Cancer 