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.
The in-home nurse just left. It was my first time having someone come to the house for help. She inspected my drains, changed some dressings and reviewed my spreadsheet with all the meds. “Wow”, she said, “You’re very organized”. I know this will seem silly but I was proud that the nurse was giving me…
Cyclopentasiloxane and PEG, every day, twice a day Dilaudud (8mg) every day, 6 times a day Dulcolax (100 mg), everyday, once a day Ketorolac(10mg) every day, 4 times a day Amox/Clav, 3 times a day, every day Welcome to Club MED. Unfortunately there’s no beach, no pool, no entertainment and definitely no swim up bar.…
Read more ” Drugs in my pocket and I don’t know what to do with them” (the Monks, 1979)
Given the go ahead to go home. You have no idea what good news that is for me. Hospitals are NOT FUN! Did you know that there are a lot of sick people there?! I had a rough time of it. The last 48 hours have put me to the test but I knew I…
Day 2. Still at the hospital. My surgery went well…or so they thought until in recovery I was feeling extreme discomfort and a lot of swelling. The surgical resident examined me and determined I had excessive bleeding in my left chest area. My drains were filling up within minutes with bright red blood. This needed…
On my way to the hospital. Wish me luck. I will be back to you as soon as I can. Looking forward to sharing another chapter in my Ta Ta Cancer story.
…not even a ….Are you kidding me? I won’t be getting any sleep! Any one who says you should go into surgery well rested has obviously never had surgery. Or at least not major surgery. And even though I will only be in the hospital from 6:15 Wednesday morning to 6:15 Thursday morning, this is…
Read more Twas the night before surgery and all through the house, not a creature was stirring….
My biggest preparation for my surgery Wednesday is what to do to manage the drainage tubes. I have to say that I have lost a lot of sleep thinking about them and how they will impact my recovery. For those of you who don’t know what I’m talking about (and don’t feel bad ’cause this…
I’m so fortunate to live in an area that has as many hospitals and medical centres as it does Tim Hortons. The clinic for my pre-op was less than 10 minutes away, very convenient. The appointment itself….well a bit longer. Even though I had a scheduled appointment for 10:40, I was told to take a…
Read more The 3 P’s of Pre-op. Poking, Prodding and Paperwork
Let’s face it. This is a battle and a long one at that. But I’ve stepped into the ring and am prepared to go as many rounds as it takes until I am awarded the title SURVIVOR I like to surround myself with positive energy and positive people. And more so now than any other…
Read more A negative mind will never give you a positive life
Since my diagnosis April 30 I haven’t stopped reading every article, blog, book and tweet I can find about breast cancer. I never knew there were so many types of breast cancer, seven I believe. And although I am certainly no expert, I joke with my family and friends that I could go on Jeopardy…
I have now joined a club I never wanted to be a member. No one does. But I will pay my dues, do my time and then drop out as quickly as possible. Actually that’s not true. Yes, I want to resign the post “I have cancer” and replace it with “I survived cancer”, but…
A week later I was meeting with the reconstructive/plastic surgeon assigned to my team. Just so we are clear, breast reconstruction is not a boob job. Reconstruction of your breasts after mastectomy is a long process. In fact, the plastic surgeon said it will take another nine months after my mastectomy scars heal. So this…
Waiting to meet my new surgeon was a completely different experience. There was none of the angst of waiting for a diagnosis. I knew what that was…I have breast cancer…so tell me what’s next, PLEASE. The door of the examining room opened and in came one of the most energetic, confident and enthusiastic people I’ve…
A week after being diagnosed with breast cancer, I had, thanks to my family doctor, an appointment at the Juravinski Cancer Centre. I had googled the hospital to find out as much as I could before my appointment. The facility, the programs and services and even the look of the place was impressive. I read…
I got the call on Friday to say the surgeon wants to see me. She had my biopsy report. I knew that things probably weren’t great. I was expecting to hear that I had an infection or maybe a cyst. It was now Monday. I had spent the weekend trying not to think about the…
Sorry, I Don't Have Time For Cancer 