Cancer Diary - Part 3

[dyllanne]

On Wednesday the 15th August I was up early as I was nervous. I spent the morning trying to keep busy by checking my email, tidying the washing away, doing some prep for dinner in the evening. I drove to the subway. Normally I’d walk, but I didn’t really have time for walking. I went up to Buchanan St bus station and met my mum. We came down the road and got some lunch. We drove to the New Victoria infirmary and got to the clinic for the appointment in plenty time. When I was called I met the consultant (Mr Lazlo Romics) who said that I would have an operation in a month to remove the tiny mass which is cancerous as suspected. They would also take a couple of sentinel nodes for biopsy. I would have some hormone therapy (maybe Tamoxifen, maybe something else) as this was hormone receptive which was good and it means it will respond to treatment. I will have radiotherapy and then that’ll be it unless the biopsy reveals something more sinister, but that’s less likely as it’s so early stage. So in the spectrum of how bad this could be this is at the good end. Then I went off to talk to my nurse, Linda, and I asked all my questions about the treatment and likely side effects and how long I’d be off work and what the followup would be. I also asked her if it was likely to be familial and she said no as although my aunt had had it, she wasn’t a first degree relative. She gave me a load of leaflets and her number in case I thought of something else to ask or needed a chat. After that my mum and I had a cup of tea and then went to my pre-op assessment where I was weighed and measured and had my blood taken and BP done and answered all of the health questions, most of which were negative as I am in very good health. And it was a good job that I have lost 5 stone in the past year or so otherwise the operation would be much riskier. At the end of it mum and I agreed that in a shitty situation I was at the good end of it and that things would be alright. When I got home in the evening I told my husband and son what was happening and they have compartmentalised it and will deal with things when they have to.