Page 134 - She's One Crazy Lady!

our team, this was crunch time for Highfields. I couldn’t believe I wasn’t going to be there. It was devastating and I was utterly powerless to do anything about it. Healthwise, I felt so well but inwardly hoped that all the cancer had been taken out.
Once again, the teaching and support staff came to the fore and called round to see me at home to collect paperwork that I had and would be required by ‘whoever’ was taking over from me. I was comforted that at least Julie was there to help guide them and offer her expertise.
I was told to rest as much as I could to build up my strength for a second operation in a short space of time. The two weeks passed quickly, and I was slowly coming to terms with having to be away from school, however hard it was to contemplate. Cards, phone calls, messages and visits from staff, parents, and dozens of pupils (and my bed friends) helped immensely to keep my spirits up. I also had to go to have stitches removed – taken out by another lovely nurse, Caroline – and a further pre-op assessment where I was introduced to a different breast surgeon. I was hoping Mr Stewart would be with me again but it was a Mrs Shrotri who showed me where the cut would be, saying all the lymph nodes in that area would be removed and that she would be having a very good look inside me! Her friendly approach gave me the confidence I needed.
“Oh, no, she’s back!”
My welcoming words when I appeared on Ashton Ward for the second time, the day before my operation. Shona was there again too, which was reassuring. She told me she knew from my notes that I would be coming in again but, of course, could not say anything. This time I was in a two-bedded room. Would there be any surprises this time?
No. I knew the routine and was quite relaxed. Sue, (yes, another Sue) the other lady in my room, asked how I felt about losing my boob. I hadn’t given that much thought to be honest, so genuinely said: “I’ve accepted it that it has to go; I’m OK with it.”
It must have been a stronger anaesthetic for I was out of it for hours afterwards. My brother told me he came to see me having just visited his wife, Marilyn (yes, another Marilyn too!) at the Woodlands Hospital where she had been operated on the same day for cervical cancer. He said that he could have lost two special women in his life that day and was worried as we were both wired and hooked up to a variety of monitoring equipment. My Marilyn said she came to see me too, but as I didn’t make any effort to speak with her or stay awake, she ate all the grapes she’d brought in until time was up! Later, I was aware of having injections and again, I was incredibly hot, and in need of a wee. This time round I was to experience the joys of having to sit on a commode, where I promptly fell asleep!
Once awake, I desperately wanted to see the scar. A nurse offered to come with me, but I was fine on my own and gently removing the dressings, I was very impressed with the flat look and how neat it all
“Marilyn said she came to see me too, but as I didn’t make any effort to speak with her or stay awake, she ate all the grapes she’d brought in until time was up!
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