Page 168 - She's One Crazy Lady!

“If Mr Var“
ma through life, unable to focus on any one detail. I can never predict how
can do it, you’ll get a tummy tuck as well.” Wow, what a bonus that would be! I wonder if he felt I needed it! The
I’m going to feel or able to explain why. Some days I don’t feel ’fine’. I hope there won’t be too many of them.
Tomorrow I’m meeting a plastic surgeon!”
My sister-in-law, Marilyn, came with me to this appointment but didn’t come in with me. I was introduced to Mr Ward who explained what this consultation would be about and said that there would be a lot of questions. What was my bra size? Was I left or right handed? Did I play sport? What job did I do? He then said he wanted to examine me and felt across the mastectomy scar and the scar under my arm where I’d had the lymph nodes taken out. He looked at my other breast and my back and shoulders and then at my tummy and asked why I wanted a breast reconstruction. A simple question that I hadn’t given thought to. I couldn’t say ‘because I want to get rid of the prosthesis’, so politely explained about my job in more detail and that I needed to feel good about myself. Also, that I didn’t want my prosthesis coming out in front of the children. He didn’t respond but went on to say there were two ways I would get it done, either by taking a muscle from the back or from the tummy. He felt in my case the tummy one would be better. I wonder why? I had to laugh knowing I’d got plenty of spare flesh and muscle that could be used. The risks were explained and then he told me he didn’t do the tummy procedures so he would refer me to his colleague at Leicester Royal Infirmary, Mr Sanjay Varma, and I should hear from him in a couple of months. If Mr Varma felt he couldn’t do it I would be referred back to him. His and Mr Varma’s waiting lists were approximately 9-12 months and I had to think about how that would fit in with school, but that could come later. For now I felt excited and even more excited when on leaving and I thanked him, he grinned at me and said, “If Mr Varma can do it, you’ll get a tummy tuck as well.” Wow, what a bonus that would be! I wonder if he felt I needed it! The blues had gone. I was happy yet knew I had to put this to one side and think about what was happening now. I knew very little about breast reconstruction but knew I wanted to have one and scoured the internet for information.
The last Taxotere date quickly came round – Dad’s birthday, April 2nd and I felt quite at ease knowing this was my last one. However, when I went in the nurses were quite alarmed at the colour of my face which was a very bright red – doctors were called to assess me and my temperature was taken – they were happy to go ahead. When I was hooked up I was given a date to have my line taken out as it could cause problems whilst having radiotherapy. I was also told I would be seen every three months for the foreseeable future to have blood tests and examinations as there was concern the cancer could return within the next two years – just like Dr Matthew said. All over! Hugs all round and I was off. They said they would see me when I came next week for
blues had go”
ne.
emotions are hard to control – laughing and feeling good one minute and grumpy the next, my emotions hard to hide. Some days I have the energy and the ability to concentrate; some days I feel as if I am drifting
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