Life does change in a moment; it did for me when I was diagnosed with Stage 2 Breast Cancer on 3 March 2023.
It was a normal Monday morning on 27 Feb 2023, when I felt a lump on the right side of my right breast, having always had lumpy breasts this was not unusual for me. I’d had a routine mammogram 10 months earlier, in April 2022, so all should have been fine. I lead a healthy lifestyle, eat well, fairly active, non-smoker, maybe a little too much wine from time to time so probably not a self-inflicted incidence.
Erring on the side of caution, as my sister had needed a lumpectomy on the right breast 19 years before, I was lucky enough to get an appointment for a mammogram the next day. As usual, the radiologist also needed to do a sonar. It was when she said that she wanted to call the Snr Radiologist that I knew I had trouble. They performed a biopsy, called a fine needle aspiration, it is not pleasant. He inserted a tumour marker into the lump at the same time, just in case.
The results of the histology were to be sent to my gynaecologist’s office, next door. The results would take 2 to 3 days. On Friday morning my phone rang, and the receptionist asked me to come in, to see the Doctor, they would fit me in. I then knew that it was serious. My usual Dr was on leave, so I saw one of the partners in the practice. He confirmed the diagnosis that result was indeed cancerous. It was a Stage 2 Invasive Carcinoma. I can’t say that I appreciated his comment of “Breast Cancer is no longer a death sentence”.
So, started my Breast Cancer adventure. I sent Momentum Health my histology results on the Friday afternoon, and on Sunday morning, the email arrived stating that I had been registered on the Oncology benefit. That’s the moment that the reality set in for me. Momentum had sent me the list of oncology providers that I could use. On Monday morning I took a drive and interviewed the four closest Icon Oncology centres that I had the choice of using. I wanted to feel comfortable with the facility, as I would be spending a chunk of time there over the coming months.
I chose the West Rand Oncology Centre and was lucky enough to be able to see the Oncologist the next day. My sister came along for moral support, and it is great to have a second set of ears, when you are going through a new medical situation. As we walked into the Drs office, he looked as my sister and said, “I forget the name, but I remember your face, how are you doing?” In that moment I knew that I had chosen the right Oncologist!
The suggested treatment plan would include 16 rounds of Chemo, and the removal of the tumour after the course of chemo was completed. My Dr said, he would like to see how the chemo affected the tumour. Most people have the lumpectomy or mastectomy before starting chemo.
- The first 4 rounds of chem were the “Red Devil”, and these sessions were 2 weeks apart.
- The next 12 rounds of Chemo would be administered weekly.
More tests were needed before the 5-month treatment plan could start. This included a CT scan & bloods. My first Round of Chemo was on 16 March 2023, 17 days after I had felt the hard lump.
I had made the decision that I was not going to be defined by the uninvited cluster of cells that started growing in my right breast. I made it my mission, to look good each time I went to the oncology department; fact of life, if you look good you feel better about yourself, and trust me you need all the positivity that you can muster.
I met a fabulous lady, my Chemo Buddy. We are the same height and shoe size! The staff even muddled up our meds from time to time, they must have thought we were the same person, even though we are different colours.
We coincided our treatment times, having someone to talk to about the funny things you are feeling, the scary needles, and having someone with you for those hours spent in the lazy-boy recliner. Priceless. We will never have a lazy-boy in our house.
Chemo is not pleasant, if you are not feeling nauseous from the one, then the next lot makes you itch and gives you restless legs. Sleep is disrupted, especially on the night after the chemo session. Food doesn’t taste like it should, and I developed neuropathy in my fingers. A nasty side effect is that it dries out every drop of moisture from the from the membranes lining your body. Nose bleeds and constipation are constant companions. Chemo brain is real; my short-term memory was most certainly impacted. Once the chemo treatment ended, I started taking a hormone blocker, as my cancer was hormone dependant. This treatment may last for 5 to 10 years, and it too interferes with your memory.
The medicine and the treatment focus’ on the patient, but this disease affects everyone. It’s a team effort getting to and from the chemo sessions, as you cannot drive yourself after the Phenergan dose which is one of the 5 drips administered as part of the 12-week program. My support crew are an amazing bunch of people!
The worst side effect I had was from the cortisone. Oh my, what a personality change! My poor family. I was told that I had become very direct!
There was a 6 week break after the 5 months of Chemo treatment was completed, this time was needed to rest and regain some strength, before the bilateral mastectomy on 7 September 2023. We took the opportunity to get away and went camping in Mozambique for a week, like normal people, what bliss.
My oncologist said that I would be a good candidate for a mastectomy as I would then not need to undergo radiation. I chose to have the mastectomy with immediate reconstruction. The decision for the bilateral was twofold, I would not need to undergo annual mammograms, and I would not have one Perky and one Droopy boob.
Once again, I researched and interviewed Dr’s who were to perform the operation’s and decided to use the surgeon and the plastic surgeon who are based at the Wits University Donald Gordon Medical Centre. The strangest test was the nuclear injection into the nipple, this is done as part of the sentinel lymph node biopsy procedure, a small amount of radioactive tracer and a blue dye are injected to help locate the first lymph node(s) to which breast cancer cells would likely spread. The radioactive tracer travels through the lymphatic system, and a special probe is used during surgery to find the “hot” or radioactive node, which are then removed while the surgeon is performing the mastectomy, the Hot nodes are sent to a lab for testing.
The histology of the nodes revealed that the second node also contained a tumour, the original breast tumour had shrunk to half the original size. As I had the immediate reconstruction, radiation was no longer an option.
Then the breast expansion process started, this involves going back to the plastic surgeon every 2 weeks, where he injects 30 millimetres of saline solution into the breast expander pocket. This is done to stretch the muscle under which the permanent silicone implant would be placed in 6 months’ time. This was a big operation, and my support team very busy, driving me to the Dr’s appointments, for the removal of the drains, as well looking after me post op. Making a cup of tea without lifting a kettle, not so easy. Never mind the usual chores.
The second operation on 6 March 2024, was easier, they removed the expander pockets and replaced them with the permanent silicone implants. So now I have 2 Perky boobs, but make no mistake, I would have 2 droopy boobs back in a heartbeat, minus the uninvited cluster of rogue cells!
The take aways to this tale are:
- Life is short, make the most of what you have.
- Go on the adventure’s that you dream about, make them happen.
- Surround yourself with the people who are good for you.
- Support will come from people you least expect.
- It’s scary but don’t let it define you.
- Get tested regularly, your life is worth it!!
- Medical Aid, Gap cover and Critical Illness cover as well as Income Protection insurance were all invaluable in providing financial assistance which I guess removed one of the potential areas of stress.
