It Never Rains....

Yep, you know how the rest of the saying goes.

I haven't actually blogged about the following topic before because I didn't really think it had any relevance but back in September of last year after we had just moved house, and before I knew I had breast cancer, I found a lump on my neck.
In the front and just off to the left.  Of course I Dr Googled and ruled out throat cancer. I took myself off to my GP and he ordered an ultrasound of my throat.  Three weeks later and a lot of worrying, the test results advised that it was a multi-nodule goitre of the thyroid.  My GP said he would refer me on to a specialist who would do further tests to see if it was cancerous or not.  Again I went on the internet and found out about thyroid cancer.  Apparently if you are going to get cancer, this is the one to get because it is 97% curable and is hardly ever terminal.   Seven months, yep, SEVEN MONTHS later I get an appointment with the specialist at Kenepuru Hospital.  He wanted me to go and have a needle biopsy of the area at Wellington Hospital. By this time I had had all my BC operations and had started chemotherapy.  Roughly three weeks later I went and had this really painful proceedure done.  They stuck a needle into my throat three times (without anaesthetic) and drew off samples which would then be sent away. I would be told my results in early July when I went back to Kenepuru Hospital.

So then, moving on in time, the day for my fourth and final round of AC chemotherapy rolled round.  As always before I see the nurse for the proceedure, I have to meet with my oncologogist and he does a quick physical, writes out a prescription for any meds and off I go for four hours.  After the oncologist had examined me, he told me everything looked fine, but then he disappeared out of the room for seemed like ages.  Nicole, her partner Brad, and Kelsey were in the room with me and I said to them that I felt something was wrong as he had been gone awhile.  When he came back he informed me that he had had a look at the results of my thryroid biopsy and was sorry to have to tell me but the cells they found were cancerous. So, what should have been a good day for the last of my rougher chemo, turned out in fact to be a rough day. Nicole asked if it was in any way related to the BC, and he said no, it was an entirely different strain. He informed me that I would have to have my thyroid removed (which I sort of already gathered).  Great, another operation!!!! I then had to be seen by an Ear Nose and Throat specialist who turned up with two registrars.  They all had a feel of my throat and then the specialist sprayed a liquid up my nose which would run down and numb my throat.  She then stuck a long thin tube which had a small camera on the end of it, up my nostril and down the back of my throat.  What a weird sensation that was!  The reason for this was to see if the cancer had spread to the throat.  She said it looked fine and then went on to say that they would like to operate in three weeks; which would have coincided with my first lot of Paclitaxol chemotherapy.  I would also need to have a CT scan on the area to see if they were going to do a small thyroid op or a full neck one.  She also informed me that there would be a slight risk in disturbing the vocal chords but if that happens they will go back in and fix it. Great, the last thing I want to sound like is Micky Mouse!    I was actually in a bit of shock as the thought of going into Wellington public hospital was enough to put the willies up me for a start. We all know how I feel about that place. It was quite unbelievable and all so rushed. Here I was thinking I was cancer free and there is another little blighter rearing it's head.
So I went into the ward and sat down miserably to have my chemotherapy. I felt absolutely gutted. Just when I thought there was light at the end of the long, long tunnel, it appears that it was another train.

We rode home and I tried not to feel miserable as I knew it wouldn't get me anywhere.
I hadn't been home very long, when the telephone rang.  It was the oncologist from Wellington hospital. He told me he had put my case to the some sort of medical board who had just discussed my history.  He said they had decided to put off my surgery until I had completed all of my chemotherapy as they didn't feel there was any need to interupt anything.  I can't tell you how relieved I felt about that.  Doing two things at once would have done my head in think. 

It wasn't a good week at all for us because my darling favourite aunt in England, who I have just got into contact with again after about 20 years got called back on her routine mammogram.  She found out last week that she has early breast cancer,  a little under the size of a pea. She is booked in for a lumpectomy on the 15th July and then will have radiation afterwards.  I am thankful that she doesn't have to go through chemotherapy.  Ladies, that is how important it is to have your mammograms so that these things can be picked up early.  Because my aunty caught it early she will also get to keep her breast. If you think something is not right, keep questioning it until you have all the right answers.  Until next time.......

No Nude Nut For Me

Well, I am into the first week of my 3rd round of AC chemo now.  The effects seemed to come on quicker this time round but also subsided quicker.  I returned to work a day earlier too so it was good to feel motivated to get back into the swing of things.  Strangely though, my hair seems to be clinging on for dear life.   I have always had a really good head of hair and even the nastiness of chemotherapy drugs is not strong enough to make my locks vacate their premises.  True, it is very thin, somewhat like a baby's first growth and is about one and half  inches long  but it is hanging in there. I am pleased to report that I have still got my eyelashes and also a  pair of albeit thinner eyebrows.  I only have one more lot of this harder chemo to go and then I will be having Paclitaxil once a week for 12 weeks.  According to other women who have had the same regime, it is a walk in the park as it is a much weaker dose and recovery time is quicker.

A couple of weeks ago I purchased some funky stretch fabric and set about making my own beanies.  There doesn't seem to be a supplier of the sort I was after anywhere else other than in the UK.  I also didn't fancy spending $40 + postage and packaging for one beanie.  I found a pattern on the internet and have so far made three. Once I have finished them I'll post some pics.  I thought that I might put my long dormant sewing skills to good use and see if there is a market for them and make some to sell; and not for $40 apiece.

On Wednesday morning I met with my plastic surgeon to review the next stage of reconstruction.....the icing on the cake......yup, the new nipple.  I was under the impression that my new nipple was going to be created by pulling some skin through a hole in the new breast, and folded over and stitched to create a fake one. The only problem with that method is that after a while, the skin flattens out and I will be left with uneven sized nipples....we can't be having that, can we!!!  So, what is actually going to be done is that the surgeon is going to slice the tip of my existing nipple in half (horizontally) and stitch the piece onto my reconstructed breast.  All this will be done under a local anaesthetic in the surgeons' rooms.  Amazing eh!! I just hope he sews it on straight.  I do not want one looking up and once looking down...that would be just too weird!  So, yeah, that is happening in August.  I will post pics of that for those that are interested.  Once that is all healed I just have to have my aerola tattooed on and Voila!! all done.