Gosh it has been nearly a month since I last posted. My life seems to have become incredibly busy over the last three weeks or so.
As you all probably are aware, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month worldwide. I would like to acknowledge my daughter Nicole for becoming a volunteer and collecting outside The Warehouse on Friday 8th October. She had her housewarming party to organise for that evening but still found the time to contribute to this worthy cause. I love you my darling and thank you.
As well as a financial contribution, I also purchased a Rachel Hunter designed T-shirt with proceeds going to NZBCF. The slogan on the front aptly describes my feelings. Tough Girls Wear Pink - they certainly do!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Making Good Out Of Bad
Tuesday afternoon I arrived home with my brand new overlocker that had arrived that day. I put it on the table and then proceeded to tell Darren all about my day. He kept asking me when was I going to open my overlocker. I said I would have a look after dinner. After dinner came and I still hadn't opened it. I said to Darren that I was feeling a bit dispondent as I hadn't sold many beanies and thought that buying the overlocker was probably going to be a big fat waste of time and money.
With that, my cellphone beeped. It was a message from a lady wanting to buy two beanies as soon as possible. I rang her back and took her details. She said that she has looked all over the place for bright, cheerful beanies and found some of mine on Trademe and had had a look at my website and loved what she saw.
I got her order together and then I received another text from her to thank me for making what was otherwise a shitty day, into a happy one.
Another text followed. It said that her sister has a new baby and has leukemia. That day she had cut off her sisters long hair and how sad she felt watching her sister suffer through all this. She wanted me to know how excited they both were at finding my website and can't wait for her beanies to arrive. This humbled me and bought me to tears. I cried for the fact that this poor woman has to go through this illness; that she has a new baby to take care of and can't enjoy all the beauty that a new baby should bring because she is so ill herself. I cried because of the obvious love that this lady has for her sister and wanting to be there for her. I also cried because there are others who have such a long, hard road and have it far worse than I did. With that, I ripped open my overlocker. Together we will sew beautiful beanies for beautiful ladies and put a little happiness into day.
With that, my cellphone beeped. It was a message from a lady wanting to buy two beanies as soon as possible. I rang her back and took her details. She said that she has looked all over the place for bright, cheerful beanies and found some of mine on Trademe and had had a look at my website and loved what she saw.
I got her order together and then I received another text from her to thank me for making what was otherwise a shitty day, into a happy one.
Another text followed. It said that her sister has a new baby and has leukemia. That day she had cut off her sisters long hair and how sad she felt watching her sister suffer through all this. She wanted me to know how excited they both were at finding my website and can't wait for her beanies to arrive. This humbled me and bought me to tears. I cried for the fact that this poor woman has to go through this illness; that she has a new baby to take care of and can't enjoy all the beauty that a new baby should bring because she is so ill herself. I cried because of the obvious love that this lady has for her sister and wanting to be there for her. I also cried because there are others who have such a long, hard road and have it far worse than I did. With that, I ripped open my overlocker. Together we will sew beautiful beanies for beautiful ladies and put a little happiness into day.
Visit To The Thyroid Surgeon
Last Tuesday I had an appointment with the surgeon to discuss when I would be having my operation. We decided that I would book it for late October, early November. He ran through the basics regarding the surgery and then gave me his business card so that I could get in touch with his surgery to book a definite date.
The next day I looked in my bag for the card but could not find it. I looked in my tote bag, it wasn't there either. I looked in the car incase I had left in there but it wasn't anywhere to be found. A couple of hours later I went back and looked in all these places again but still could not find his card. The following day, at work, I decided that I would 'google' his surgery and find his telephone number. Well, what I found was not what I was expecting. A search pulled up articles on this surgeon which were about how one of his patients had died whilst in his care. He had perforated her bowel and was found by the Medical Council, to have shown negligence in looking after her at Wakefield Hospital. The patient was admitted to Wellington Hospital and died five days after her surgery. The surgeon has since been prohibited from working at Wakefield Hospital. Cripes!!! So needless to say, I did not ring his surgery and book a date...in fact I will be finding another surgeon. I have not come all this way through breast cancer to die on the operating table having my thyroid taken out.
The strangest thing was, when I got home that evening, here was his business card, in my tote bag, where I had looked for it twice before. If that is not divine intervention.....then tell me what is!
The next day I looked in my bag for the card but could not find it. I looked in my tote bag, it wasn't there either. I looked in the car incase I had left in there but it wasn't anywhere to be found. A couple of hours later I went back and looked in all these places again but still could not find his card. The following day, at work, I decided that I would 'google' his surgery and find his telephone number. Well, what I found was not what I was expecting. A search pulled up articles on this surgeon which were about how one of his patients had died whilst in his care. He had perforated her bowel and was found by the Medical Council, to have shown negligence in looking after her at Wakefield Hospital. The patient was admitted to Wellington Hospital and died five days after her surgery. The surgeon has since been prohibited from working at Wakefield Hospital. Cripes!!! So needless to say, I did not ring his surgery and book a date...in fact I will be finding another surgeon. I have not come all this way through breast cancer to die on the operating table having my thyroid taken out.
The strangest thing was, when I got home that evening, here was his business card, in my tote bag, where I had looked for it twice before. If that is not divine intervention.....then tell me what is!
Where To From Hair
Thursday 23rd September was officially my last day of chemotherapy. It was a strange feeling that I would not be coming back and I know I am going to miss some of the people that I have met whilst having my treatment.
In the morning before my chemo appointment, I had an appointment with a specialist at the Womens clinic with regards to my fibroids. He doctor said that he was most unimpressed by my fibroids and didn't actually know why I had been sent there. He decided to see me again in March when I would have an ultrasound to see if the fibroids had grown at all. As long as they aren't giving me any trouble, then he was quite happy to leave well alone. In other words, if it ain't broken, don't fix it.
I then went on to chemo ward. I gave Margaret, my Cancer Society Volunteer angel a bunch of flowers to thank her for all that she had done for me. There were a lot of women that I had met over the six months that wanted to see me before I left, so it was a very busy afternoon.
If you remember a few posts back I had made some premature baby beanies. Well my contact came to see me whilst I was having chemo and told me that the hospital shop had decided to sell these cut little hats on my behalf, so I pretty pleased about that.
So I walked out of the oncology ward feeling somewhat of a free woman, although I know I am sure I will go back and visit from time to time. I went home and cooked tea and opened a bottle of bubbly to celebrate.
Also if you remember back as far as six months when I blogged about the orcas and how they inspired me to face six months of chemotherapy. Well I have added a new charm to my Pandora bracelet to commemorate. I couldn't find an actual orca but I think this little whale is close enough. At least I know what it means. The little angel next to it is the charm that my daughters gave me for Xmas last year. It was this little angel that was to look after me whilst I recovered. I think she did her job extremely well, don't you think!
I have pretty much ditched my wig now as my hair is sprouting like new spring growth. I think I mentioned a few blogs back that I had bought myself a new hat. Well here it is.
So now I have lots of things to look forward to.
1. Shedding the 5kgs that I put on whilst having chemo
2. The growth of JBeanies
3. My cousin Helen arriving from the UK on 15th October for eight days
4. Holiday up north with my husband and cousin, doing all the touristy things
5. My hair growing back; and it's off to a great start.
In the morning before my chemo appointment, I had an appointment with a specialist at the Womens clinic with regards to my fibroids. He doctor said that he was most unimpressed by my fibroids and didn't actually know why I had been sent there. He decided to see me again in March when I would have an ultrasound to see if the fibroids had grown at all. As long as they aren't giving me any trouble, then he was quite happy to leave well alone. In other words, if it ain't broken, don't fix it.
I then went on to chemo ward. I gave Margaret, my Cancer Society Volunteer angel a bunch of flowers to thank her for all that she had done for me. There were a lot of women that I had met over the six months that wanted to see me before I left, so it was a very busy afternoon.
If you remember a few posts back I had made some premature baby beanies. Well my contact came to see me whilst I was having chemo and told me that the hospital shop had decided to sell these cut little hats on my behalf, so I pretty pleased about that.
So I walked out of the oncology ward feeling somewhat of a free woman, although I know I am sure I will go back and visit from time to time. I went home and cooked tea and opened a bottle of bubbly to celebrate.
Also if you remember back as far as six months when I blogged about the orcas and how they inspired me to face six months of chemotherapy. Well I have added a new charm to my Pandora bracelet to commemorate. I couldn't find an actual orca but I think this little whale is close enough. At least I know what it means. The little angel next to it is the charm that my daughters gave me for Xmas last year. It was this little angel that was to look after me whilst I recovered. I think she did her job extremely well, don't you think!
I have pretty much ditched my wig now as my hair is sprouting like new spring growth. I think I mentioned a few blogs back that I had bought myself a new hat. Well here it is.
.JPG){kind=link}
So now I have lots of things to look forward to.
1. Shedding the 5kgs that I put on whilst having chemo
2. The growth of JBeanies
3. My cousin Helen arriving from the UK on 15th October for eight days
4. Holiday up north with my husband and cousin, doing all the touristy things
5. My hair growing back; and it's off to a great start.
Friday, October 1, 2010
You've Got To Have a Nipple Or Two!
Well it's been a little while since my last post. I seem to have been extremely busy getting on with lots of things so I intend to post about three different things this weekend.
Firstly, my very long overdue post about my new nipple.
At the end of August my daughter and myself went to my plastic surgeon's rooms at Bowen Hospital to have my old/new nipple grafted on. It was really quite funny as my surgeon held up the lid from a vivid marker and held it against my new breast and asked me if it looked in about the right place. After he had decided where it should go he injected my right boobie with two lots of anaesthetic. Boy did that make my eyes water. He also numbed the new breast.
What a strange sensation, seeing part of your body detached and laying there. The strangest thing was that once it was cut off and the blood drained from it, it went a normal skin colour.
He then stitched up what was left of the old nipple. Then he cut a hole in my new breast for the new nipple to sit on. The hole was cut so that the blood vessels could attach themselves to the new appendage. Then with a tiny, half circle needle, he delicately stitched it on to it's new home. Now after a month it is completely healed and is the correct colour. And no, I don't have any feeling in it but my new boobie looks a bit more normal with it's cherry on top. I go back on the 28th of October to get the final stage done which is the tattoo of the areola.
Firstly, my very long overdue post about my new nipple.
At the end of August my daughter and myself went to my plastic surgeon's rooms at Bowen Hospital to have my old/new nipple grafted on. It was really quite funny as my surgeon held up the lid from a vivid marker and held it against my new breast and asked me if it looked in about the right place. After he had decided where it should go he injected my right boobie with two lots of anaesthetic. Boy did that make my eyes water. He also numbed the new breast.
He then set about cutting off the top of my nipple....this I could not watch as he started slicing with the scalpel. Once he had cut it off, he put it down on the trolley next to me.
What a strange sensation, seeing part of your body detached and laying there. The strangest thing was that once it was cut off and the blood drained from it, it went a normal skin colour.
He then stitched up what was left of the old nipple. Then he cut a hole in my new breast for the new nipple to sit on. The hole was cut so that the blood vessels could attach themselves to the new appendage. Then with a tiny, half circle needle, he delicately stitched it on to it's new home. Now after a month it is completely healed and is the correct colour. And no, I don't have any feeling in it but my new boobie looks a bit more normal with it's cherry on top. I go back on the 28th of October to get the final stage done which is the tattoo of the areola.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)