3rd Time Lucky

Tomorrow is my third operation; I'll be having my right breast removed. I asked my surgeon to remove my left one, but he really recommended not to. Since I have received this news, I have been down in the dumps. I know it can't jump from one breast to the other, but the piece of mind would have been comfortable! My 1cm lump had been growing for 2 to 8 years. My daughter is six - did I nurse her with breast cancer?

I am coming in for a third time because my surgeon thought he had taken enough tissue on my first two ops, but each time, the 'margins' had traces of cancer.

I DO NOT feel comfortable knowing I'll be leaving the hospital with only one breast and nothing to augment the loss. I am a double-D and will look very lopsided tomorrow.

I have to be at the hospital at 7:20 and my operation is for 9:20. At this point, I am known to select nurses; some I have met, some I have not (known via telephone). The nurses at St. Joseph's hospital are wonderful! They are so sweet! I am fortunate to be under their care.

My surgeon, Dr. Nicholas Kimberly is a REALLY nice man! I think he is very shocked at how things have transpired. I think he's being directed by an Oncologist out of the Victoria Cancer Clinic.

I hope to visit the Cancer Clinic in Victoria in about three weeks. At this stage, I would 'normally' have visited, but my operations keep putting me behind with this.

My husband is a wonderful man, I don't know how I got so lucky! He is beside himself because he can't 'fix' this. He has booked a cruise for us and we leave on September 19th. I am not suppose to augment in any way, shape or form of my breast during my six week recovery, but to go on the cruise, I'm choosing to ignore this rule.

For the rest of my life, I am not allowed to do the following with my right arm:

- no antiperspirant (deodorant is okay)
- no carrying of a purse, luggage or backpack
- no shaving my armpit with a razor (electric razor okay)
- no needles given/taken
- no blood pressure taken

For the last two items, from www.PreciousMetals4u.etsy.com I have purchased a handmade charm, very similar to a medic alert; I'm going to make my own bracelet so if anything happens to me where I can't communicate, hopefully it will prevent any damage to my arm. It's going to say, "No needles given or blood pressure taken on right arm". I hope that does the trick!

I'll write more another time. It's nearly 10:00pm and I should have some water or something as I can't have breakfast or anything else.

Until then, I'm fighting like a girl!