WOW! What a week – Double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery now all complete!
So, on the morning of Wednesday 4th October 2023 at approximately 9am, I entered the lobby of the Wellington South hospital in St. John’s Wood, London. Upon entering I was greeted by very professional and courteous staff who immediately made me feel at ease.
I was taken to the 2nd floor to the Intensive Care/High Dependency Unit, purely as a precaution. The 7 rounds of chemotherapy had caused a temporary affect on my heart whereby my left ejection fraction was only at 48% of what it should have been. Add to that that I have sickle cell trait and a slightly low haemoglobin level and apparently I have conditions which caused my anaesthetist to refer me to High Dependency purely as a precaution.
I was prepped and went to nuclear medicine for an injectable fluid which would highlight lymph nodes during surgery. This is because the surgeon wanted to remove 2 lymph nodes to ensure that firstly “Lumpy” hadn’t spread to the lymph nodes and also to allow pathology to determine exactly which hormone treatment would best suit me post surgery.
I then played the waiting game from 11am until around 3:15 pm to go to surgery, Both my husband Marc and I engaged in a deep Reiki meditation which really helped settle me prior to surgery. This was something that I repeated immediately prior to anaesthesia which ensured I went to sleep with a smile and without nerves.
One final kiss from Marc and a “I’ll see you soon my Angel” and I was taken for surgery as Marc walked to London Zoo to spend time with his friends (the animals) whilst I was in surgery.
Next thing I knew I was awake having had aa double mastectomy and full reconstructive surgery – new boobs in other words!
A little soreness when I came around but in all honesty far less pain than I expected. I’m a little swollen, a little sore but honestly…I feel absolutely awesome! As I type this e-mail on Saturday night I am sat at home with my boys looking forward to watching rubbish on Netflix and having a little down time.
It’s been quite a journey but one which has taught me so much in so many ways and has given me an even greater appreciation for health and life in general. I now have a year of hormone treatment ahead of me then I’ll be watched very carefully pretty much for the rest of my life to ensure that there is no return of the nasty “c” word at any time in the future.
I’d like to thank each and every one of you who sent so many lovely e-mails, texts, cards, flowers…I am truly humbled by the Love and support that I have received on my journey.
My next step is to create a course or a book about my unique journey. What I’ve learnt is that you don’t simply survive cancer but you can THRIVE through cancer! Below, I’ve included links to short videos that Marc created of me pre and post surgery just to document exactly how I was feeling!
My humble thanks and Love…I’ll still keep you updated with my journey and hormone treatment.
Stay awesome!
Vanessa x
P.S.
