Breast Cancer awareness month is fast approaching. After my introduction to this in such a personal way last year, this year is shaping up to be even busier with speaking engagements.
Here’s one to kick start October;
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The ‘B’ Team
Please meet the girls – Roz, Leanne & Jennifer.
These three women, through their work with Dr D, are an integral part of my ‘medical team’ – the two other important people missing from this shot are Dr D himself and Andrea. (both way too busy to be posing for happy snaps! Maybe I can get a shot at a future appointment..)
I was showing off a little by driving myself up to the rooms and dropping off a little thank you for each of them. The work they do is so incredibly sensitive and yet they manage to wade through the maze of human emotions professionally and with a level of understanding and compassion I have never before experienced.
Perhaps the biggest thank you I can give them is to try and use this journey of mine, to make someone elses easier?
New Direction?
I never really enjoyed university – now I’m considering going back.
Some of the differences are;
- I’m now 32, not 16
- I’m considering health sciences/medicine, not journalism
- It’ll all be new and very scientific, not something I can bluff my way into by speaking to people and learning ‘on the job’
- I want to learn, not just get the bit of paper at the end
It was evident from the start of this ‘journey’ that I felt compelled to do something. I’m learning lots in my work at Cancer Council Queensland and it’s really reinforcing that this is the direction I want to head in. Perhaps, further study is it? I don’t know, but I will never know if I don’t at least try.
After that detailed conversation I with Dr D about what I’m going to do with my life, I’ve been investigating study options. Here I am at an Open Day at Bond Uni. I sat in presentations on everything from physiotherapy to psychology, trying to explore all options.
It was the wet lab (yes – I pulled on the gloves and took part in a ‘dissection’), pathology museum (tried to identify different tumors in samples taken during autopsies), and ward (complete with unbelievably life-like dummies hooked up to machines just like in a real hospital), I found absolutely fascinating…..Truly amazing. In fact I rang Mum demanding she come and have a look!
I spoke to staff and students – at length. One student in particular, who will graduate this December, really struck a chord with me. When I asked her what made her want to become a Doctor, she told me that she’d spent many weeks in hospital with ‘girlie’ troubles when she was in Year 12 and that she was so grateful for the help she received she wanted to do the same for others.
All of a sudden I didn’t feel so silly.
There’s an enormous amount of work to be done before I can even apply – and it’s SO competitive. But – I’ve been lucky enough to be given a second chance, it would be wrong of me to waste it.
What Next?
As I ask myself that very question, I’d like to share a bit more of Lori’s artwork. (Well – she’s been gracious enough to share!)The way this piece came about was not the usual kind of free-and-easy, put brush to canvas when you feel like it, kind of deal.
Lori had been plugging away at the plannning for quite some time. I’ll let you analyse the light and dark of this clever piece……..
Fear of water?
I’ve been holding off getting in the water, but that has been the one thing I’ve wanted to do, been aiming for through each of the 5 surgeries – to be stitched up and well enough to get in.
It’s not the swimming so much (although I would love to do a few laps), but just to be submerged in the water. To let my body feel light, supported and pain free – even if just for a few minutes. Ohhh, how badly I miss that feeling.
So, in a moment of madness I pulled on the togs (which aren’t nearly as flattering-a-cut as they were) and made my way to an indoor heated pool.
I was prepared this time for the crushing, constricting feeling across my chest. Or at least I thought I was.
In I slid. I froze, perhaps with fear. A big deep breath and as I submerged under the surface a wave of shock saw tears come from nowhere almost the second my face hit the water (not a very workable combination!)
To die for..
Some people say some funny things. They’re not always meant to be funny though.
After explaining to a new acquaintance what had happened with ‘the boobs’, she was interested in seeing the end result. After the obligatory warnings – I lifted my shirt. As I did this lady exclaimed “a lot of girls would die for boobs like that!”
A close friend who was with us (and shall remain nameless, in order to protect the other lady’s identity), looked at me, we both paused and stared. She finally broke the silence by saying what we both were thinking “….well, she could have”.
We laughed, but the other lady nearly ‘died from embarrassment’.
Exercise..
For the moment my exercise routine is a bit hit and miss. I jump on the bike (still on the wind trainer..), or treadmill when time and energy permits.
Taking Ch’i for a walk, walking up to the farmers markets and doing a little gentle Tai Chi rounds out my efforts at this point in time.
I’m very keen to get rid of these couple of kilos (actually it’s not the weight, it’s the horrible, unfamiliar shape I’m wanting to alter), but am not prepared (just yet) to go back to the gym or pilates where I may inadvertently cause stretching or damage to the reconstructed area.
I would also love to go for a swim, however I’ve promised not to for a while, until everything is settled. Anyway – it was 5 degrees this morning and indoor heated pools here on the Coast are few and far between (I say indoor because I’d freeze getting in and out of an outdoor pool!).
I swear I can feel my chest muscles seize up and make me highly uncomfortable when I get really cold. It’s quite a shock to the system and most unpleasant. Just on that, my doctor recently told me of a patient who’d had an augmentation with silicone implants and complained that when she went skiing in Aspen (as you do…), they froze solid. No kidding.
(Looks like my lifelong dream of going to Antarctica might now have to include an auto-heat bra or vest, or maybe I could seek out a sponsorship deal with a thermal company!)
Great Expectations..
I’ll keep this post short and sweet.
One of the very simple lessons I’ve learnt from this BC experience is;
If you don’t have any expectations, you can’t be let down.
Read into that what you will, but that’s it.
Another ‘moment’..
Going back to work this time was just as daunting, but in reality – not quite as scary.
I was nervous about having the stamina to get through a full day (which meant I didn’t sleep well the night before, which in turn made me more tired!), but managed okay. My second day back was a little more difficult physically, so I kept up regular pain relief and had a coffee or two more than I usually do.
Everyone seemed genuinely happy to have me back in the building and was very supportive. Clearly, these colleagues of mine have plenty of experience in dealing with people undergoing treatment for/as a result of cancer.
Day three, I was excited to be really getting back into it. But as I dressed for work, things changed very quickly. Showered, hair and make-up done, I pull on some suit pants only to discover I couldn’t do up the zip. Instantly my eyes filled with tears. No matter how hard I tried they wouldn’t stop. I know I’ve put on weight but not being able to get my pants done up! It was all too much. I went into a spin about what to wear, tried something else, looked in the mirror and howled. I don’t feel like my old self and now I don’t recognise myself.
As I study my reflection, see the tear-stained cheeks, odd-looking chest and extra padding around my middle and legs I feel angry. Then sad. Then annoyed at now potentially being late for work.
Yeah, I’m fine.
So when you hear me say I’ve ‘had a moment’, it’s probably something as silly as this.
Lots to think about..
So..
I’m feeling not-so-sick, but am still pretty tired. At times I’d love to jump in for a long, slow swim (my body would thank me for it – I know…), at others getting through the day-to-day washing, dinner + a bit of light exercise like a walk/bike ride (not on the road!) is enough.
Some nights I sleep like a log, others – I absolutely fit the label ‘insomniac’.
As I prepare to return to work later this week there’s a lot going on in this busy little mind. In no specific order – here are some of the things which occupy my thoughts;
- What can/should I be doing to stop it coming back?
- What sort of monitoring regime should I submit to?
- How the hell do I get used to this?
- I got all sentimental yesterday when buying, of all things – a beautiful aromatherapy candle. It was called ‘Little Black Dress’. I fell in love with the fragrance and hoped that one day I would once again pull on a ‘LBD’ and feel good.
- Should we stay in this house (which is beautiful, but full of some rather painful memories. And – the stairs!)
- What about heading back up the Mountain? It’s so special…quiet, peaceful and I’m sure the environment is healing..But, could I handle the driving (even if only a few days a week)?
- I love ‘doing’ new places, is a reno close to home a new challenge I’d enjoy?
- Study..Ohhh study…I’ve been investigating taking up everything from Health Sciences to MBBS. Sure I’ve got the desire – genuinely, but have I got the stamina and intellect?
- My career. All that hard work, which brought both immense satisfaction and damaging stress. Gone. I walked away.
- What will become of the relationships which have changed so dramatically as a result of this experience? Why do I sometimes feel a bit, well – left behind? Note to self – think of all the new and wonderful people in your life, and some of the experiences shared as a result of this diagnosis.
- Taking a break. Would a weekend/week on my own, or longer break for both Paul and I be of benefit? (Nothing like trying to run away..)
- On that – should I/we be seeking some sort of counselling/assistance in helping with the impact of this cancer/adjustment/new life?
Will life ever be the same again?
Guess not huh, but that brings me back to that old saying repeated time and time again by my dear Mum ‘everything happens for a reason’. I feel like I’m getting closer to understanding the reason for this, but am not quite there yet.
KATE CARLYLE 