20 DAYS OF HEALING

"Rest is not idle, is not wasteful. Sometimes rest is the most productive thing you can do for body and soul."

- Erica Layne -

February 13, 2024

I've been resting, healing and recovering. Admittedly, I'm not the easiest of patients. I'm so used to being on the go-go-go and believe that my worth is wrapped-up in being-in-the-busy-busy (I'm working on changing that!). Breast cancer has forced me to slow-the-f@@k-down. Right down. TWICE! I think the Universe is trying to tell me something. LOL

It's been...

• 20 days since my left boob mastectomy

• 3 months since the identification of my cancer recurrence

• 9 months since I rang the end of radiation gong

• 11 months and 3 weeks since my second surgery to get clear margins

• 1 year and 1 month since my lumpectomy

• 1 year and 3 months since being told: "You have breast cancer"

What a journey!

I have to say this recovery has been going REALLY well. Since day one, my energy has been higher than I expected which has been a really pleasant surprise. I guess I haven't been so emotionally drained from the unknown as I was the first time around, so my spirits are high and my outlook is extremely positive. I am getting good sleep, napping like a champ and taking it easy so I can heal, and recover. That is my only priority right now.

Last year, the big unknown of how treatment was going to unfold and what awaited me was heavy and new. Needing a second surgery to get clear margins was an unexpected delay. 15 rounds of radiation was a lot. Skin side-effects caused a lot of pain and discomfort. I started to get back to my life to then get the news of cancer recurrence.

This time, I expect to be back to regular scheduled programming in the spring. 🤞🏼🌷☀️ Exactly what that might look like, I'm not sure. Only time will tell.

Over the last three weeks:

• Daily meditation and healing

• Six Community Nurse Clinic visits to manage my drain and change my dressings

• A handful of Angel drivers taking me to my appointments to give David a break

• Removal of the surgical drain on February 4 - freedom!

• Daily post-op exercises

• Re-watched Downton Abbey

• Listening to podcasts

• Streaming of recommended shows

• Catching up on my fav You Tube cooking channels

• Some reading

• Walking

• Watching a lot of sports (Australian Open, PWHL, diving and hockey)

• Countless Love-humans dropping off meals and treats to keep us well-fed

• Endless stream of emails, texts, calls, cards and messages of support and love

• Taking up a new creative outlet: watercolour

AND THE BEST NEWS...

Meeting with my surgeon last week to discuss my pathology report... two clusters of cancerous cells were found in the breast tissue have been removed along with my left b@@b. My margins are clear and with that, I've been dismissed from the surgical department! WOOHOO!!!! There it is my lovelies, I am CANCER FREE!

For now, I'm still experiencing a lot of pain and discomfort thanks to the aftermath of last year's radiation. It takes about a year for radiated skin to fully heal and now that my skin has been further manipulated and disturbed by surgery, I am experiencing burning sensations and irritations. Oooph. My skin feels as if it's on fire.

It's almost impossible to touch my skin and wearing a soft-cotton bra for more than 10 minutes is excruciating. Just yesterday I went to see my nephew play hockey and had to take my front-closure bra off - I knew someday being able to wiggle out of a bra without removing any other clothing in public (and without anyone noticing) would come in handy - a party trick learned during my Catholic high school days! Proud to say, I still got it! LOL

Here's to time - to heal and to get stronger. And my fav part: celebrating each day!

R xx