However, when I found out last year that I was BRCA-positive, I knew that I wanted a preventative double mastectomy, as this reduces my risk of another breast cancer from 80% to 2%. For me, this was a very easy decision. Regular readers will know that I decided to have my ovaries removed first, and I'm so glad I did! They found a tiny bit of ovarian cancer, so I was able to have more treatment to ensure that's all removed and nuked.
I know it seems as though my treatment is never-ending, but with a little bit of luck, this should be the last of it. And I'm not going to waste any time! I'm having my surgery on Tuesday 3 December. We discussed a whole bunch of stuff in my appointment on Tuesday and I signed my surgery consent forms. And now I have a whole heap of things to get done before the big day. This afternoon I had a full body CT scan, (where I had to get injected with a contrast dye that made me feel as though I was peeing) and I get the results of the gynae sections on 9 October. Then on 1 and 7 October I have an MRI, a mammogram and an ultrasound examination. If all the tests are clear they'll go ahead with the removal of the breast tissue, skin and nipples on 3 December. I have decided I don't want reconstruction so she is going to make sure the two scars are as neat as possible and I will live the rest of my life as a flattie. Apparently it's likely that the scar on the right breast will not be as neat, because I've had radiotherapy on that breast back in 2017. I will stay in hospital overnight and have drains inserted to drain the fluid from my body. And all being well I can return home the following day. I'll be injecting myself with more blood thinning medication after the op, and I need to watch out for infections. I will probably get a seroma under each armpit which is where the fluid gathers. I will have to either let these be absorbed back into the body naturally, or you can have them drained. I had one after my last op which was drained in the hospital so it's not too much of an issue.
Consent form
So, as my platelets were only 75 the last time I had my bloods done back in August, I had to get my bloods done again today, and I will need MRSA swabs done at my pre-op assessment on 12 November. I also need to have one final session with the hospital psychologist, to 'green light' me for having surgery without reconstruction. (Yes, this is the ridiculous situation whereby reconstruction is seen as 'normal' so they don't worry about you then, but choosing to go flat requires a psychological assessment.)
I'm really pleased the surgery is so soon, for a number of reasons. Since finding the ovarian cancer earlier this year, I have understandably been much more anxious about another breast cancer growing in my breasts since I finished treatment. I feel as though my breasts are just ticking timebombs on the front of my body, so I'm really keen to get rid of them. I have a bunch of stuff going on in November: I'm speaking at a conference in Birmingham about 'reimagining leadership', I'm visiting my grandma in York for her 90th birthday, and Tanai and I are heading up to the Isle of Skye for a holiday. I didn't go on any holidays this summer because I was recovering from surgery and going through chemo, so I'm really glad we will still get to go on holiday. And I will also get to see a dear friend of mine, Jill, who lives in Australia who I haven't seen for ages, as she is visiting her parents on Skye while we are there. Jill kept my spirits up during my treatment in 2017 by texting me the hilarious things her son Billy said. There's nothing better when you're feeling like shit from chemo being inspired to have a real belly laugh because of something a little boy said on the other side of the world. So we will get back from Scotland on 1 December and then I'm heading into theatre on 3 Dec. Great timing. Also I will get to spend December recovering at home, because I finish up at my current job on 18 October, and I'm planning to start my own business in the new year. By January I should be ready to put all of my energy into that, which is very exciting.
They will send everything they remove from my chest to a lab for testing, and a couple of weeks after surgery I will see my surgeon again for my pathology results. If they are all clear, it will be a huge milestone. That will mark the end of three years worth of cancer treatment, and the beginning of the rest of my life. If they find something in the tissue, I will likely need further surgery to remove lymph nodes and more chemo. I'm trying not to worry too much about these results, but you can guess what's at the top of my Christmas list, can't you?
So it's all systems go. I'm really pleased to have the date, because I can start to plan the next few months in earnest.
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