Today marks one year since being diagnosed with breast cancer. I remember it was a very nice day much like today. It was kind of hard to enjoy because we knew the call could come, but as the day went on I didn’t think it was going to happen. The call came around 3:45 p.m. and it could have gone either way. It was just so surreal when the radiologist said, “Yeah, the biopsy shows that there are cancer cells”.
I had been told by so many people how easy the radiation portion of treatment would be. I have to say, yes — the immediate side effects are not too bad, the skin getting burned over time and a little fatigue. However, I didn’t know what the effects were going to be weeks after radiation.
It’s been two weeks since my emergency surgery and things seem to be going along okay. I have learned to live with this PICC line and IV pump attached to me pretty much 24/7. Mark has become quite the expert on changing out the medicine bag each day.
I am writing this blog post from my hospital bed with a staph infection. When we went to bed on Thursday, I had just noticed a light pink blush color on the lower half of my left breast, below my mastectomy incision. After waking and taking my shower Friday morning, Mark said it looked like it was definitely still there, and perhaps slightly more pink.
I can’t believe it’s already a week since my double mastectomy. I feel so good to have it behind me and that I am on my way to recovery. Never having been in the hospital before I think I hit the jackpot in terms of outstanding care and fabulous accommodations at Froedtert.