Lumpectomy & Sentinel lymph biopsy

Final biopsy results & a plan of action

23rd May 2022

So it turns out there is 3 cancerous lumps in my right little boob.

3 x Stage 2 Invasive Ductal Cancer Lumps

7mm, 6mm + 3.5mm

All oestrogen Positive - Hormone Therapy for the next 10 years (To deal with this another day)

HER2 results pending...

Surgery date the 7th of June 2022. FINALLY!!!

A crazy 6 months after I made that very first phone call to my GP. After what felt like an eternity to get here I'm finally having the b*stards cut out.

Pre-Assessment, William Harvey Hospital

Monday 30th June 2022

This appointment consised of lot's of generic questions, recording my height, weight, BMI etc. My blood pressure was taken. I was swabbed for a couple of viruses (that I'm hopefully not carrying!) Nice 'n easy in comparison to my normal, scans, pricks, prods and injections!

In and out in half an hour. And straight back to work....

Injection of a radioactive tracer / isosulfan blue dye

Monday 6th June 2022, Ashford Hospital

Preparation for surgery day. This consisted of an injection being put in just above my nipple. A sharp wince and a stinging sensation for a few painful seconds. The kind of sharp horrible pain that makes your eyes water.

The radioactive liquid/blue dye will now help the surgeon tomorrow to locate my lymph nodes. He warned me not to be alarmed if I have a blue nipple for the next few months. Fantastic!

Surgery Day

Wire placement the morning before the surgery

Tuesday 7th June 2022, Kent & Canterbury Hospital

Starting the morning at Kent & Canterbury Hospital, with a sore couple of injections of anaesthetic to insert 3 titanium wires into my boob. Wincing as I wait for the stinging sensation to pass. These will guide the surgeon of exactly how close each one of my lumps are together.

Then I was taken over for another mammogram, I made the terrible mistake of looking down. Seeing the metal hanging out my pierced skin with the blood as they squeezed my boob into the machine, the wave of nausea washed over me, almost fainting at the sight of it.

After a few deep breaths, pulling myself together I had to face the next part of the day.

After carefully being strapped into my mums car, we then had to make the journey from Canterbury to Margate hospital. A 40 minute drive, terrified of moving my arm incase I moved the wires that were still pierced through my boob.

Arriving at Margate Hospital to be greeted by a friendly nurse, I was checked in and allocated my bed for the day. Then given a gown to put on and a sexy pair of compression socks. Shortly after, I was sent to the toilet with a brown cardboard tray to pee in for the standard pregnancy test before any surgery. (Apparently they don't have little test pots anymore so this is the next best thing.) I was then prepped and added to the whiteboard list. I spent the next few hours trying to make the time go quicker and distracting my nerves by chatting to the lovely ladies around me on the ward. All sharing our journeys, worries and giving support.

(For anyone waiting for this day - remember to pack comfy PJ's, a cosy dressing gown, a good book or headphones for a podcast. There is a lot of waiting around!)

After an anxious wait, my name was finally called up.

It was a strange feeling having to walk down the corridor following my own bed as it was rolled along in front of me. The brightness of the stark white lights hit me as we opened the double doors and entered into a big overwhelming room filled with beeping machines and lots of doctors rushing around. It felt ice cold and clinical.

After being positioned onto the bed, a cannular was fitted to my hand, a tube put down my throat and a breathing masking put over my face. Then I was asked to take 3 big deep breathes.

The next thing I remember was trying to peel my eyes open in the recovery room. My head in a heavy fog, as I struggled to make out the voices around me. I'm not sure how long this groggy feeling lasted for, as this bit is all a bit of a blur. Until I next remember waking back up on the day ward with a lovely nurse offering me a cup of tea. Shortly followed by a dry bland cheese sandwich.

Unprepared for the overpowering nausea that suddenly hit me. It consumed my whole body, unable to move in fear of the sickness that might follow. Seeing the colour drain from me and my blood pressure being high the doctor returned with a big injection and stabbed it into my stomach. Within 10 minutes the anti-sickness kicked in and I felt completely normal again. A miracle!

After a couple more groggy hours I was finally discharged, still feeling weak and unsteady on my feet my partner had to take me to the car in a wheelchair. Spending the car journey drifting in and out of sleep, whilst feeling a huge sense of relief for this big milestone to be over.

Having to wear these sexy compression socks for the next 48 hours, with my wee the colour of a WKD and my right boob as blue as a smurf I couldn’t be happier to be back home and resting.