Port is in, shopping done, centrelink done... ready for Easter and chemo next week... I think.

It's always lovely, when you are wheeled into the theatre ante room, and a friendly familiar face pops up. One of my nurses was a lady I knew and it was so comforting to have someone familiar with you. There always seems to be so many people that it can become a little overwhelming. There's the anaesthetist, and his boss, the surgical registrar and her boss, the anaesthetic nurse, some other bloke wandering in and out, and then when you get wheeled into theatre a few more nurses. I even had a surprise visit from another nursing friend who popped in from next door's theatre to check on me. Once we'd all joked and gone over all the procedures and joked some more and I was ready to go, I have to admit, that I got very overwhelmed at the last minute and there were tears as I drifted off to sleep. They were so kind and kept saying that I was safe and they would look after me. I think it takes a very special kind of person to work in that field and recognise how vulnerable a patient can feel.

I even found that while it was a shorter surgery this time (I think 30 minutes or so compared with a couple of hours last time) that waking was harder. I'm glad I'm done with surgery for 6 months when they remove the port. I've been a bit sore and stiff in the shoulder, and probably over did it a bit today with 2 doctors appointment, a drop into centrelink and a grocery shop, but I wanted to get as much done as I could before Easter hit. As it was, Hervey Bay is already jumping.

So my first Doctor's visit today was with my Radiation Oncologist. He was lovely, very patient and very thorough. I will have a 3 week break after my chemo finishes and then I will start 21 treatments of radiation therapy to my neck, breast and armpit. Radiation is every day except weekends (yay for that) We had a long talk about my return to work and it looks like that won't be happening this year. Once I've finished radiation my multi discipline team will go over scans etc and then we will decide whether surgery is still necessary. Before that path is taken, we want to speak with Professor Ung in Brisbane, who has been part of the team and made the call for my treatment to be changed to oncology first. 

Then it was off to the boss/gp to check the wound and have a chat. He agrees that this year is a right off for me, and we'll start again next year :) Got to love a good and patient boss.

Centrelink also was a pleasant surprise. It was just a case of drop off the inch thick pile of paperwork and sent me on my way to wait for a letter in a week or so. I had let them know I start chemo next Wednesday so lets hope that if they need to speak to me that it can be via a phone appointment. 

So all tests are done, all things are in place, so I'm going to make the most of this Easter break to spend time with the kids and family, celebrate our Anniversary on Saturday, and before I know it, it will be chemo time. It sounds weird to say this, but I am looking forward to it starting. I know it might be a crap time, but starting this treatment means ending this disease. I'm ready to do that!