I’m due a mastectomy today, if today is like any other day, then it will come and go and I will feel like I’m looking into someone else’s life…so scared of this disease that I’ll take any treatment to get rid of it.
When will the numbness ease, as I don’t feel my calmness is normal… usually have an answer for everything, and say what I think or feel…but have been deathly quiet since I was diagnosed…Anyway need to pack my bag and get going, will let you know how it went…
Maggie
Maggie,
I expect you are in shock at the moment. When I was dx it was only three weeks since my mum had died of cancer - it was such a surreal time. I think I went through the first few months in a trance, on some sort of auto-pilot, it was probably nearly six months before reality hit me. So don’t worry about feeling numb or unnaturally calm - you will emerge from this state in your own time, when your brain gets over the shock. And it is a huge shock isn’t it - we hear of other people’s cancer diagnoses, feel sorry for them, and get on with our own lives. It’s something that happens to other people, it’s not supposed to happen to us.
I hope your surgery goes well today, make sure you do all the exercises you are given, and look after yourself.
Maggie - hope the surgery goes well. I’m sure you will feel better once they have removed the tumour. I had mine 8 weeks ago and am fully recovered from the surgery, just dealing with the Chemo now! As Roadrunner says - do your exercises and rest loads. You will feel tired for some time…but it will ease.
With regards to how you feel, I’m not sure this is something that we could ever have prepared ourselves for… My consultant said to me that most women say it takes about 2 years to feel like their old selves…I’m not sure I will ever feel like my old self… but then I hope that on reflection and as a result that I and my young family will live a more fulfilling life…
Take care and let people look after you (remember no ironing, cleaning blah blah blah for at least 2 weeks!!!)
Mandy
Hi Maggie, by the time you read this, you will have had your mastectomy and be home resting. I had mine a week ago (12th) and felt relieved that the breast had gone and along with it, the lump. It gave me a bit of time to sort my head out before having to worry about what comes next (chemo, rads etc). I hope you are feeling a bit more settled now, although this roller coaster we are all on tends to make us a bit wild - well it does me anyway. Good luck for when you move on to the next stage, and keep visiting these forums. There’s a thread for every stage of our journey. Have as good a Christmas and New Year as you can do. hugs and lots of love - pg xxxx