3. Cancer Diaries - The Project Manager

Less than a week after my formal diagnosis and my details have been moved into the Private sector and I have my first meeting with the surgeon. The surgeon acts as the project lead. He takes a holistic view of my care and mobilises the team around me to ensure I get the correct attention and treatment that I need. 

If the diagnosis wasn't enough of a reality check, then this brought home the beginning of my new lifestyle of hospital regime and turning up at the right place as I'm told. I am no longer in control of the situation.

The surgeon is very lovely (all the care team that I have encountered are). They are used to telling people awful news and then continuing to convey important information to the patient. They are clam and often will repeat themselves. I get it, it's a lot to take in. As a patient  I now must digest the information and follow instructions. My life is at risk. 

My surgeon examines me and asks how the lump was found. I responded to say that my fella, Piers, found it. His response was good humoured; "there are uses for partners". So take heed partners; your role is an important one; to ensure your loved one is regularly checked out to maintain a happy healthy disposition.

I've met my surgeon 3 times already. The first was to introduce himself and to assess me. He requested then for me to undertake a range of tests (more in those in the next blog). The second time was to get the results of the tests and see if they made any difference to the treatment. Spoiler alert - it didn't. The third time was to meet up again ahead of my first chemo treatment to give me instructions on when I would see him again and to check my state of mind. Let's face it cancer is a real mind fuck.

My surgeon then goes on to tell me more about my alien inside me. Apparently it's an aggressive bugger and has been growing for about 4-6 months already. This type of cancer does respond well to chemo, as it stuns it and then shrinks it, making future treatments less invasive. Well, thats the plan.

During my second appointment with the surgeon I asked what the possible cause of my cancer could be. I don't have any family history of breast cancer but my mum did have cancer of the womb and interestingly the surgeon did put that together as something not a million miles removed. In the end it's all hormonal related. 

But, here are some of the top possible causes of breast cancer that could have triggered my own and not in any particularly order.

1. Family history. I'm the third generation on the trot in my family to have a hysterectomy and was the youngest at the age of 37 to have it. There are something about our hormones which want to damage or kill us. 

2. The pill. There are risks to taking the pill but the benefits can greatly out weigh it. For me, I was on it for 17 years, and even took the pill on the day of my hysterectomy surgery (ingrained habit or what?).  I couldn't have functioned without the pill so for me it was worth the risk. Interestingly, while we're here, I recently started taking HRT to replace the estrogen I have lost over the years as a health benefit. Turned out I was rather late to the party on this one and it has actually been feeding my cancer. I stopped taking it immediately upon this news. 

3. Alcohol intake. If you know me then you know what I like a drink and will often host an Admins meeting with a glass of wine in my hand. My first job out of university was in the drinks industry. You can take the girl out the industry but you can't take the industry out of the girl. I enjoy drinking, the theatre of it, the celebration, the social aspects - all of it. I also know my limits, thanks to my knowledge of the industry. Even though the surgeon mentioned that alcohol is a potential cancer trigger he did then say in the next breath that seeing as I already had got breast cancer then I might as well keep drinking, in moderation. At this point I may have turned to Piers with a big smile and a double thumbs up. You have to take the small wins where you can.

4. Not having children. Yes, the decision to not breed could produce health risks to women. When a women is pregnant and then breast feeds, the body releases chemicals/hormones that are protective to it. Maybe it is nature's way of saying; "well you better be around to look after this sprog you have produced". Conversely, maybe it is also nature's cruel way of saying to childless women; "you are not using the equipment I gave you, so instead I'll use it to kill you". 

5. Shit happens. This is the big catch all of everything else that could possibly be a trigger for cancer. This could be environmental, pollution, stress, lifestyle - you name it, it could be the cause. 

So you see, there really is no point stressing over the cause. None of us are going to make it out alive so you might as well enjoy life and take your chances. I'll raise a glass to that.