Next Chapter

Sorry it’s been over a month since I have updated my blog!

I returned to “regular life” on Monday November 8, 2010. Not only did I go back to work that day I also started going to the gym that day as well. I knew that I needed to change my lifestyle and to get back in shape.

How am I going to do that? I joined the Rowbust Dragonboat Racing Team!! It is a team made up of all Breast Cancer Survivors who race (and win) Dragonboats at Festivals throughout the summer.

Last Thursday (Dec 9) I went and met the 17 other "newbies" to the team. It was great to be in a room full of other women who understand exactly what I've been through. But I quickly learned just how easy I had it while undergoing treatment. I heard many "horror" stories of sickness and lengthy hospital stays, all of which I did not experience.

Yesterday morning (Saturday) was my first poolside training session. We sit around the pool on the edge on a wooden seat that is like the seat in the boat and paddle in the pool. It was tough!! The seats are constructed to give you a place to brace yourself with your feet during the paddle stroke. Because I was new there was no seat ready for me yet. I sat on a flutter board and braced myself against the seat of the woman in front of me. This was quite awkward and caused a terrible pain in my hip...but I pressed on, no one else was stopping to rest and either would I! After the poolside training there was a half hour ab workout, then we finished up with a cardio workout. Needless to say when I left the gym my body was tired. But I felt energized!! I joined some of the other ladies for breakfast, we were all starving after a 2 hour work out.

The team trains 2 days a week in the winter, Wednesday nights cardio and Saturday mornings poolside. From May to October we'll train in the boat at Fanshawe lake Tuesday and Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings.

I can't wait for Wednesday nights session...it's been a long time since I've had a reason to train for anything and I'm really excited about it.

I'm going back to work!

I've been given the go ahead to get back to work on Monday November 8, 2010!!!

I am looking forward to this very much as I'm getting a little too comfortable at home! I will miss sleeping late in the morning and basically doing as I please the rest of the day.....yeah, I need to get back, I'm just getting lazy now. My house purging project is still going on, just slower now, almost stopped....almost but not quite.

In preparation for my return to work I am making a point, this week, of getting up and ready for the day the same time I would for work. This way it won't be a huge shock to my system next Monday when I have to get up for work.

As promised in an earlier entry....before and after pics....

Paul says he I look good either way....I don't beleive him! "After" is so much better!

Today we went to get our new tattoos! Well, Paul had the pink ribbon tattooed on his bicep way back in May and today he added the words "Live for today" on it, and I got a matching tattoo on my spine just below my neck line. Check it out!

Paul's...

Mine...(FYI, it really hurts getting a tattoo on your spine!)

Guess who is Cancer Free!!!!

Yes! It's me!!

Today we met with Dr. Potvin who is my Medical Oncologist (a.k.a. the "Hottie Doctor" as per Paul) and she told us that after Chemo & Radiation there was a 6mm mass left but that Surgery took care of that! So I am officially CANCER FREE!!!!

I continue to do the exercises daily and my mobility is improving. Next Thursday we meet with the Surgeon for a follow-up and hopefully find out when I can go back to work since everything is going smoothly.

I've been refered to a reconstruction surgeon, Dr. Skilley, who I've heard is really good! He actually was my Dad's surgeon many years ago for his carpal tunnel and for another friends reconstruction. I look forward to meeting him and getting the ball rolling on the new "girls"!

So, it's time to celebrate! I'll have a couple of celebratory drinks tonight for sure! (I'm surprised I don't have one right now!)

Paul has planned a special birthday party for me this year - "Suzanne's Alive and 35 Birthday Bash!"

It will be at Moxie's Classic Grill in Downtown London (on Richmond) on FRIDAY December 17 at 8:00pm. There will be some muchies provided and a special cake...Paul won't tell me anything about the cake other than it's "Special" (Thanks Sherry!)

If you can make it, please come celebrate with us! If you're able to come out please email Paul at pnewington@rogers.com or find the event on Facebook and RSVP there! Everyone is welcome!!

Hopefully we see you there!

Well....there are phone calls to make!

Life after Surgery

Well, it's week #3 of being off work recovering from surgery. I never would have thought it would happen but I've actually found things to keep me busy and not worrying about work and what's going on there! Don't get me wrong...I still think about work, just not as much as I thought I would.


Each morning I get up while Paul is getting ready for work and I head down to Tim Horton's to get my morning coffee and Paul's tea and bagel. I spend the next hour sitting in my dinning room working on a puzzle, reading a book or surfing the net. It's a nice relaxing way to start the day! If I had time to do that before heading off to work every day I would, but I'm not a morning person so I don't see me continuing this daily ritual when I start back to work.


Since the drainage tube was removed and I've been able to get around much easier without having to cart the bag around I've started a "project" to keep me busy. I've been doing my "spring cleaning" in the fall! I rarely ever get a chance to clean out every drawer, every closet and every hiding place where "stuff" accumulates! I have discovered things I've not seen in years! It's amazing how this stuff builds up and gets forgotten. My rule...if we haven't used it in the last year it get's pitched! It's been keeping me busy and away from the couch and the TV!


As soon as the tube and drainage bag was removed I started thinking about what I could construct as a make shift prothetic breast. I decided to make my own because I've seen the price of them in the stores and I figured I didn't need to pay that much for something that I only need for 6 months to a year...regardless of the fact that my medical benefits would cover it. My Mom and I went shopping looking for things that would work and we were successful! But even though we found something that worked well, that night I started checking ebay for "silicone breasts". It didn't take long before I found exactly what I was looking for! So I started to bid on them. Bids started at $6.00. I set my maximum bid to $25.00 and three days later I won the auction for $22.50! $12.00 in shipping later and they were shipped! Yes, I said "they". I only need one, but they are sold in sets of two on-line so I have a spare! Yesterday I got a notice in my mail box that there was a package waiting for me at the post office! They've arrived!! I'm "whole" again!


So, this friday (Oct 22) at noon I have an appointment with my Medical Oncologist (a.k.a. the TV doctor). During this appointment we will learn the final results of my treatment, I will learn if I am cancer free!


I'll let you know as soon as I know!!

The Drainage tube...

I've just had the drainage tube removed!! Ahhh, relief!

Paul video taped it...if anyone cares to see it.

Post Surgery update

On Friday Oct 1, 2010 I underwent surgery and had a Radical Left Breast Mastectomy. It's "radical" because I had the lymph nodes in my left arm removed as well.

Before I went in to surgery I was very scared, I tried to hold back the tears but found it impossible. The doctors and nurses did their best to keep me calm. I can just imagine how Paul was sitting in the waiting room not hearing anything for hours, but he was in good company.

I wasn't necessarily worried about the surgery, I was worried about how I would feel about only having one breast when I was done.

They put me out for the surgery and they had to wake me up when it was over. I was a little ticked when they woke me up....I was having a good dream!

I was taken back to the "Surgical Day Care" unit where I could have visitors...first one in was Paul! Oh, I was so happy to see him! Next was my Mom! Then Sheree! Then Jen! How many people have an entire entourage in the waiting room for day surgery! (I'm sure I'm not the first). I thoroughly enjoyed all my visitors!

We were home by 1:30 pm that day....drainage bag in tow! Yeah, I have a tube sticking out of me attached to a bag that holds blood and lymph fluid that is draining from the hole. When it is draining less than 30cc's of fluid in a 24 hour period they will take it out. On Saturday the nurse came to the house and took 120cc's from it...it's been decreasing every day since and today it was down to 43cc's. Hopefully tomorrow it will be under 30 and it can be taken out the following day! Fingers crossed...it's uncomfortable.

I've been doing all the exercises and stretches that the doctor ordered. I have 6 different exercises that I have to be able to do 10 reps each of by this coming friday. I'm there! I can do 10 reps of each....just barely without completely wearing myself out! But by the time I see my doctor again it will be much easier.

So...how do I feel about having only one breast? I'm actually okay with it. I honestly didn't think that I would but I really am. The bandages on the incision are only covering the incision so I can see that there is nothing there.....not like in the movies where there are loads of bandages covering the affected area and there is a big reveal. I first saw myself just minutes after I woke up from surgery alone in the recovery room. I was still a little woozy but I do remember thinking "that's it?!?" I kept looking at it the rest of the day just to make sure I was still okay with it....I think I was trying to make myself be upset by it but found that I really couldn't! I'm really okay with it. When I don't think about the fact that I only have one I forget that I only have one....kind of like when I put on a sweater and then attempt to pull my long hair out of the collar! Yeah, it's been months and I still do that!

Before surgery I prayed...all the way through I prayed....but just before surgery I prayed that He would give me the strength to accept what I will look like when I came out. He answered my prayer, I've accepted it. Now I just need to heal and get back to my normal life!

Now, I'm at home resting, recovering, exercising.....and when I'm not doing those things I'm totally, completely and utterly BORED!! I have books to read and shows to watch, which I've been doing, but you can only read so many books and watch so much TV before you're tired of it. As soon as this tube is out I will be more mobile and be able to do more. But for now I stay in the house in my pj's and when I catch my reflection in the mirror I think..."if I didn't know me, I wouldn't recognize me!" My hair is growing back more and more each day but since I am not leaving the house I haven't bothered to put any make up on! Haha, it's kind of funny....I'll have to do a before and after picture!

It will be nice when the tube is out and the bandages are off and I can throw on a hoodie and go out somewhere! What will be even better is getting a prosthetic to wear and getting back to work! Because I'm really okay with myself Paul has been able to keep working this week and doesn't have to worry about "babysitting" me but when he comes home he gets to hear all about what I didn't do during the day....he's ready for me to go back too and he only sees me in the evening!

I'll blog again when the tube is out...between now and then I don't see anything exciting enough to blog about happening!

Feeling more at ease...

I got home from work today and had a melt down....Paul picked me up and helped me to feel better as he always does, but I was still scared.

We went to visit Michelle. She made us feel much better about tomorrow's surgery and even showed us her scar. It wasn't scary at all, which was a relief!

I'm still scared, but I might get some sleep tonight!