OK, are you sitting down? Appropriate drink close to hand? Good. Then I Have News. While I was playing with the kiddies in my Pops’ stunning garden in the sunshine this afternoon (we’re having an Easter holiday slash recuperation at my parents’ house) I missed a call on my mobile from an unknown number. 121 kept calling me, as it does, insistent that I pick up the message. When I finally got round to it, it was a voice I didn’t recognise, but it quickly became apparent who it was, and what momentous news she had to impart.
In summary: ‘Hi Maja, it’s Tracey. I’m sorry you’re not there, because I have some good news. I thought you’d like to know before Easter that I’ve got all the results back from the surgery and it’s all looking super. No further surgery is required.’
Yup, that’s right. The hard bits really and truly are over. There is no cancer, or pre-cancer, in my body. The margins are clear, and I have escaped a mastectomy. The gamble of going for the reduction (known as a wide local excision) has paid off. AMAZE.
The lovely and terribly clever Miss Irvine also said on the message that she’ll go through all the results in clinic next Wednesday. I wonder if the DCIS had in fact disappeared as a result of the chemo? (Remember that officially this cannot happen, but a couple of other women with the same situation as me have found the invisible, threatening pre-cancer melted at the same time as the active tumour.)
Oh, the relief. I can’t tell you. I wasn’t spending a lot of time consciously thinking about the possibility that the surgery hadn’t been a total success, but it must have been preying on my mind because I immediately felt about a foot taller and one hell of a lot more cheerful. I told my Pops and had a very big cuddle, before calling DH (more tears) and significant others. I decided to wait until my mummy walked in the door after work to tell her face to face (yet more happy tears). The Pol Roger’s on ice, waiting until DH joins us in Salisbury tomorrow night.
Somehow, the interminable physio (which I have been avoiding, because the thrice daily exercises to get my arm moving again after the lymph clearance to avoid lymphoedema are tedious and It Hurts) seemed a lot easier this evening.
I was already encouraged today, not only by the gorgeous weather, but by the doc at the walk-in clinic where I went to get my manky dressing changed again this lunchtime saying it was the best breast surgery she’d ever seen, with incredibly thin scars that were healing beautifully. Apart from the bit at the t-junction of the anchor-shaped scar, which I was warned would heal slowly. I’ve had this final dressing changed already once this week and will probably need another couple of changes as there’s some alarmingly bright yellow leakage which is apparently ‘quite normal’.
Otherwise, the steristrips are off, and my nipple is happy enough in its new home to actually have some sensation, unlike the right side of my minibreast, which is still numb. Hilariously, I can see a couple of tiny dissolvable stitches around my nipple, like a little Frankenboob. This makes me feel very aware that I have been sewn back together. I try not to think about this too much.
Anyway, who cares. I may have five weeks of radiotherapy, five years of tamoxifen and three-weekly cycles of herceptin until November to still contend with. But that’s gonna be a walk in the park compared to chemo and surgery. The bottom line is that the invasive stuff is over, and has been successful, and all the rest is mopping up and making sure this doesn’t happen again.
So please grab that San Miguel/Earl Grey/Sauv Blanc/Merlot/Tropicana next to you and raise it in the general direction of Wiltshire, with the Polish toast: na zdowie. To your health. WHOOPITY WHOOP!
Pinchypants 
Will you give up making me cry woman???? Wonderful news, I raise my glass to you & your family. F*$k Cancer!
Sorry lovely! Thank you! xx
What fantastic, brilliant news! na zdowie! x
Thanks honey! xx
What bloody fantastic News – F&*K cancer
Thank you my love. F%ck caaancer indeed! xxx
What brilliant news. Seems the sun was shining in celebration too. Fantastic stuff.
The sun is indeed continuing to shine! Thank you xxx
That is fan-frikkin-tastic news! I am so delighted for you! Fuuuuuck caaaancer – and enjoy that Pol Roger! x
Tee hee! xxx
Γεια μας! Να μας ζήσεις xx
In english – to your good health xxx
Fabulous news, you’ve brought tears to my eyes xx
Thanks sweetie! xxx
I follow your blog regularly though I don’t know you.
You write beautifully and you make me laugh and laugh and cry and cry.
I’m so pleased about this news and wish you all the very best luck with your remaining treatment. “F*ck cancer” indeed!
Aw, that’s so sweet of you! Thanks for reading, and for taking the time to comment. xxx
glass well and truly raised and invasive stuff being over toasted. – Fab
Thanks lovely! xxx
OMG… just got back home… and saw this wonderful news….
you’re a very amazing woman Miss Maja… there’s loads of love and excitement in this part of the world… whoop whoop!!
Greg xxx
Thank you gorgeous Greg! xxx
Fab news lovely! You must be so relieved. X
Incredibly relieved! Thank you! xxx
Best. News. Ever.
So, so happy for you xxx
Thanks gorgeous lady! xx
Dearest Majs
Such awesome news. Made my day, no my year !!!!!!
Na zdowie indeed !
Beck xx
Big grins all round Becks! We will celebrate when I see you at Crimbo! xxx
Go Maja! Go Maja! Cheers indeed! Cancer knew it was no match for the power of “Team Pinchy”. Such wonderful news. I saw Simon today and he told me that you’d had some good news, so as soon as I got home, I logged on. Na zdowie xxx
Thank you my lovely cousin! Hope you and the gang had a good Easter! xxx
I think I’m going to cry. Amazing, amazing, amazing news. So thrilled to bits for you. Right. Better go. Crying now xx
Oh bless you! No need for tears, all is good! xx
Best News Ever. Nuff said. Much love and (soft) big hugs xx
Thank you Fi! big hugs back xxx
oh my god how fab is that i cant belieeve it. congratulations we are all so pleased for you all. have a wonderful easter see you soon hopefully when your stronger still
love tash
Thanks lovely! Hope you had a fab Easter. xxx
Absolutely brilliant – i am delighted for you and am toasting you from afar! Big hugs, and very wide grins from here xxx