Beyond breast reconstruction COVER STORY
T he road to breast spoke to a breast specialist who recommended an MRI but said there shouldn’t be anything to worry about. So, it came as a shock when Kate received the breast cancer diagnosis. Kate travelled from Carins to Brisbane to learn they had detected lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS). She was told that they would continue to monitor it, however, Kate felt something still wasn’t right. She took it upon herself to keep raising her concerns, which ultimately led to Kate travelling to Melbourne. It was here she learnt of her second diagnosis, tubular carcinoma. reconstruction has been a long one for Kate. Following a routine mammogram, Kate Kate was informed that, if she was prepared to wait six months, she could have a double mastectomy and reconstruction at the same time in Brisbane. After weighing up her options and receiving advice that it was safe to wait, Kate opted to have the surgeries done at the same time. However, when her appointment finally arrived, Kate was told they no long did a mastectomy and reconstruction together. After a long and stressful wait, she was left feeling completely distraught.
‘I waited so long that I sometimes thought I should just live my life without them, but my kids were growing up and I needed to get my life back. I knew from wearing prothesis, I wanted to have shape,’ she says. When the date was finally set for her breast reconstruction, Kate felt excited and apprehensive. She was comfortable in her own body but knew she would regret it if she didn’t ‘give it a crack.’ It took another twelve months for her reconstruction to be complete as she had expanders put in. Now that the surgery is done, Kate feels lighter – knowing she no longer has to worry about her surgery date or channelling her energy into advocating. She is proud that her advocacy raised awareness but also towards helping others experiencing delays. Kate is happy with her decision to proceed with breast reconstruction and thankful that she can now move on. Since her reconstruction, Kate has finished her studies and work on her house. She is also looking forward to getting back into exercise to take the next steps towards building a beautiful life beyond breast cancer.
‘That was the biggest shock of all,’ says Kate. ‘I think all the tensions and frustrations had really built up by that stage. It was hard to hear.’ During this time, Kate also had to deal with the loss a lifelong friend who died from breast cancer. ‘We vented together about cancer and its treatment,’ she says. On top of this, following her double mastectomy, Kate was informed that they had located a third cancer. She was told that ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) had formed during that six-month waiting period. Kate could not have foreseen at this point that she would be waiting almost ten years to have her breast reconstruction surgery. Kate had to be her own advocate to find out when she could expect to receive a date for surgery. She not only contacted the hospital but got so far as to contact her state’s Minister for Health and eventually local media until she finally received a surgical appointment. The energy that went into self-advocating was draining while caring for her family. It meant that sometimes Kate had to put herself second.
Helpful resources If you are considering breast reconstruction or whether to go flat, there are resources that can help: • Breconda is a breast reconstruction decision aid that can assist you to navigate whether breast reconstruction is right for you. • BCNA’s Online Network is a peer-to-peer online community. There are private groups you can join called ‘Choosing Breast Reconstruction’ and ‘Flat Chat – No Breast Reconstruction’ where you can talk to others about their experiences • Watch the webcast Breast Reconstruction – Options and Expectations . • Access our Information and Resources hub at bcna.org.au • Equity of access to breast reconstruction, including increasing transparency of waitlists, is a key policy and advocacy priority for BCNA. Read more in our 2021 Breast Reconstruction Report .
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bcna.org.au
Issue 96 | October 2023
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