On Wednesday I was due to meet with my surgeon to be measured for implants and ask any outstanding questions.
When I got to the hospital it turned out he wasn't working and I would be meeting his registrar instead. After Sean and I had walked all of 5 minutes from our house to the hospital we were very disappointed!
I didn't really like the registrar; she was nice enough but a bit more abrupt than my surgeon. As I said, I had loads of questions, I asked a few of the more pressing ones but her answers were curt and it seemed she was rushing me so I didn't ask the others.
The lovely breast nurse was there again though and her presence was reassuring as ever. She tried to fill out the registrars answers and this made me feel a bit happier with the whole consultation.
After I had asked a few of my questions the registrar took me behind a curtain where I took off my top and bra and put on a very flattering hospital gown. She then measured various parts of my breast...from my collar bone to my nipple, the width of each breast etc.
Then I got dressed again. I thought she would be measuring me like they do when you have a bra fitted...back size and cup size, but the surgeon will pick size of implant based on my current bra size. She said they take these measurements to help the surgeon deicide what type of implant to use, rather than what size.
After all this the registrar said that my surgeon would probably like to repeat these measurements when he next saw me anyway, so the whole thing seemed a bit pointless, but hey ho!
She also mentioned that he might want to consider using expanders before inserting permanent implants, when I last saw him he seemed certain that this wouldn't be necessary. I was really hoping to get the whole thing done with just one surgery so I hope that the registrar was wrong! I have another appointment to see the surgeon on the 25th April, so I will clarify that point with him then. The nurse has told me to ring ahead and ensure that my surgeon is actually in the building!
After the appointment I wandered down to town to do a bit of shopping. I decided I would pop into John Lewis and see if they had any post-surgery lingerie. After wandering round a bit aimlessly, not really knowing what the hell I was looking for, I decided I needed some help.
Thankfully the wonderful John Lewis lady knew exactly what I needed and found me a nice soft sports bra. She was so nice to me that I left feeling a bit tearful, that is the first surgery related item I have bought and it made it all seem real.
I'm actually going to do this, in five months this will all be over and I will never have to worry about breast cancer again. I'm excited and scared and sad and happy all at the same time, its quite exhausting!
When I got to the hospital it turned out he wasn't working and I would be meeting his registrar instead. After Sean and I had walked all of 5 minutes from our house to the hospital we were very disappointed!
I didn't really like the registrar; she was nice enough but a bit more abrupt than my surgeon. As I said, I had loads of questions, I asked a few of the more pressing ones but her answers were curt and it seemed she was rushing me so I didn't ask the others.
The lovely breast nurse was there again though and her presence was reassuring as ever. She tried to fill out the registrars answers and this made me feel a bit happier with the whole consultation.
After I had asked a few of my questions the registrar took me behind a curtain where I took off my top and bra and put on a very flattering hospital gown. She then measured various parts of my breast...from my collar bone to my nipple, the width of each breast etc.
Then I got dressed again. I thought she would be measuring me like they do when you have a bra fitted...back size and cup size, but the surgeon will pick size of implant based on my current bra size. She said they take these measurements to help the surgeon deicide what type of implant to use, rather than what size.
After all this the registrar said that my surgeon would probably like to repeat these measurements when he next saw me anyway, so the whole thing seemed a bit pointless, but hey ho!
She also mentioned that he might want to consider using expanders before inserting permanent implants, when I last saw him he seemed certain that this wouldn't be necessary. I was really hoping to get the whole thing done with just one surgery so I hope that the registrar was wrong! I have another appointment to see the surgeon on the 25th April, so I will clarify that point with him then. The nurse has told me to ring ahead and ensure that my surgeon is actually in the building!
After the appointment I wandered down to town to do a bit of shopping. I decided I would pop into John Lewis and see if they had any post-surgery lingerie. After wandering round a bit aimlessly, not really knowing what the hell I was looking for, I decided I needed some help.
Thankfully the wonderful John Lewis lady knew exactly what I needed and found me a nice soft sports bra. She was so nice to me that I left feeling a bit tearful, that is the first surgery related item I have bought and it made it all seem real.
I'm actually going to do this, in five months this will all be over and I will never have to worry about breast cancer again. I'm excited and scared and sad and happy all at the same time, its quite exhausting!
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