Good day everyone!

It’s starting to feel a lot like Christmas! Snow everywhere and really cold weather in Toronto. It’s a little milder today but we are bracing for more snow and icy conditions in the next few days.

A little update. I saw my plastic surgeon on Monday. I think he did a good job reconstructing after my mastectomy but I told him I feel like I’m a little lop-sided sometimes. :p  He said that he had to shake his head after I said that. He told me I should go to “BRA” day sometime. (Breast Reconstruction Awareness day). I said, I kind of have sort of been there since they showed ‘me’ for reference. (They had asked my permission to show my photos and I thought, “why the heck not?”. If it can help someone make that crazy decision, it is a good thing!). So I have now been ‘exposed’ and have had my reconstructed breast flashed on a screen for hundreds to see! He actually told me that when they had my photos up (sans my face of course) that some people had said, “I want those!!”. LOL. You have to laugh about it.

Now of course I told him that it was natural for him to say it was an amazing outcome since he did the work – but he assured me that not all reconstruction jobs are not equal – even done by him – so I told him I was going to have to see some other patients in the flesh!!

It’s not perfect – nor will it ever be. But I have accepted the way it is now. There is no other choice. We’ve done the best we can.

I saw my OT for my lymphedema. We measured and I have a little bit of swelling in the upper arm. I haven’t done any swimming or self-treatment in the last while so I may have to wear my sleeve a little more often but it’s not too bad. Although I wake up many mornings feeling numbness and swelling in my right hand, it usually rights itself later in the day. As my OT says, Lymphedema is a chronic ailment. You can never get rid of it. But I watch for the signs and can feel the swelling so I am mindful of it. Apparently that’s half the battle.

I don’t know if it’s the cold dry weather here, but my radiated skin on my upper back is very sensitive. Very rough and scaly. Not my usual extremely soft skin. I hope it settles down again. It’s annoying and uncomfortable. It hasn’t been this bad since I had treatment on it. I may try and get a body scrub…..I’m too young to give up on backless dresses!

Wishing everyone the best of the festive season. Good health and happiness. Because life is not about the number of breaths we take but about the moments that take our breath away. J

Cheers to having many, many moments that take your breath away!

LOVE, Winnie xo