Decisions made with my Medical Team

if you missed the first two posts about my breast cancer journey you can find them here and here.

I hope that I can help anyone going through the initial stages of finding out you have breast cancer, or someone in your family, or circle so you can help them, or garner information for yourself.

As April closed, I knew it was time to get good recommendations for an Oncologist and Surgeon. I was given two really good recommendations by my GP – but ended up seeing an Oncologist who my mother knew very well and respected.

The Oncologist was based in Kingston and asked me right away if I had seen a surgeon. I did not know that this would be the first course of action. She acknowledged that it was a good thing that so far there was no more cancer seen in the tests I did, but I would need to talk to a “cancer specialist surgeon” about my options before she decided what to do in terms of treatment. She asked me to get a breast cancer gene blood test in the meantime. This would tell if I carried the gene for breast / ovarian cancer.

Meeting the Breast Cancer Surgeon in Kingston

I was recommended to see Dr. Mark Newnham in Kingston (Jamaica) who apparently was one if not the best Surgeon in Jamaica pertaining to breast cancer, vascular and even heart issues.

The driving back and forth took a lot out of us as it seemed we were in Kingston every week, sometimes twice per week. The day I went to see Dr. Newnham I also had a family lunch lined up to celebrate my cousin’s anniversary. I do not get to see my cousin a lot as he lived in Dubai for many years, but recently moved to the Bahamas where he has a vacation home, so he is now a lot closer. I thought it would be amazing to have a family lunch at a fabulous restaurant after seeing the surgeon, as I was quite frankly – nervous.

As I walked into his office building I was put at immediate ease as everything was beautifully and meticulously done in terms of the ambiance and even the demeanor of the team at the front desk. My mother was with me as Chris was unable to get away from work that day. I will never forget walking into his office and feeling a sense of “what is he going to say” “what am I going to say” “where do we go from here….” So many questions in my head!

Captivated by his calm, genuine manner which immediately put me at ease…

When Dr. Newnham walked in, he had a sense of calm…and spoke in a gentle, easy way that immediately relaxed me and made me feel as if I was in great hands. He asked ME what I wanted out of this cancer treatment, and I immediately said “I want a double mastectomy” – he nodded his head and said I had three options – 1. Take out the lump alone, and hope the cancer does not come back there….a little risky….2. Do a mastectomy of the breast with the lump keep the other breast as is, and do a reconstructive surgery on that breast to try to get it to match the other one…risk, it could come back in the other breast + it is not going to look like the other one, for looks sake….3. Do a double mastectomy and then reconstruction…..risk, low for it come back in that area…..I looked at him – “reconstruction??” He said yes, I would highly recommend that for you. You are not considered old and have alot of your life to live, he said with a a little wink.

He examined me so he could ascertain the situation with the lump, and after ten seconds, he said okay you can sit back down. I was sort of caught off guard, wondering why it was such a short exam. He explained that it was 5 cm away from the exact center of the breast, and that he did not feel anything under my arm, which meant it was not likely it had spread but he would know more after the operation. He drew a diagram of my breast, from that ten second exam, which was quite detailed. I was mesmerized and knew this was the person who would save me from being in some kind of mental state that was not good. He gave me hope, smiled and looked straight into my eyes while talking. He even forgot my mother was sitting beside me. I felt his attention was on me, as he actually cared, and wanted me to feel that. I felt it!

He then recommended a plastic surgeon he worked alot with, who would be part of the operation, do do the reconstruction side of things….and that he would explain what that would entail.

Talking to Dr. Venugopal, my plastic surgeon about the reconstruction

As it turned out, I was unable to see Dr. Venugopal that day due to the family lunch, but we did talk on the phone for about one hour and half about the process. It seemed like there was a mass of details, risks, and things to know before I went ahead….but at the same time the option of having just a double mastectomy and walking away with that final look did not do anything to my mental state. It made me feel as if I would not be able to be in a bikini again, and knowing that I still wanted to compete on stage, I knew that the look of symmetry judges look for would not be there if I did not go for the reconstruction. Not just that, but I kept thinking how would I feel without anything there….nothing at all except skin? Could I live with that, how would it affect my mental health. That is what and why I decided to say yes, let us plan on it. He also sounded calm, informative and I felt another feeling of “this is my other surgeon, someone I already like but never met face to face…”

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