Blog 4: Klara – From Chemotherapy to Surgery – Embracing the Next Steps in My Healing Journey

Dear readers,

I’m curious—how have you been feeling about my journey so far? Perhaps there’s a young mother among you who’d like to share her own experience? Don’t be shy, I’d love to hear from you 😊.

In my last post, I shared an in-depth and emotional account of my chemotherapy experience. Today, I want to take you through the next phase of my treatment. And as always, if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

To start, I should mention that chemotherapy brought me into partial remission. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that this wasn’t the news I was hoping for. Hearing “complete remission” would have been far more reassuring. So, what does partial remission mean? Given the type of tumour I had, my genetic predisposition, and the partial response to treatment, there’s a relatively high risk of recurrence. But I didn’t let those words or the post-chemotherapy discussions define my outlook or dampen my spirits. I’ve always believed that while statistics tell one story, each of us has our own unique journey. So, let’s put remission aside for now and focus on what came next.

After finishing chemotherapy, I faced breast surgery—a bilateral mastectomy with reconstruction using expanders. During the same operation, I also underwent a bilateral laparoscopic adnexectomy.

My feelings about the surgery were mixed. It was a major procedure, and emotionally, I approached it with the mindset that removing part of my body was necessary to safeguard my health and prevent future complications. I had some reservations about removing my ovaries, but ultimately, I decided to go ahead due to the high risk posed by the BRCA1 gene. This meant I was at significant risk of developing cancer in that area, so I chose to have them removed, which put me into early menopause and ended my ability to have more children. Despite this, I reminded myself that life had already blessed me with two beautiful daughters, and they need a healthy mother.

I arrived at the hospital the day before my surgery, on March 10, 2021, and I was the first patient scheduled for surgery the next morning 😊. I won’t deny that I was scared, but I entered the process calmly, with the belief that everything would turn out fine. The surgery was not without its complications, but in the end, everything went smoothly. After the operation, I was placed in intensive care, and it was the most challenging feeling of helplessness. All I wanted was to get up, go home, and hug my girls. Moments like these really show you how vulnerable you can be when you’re bedridden and reliant on others. They make you realize just how precious health truly is. In those moments, nothing else in the world matters as much as your well-being. I came to understand how much I had once taken my health for granted.

After a day in intensive care, I was moved to a regular ward, where I began walking with the help of a physical therapist. It was tough, both physically and emotionally. I had tubes attached, bandages wrapped around my chest, and I felt profoundly different without my breasts. Despite the challenges, my recovery went smoothly, and on March 15, 2021, I was able to go home.

The results from the surgery indicated that I would need radiation therapy and another round of chemotherapy with capecitabine (in pill form). After some time, I started the process of expanding the chest tissue to the desired size, and then it was time for radiation therapy.

Radiation therapy went well, with only minor skin irritation. Once again, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to the all the staff; they were incredibly kind and supportive throughout my 25 days of treatment. I’m so grateful for the wonderful team at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana.

In this post, I’ve shared more details about my surgery. In my next entry, I’ll dive deeper into the surgery where my expanders were replaced with implants, and the most difficult part of my treatment journey—the loss of my mother.

And as always, let’s keep the main message in mind…a positive mindset 😊.