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Licensee Koren Harvey My Story

Professionals Cannington Licensee Koren Harvey Shares her Story with breast cancer

Early January 2021 I went for my annual check up at the Breast Clinic at Royal Perth Hospital. Same routine of Mammogram and Ultrasound, I was in a little extra long for this one as the Radiologist and Doctor kept wanting to re-scan and review.

I went again a week later for the same thing, and the Radiologist said that although they’re not concerned, I may require a biopsy.

I was in Kalbarri with my kids when I got a phone call from my actual Doctor at the Breast Clinic, who confirmed that something has shown on my results and that I need to go back for a biopsy.

So I go in for my biopsy when I get back from holiday. The Nurses who are all very lovely, take me into a room where what looks to be a massage bed in the middle of the room with machines/contraptions of some sort. With music playing in the background to ease the nerves, I lay down on the bed and instead of my head in the hole it’s my boob! They put it in a vice like thing so there’s not movement (kinda like being squished when having a mammogram). Anyway, I am laying awkwardly on my side and face squashed to the bed, a couple of Nurses behind me doing the biopsy and another Nurse in front of me holding my hand and explaining every detail of what is happening, I have to say again that the Nurses were just amazing!

I’m back again the following week with my Doctor to know the results.

Unfortunately I had Ductal Carcinoma In Situ (DCIS).

Because there were COVID restrictions and lockdowns, I wasn’t able to take a support person (my Mum), so I tried to be practical and take in all the information that the Doc was saying, all the while I was thinking I am so glad I persisted on getting annual checks, being a high-risk candidate within the Breast Clinic was something I knew I needed to be in and now it’s been caught early!

Since a young adolescent I have known of Breast Cancer, after my grandmother went through her cancer journey she was very adamant about the females in the family getting checked. My cousin went through the journey, as well my Mum about 7 years ago.

So for me, I guess I was kind of prepared like it wasn’t a big shock and knew what I wanted to do should I have to go through the journey myself.

Everything after the diagnosis went quickly, there were so many medical appointments and after consultation with both the Doctor and Plastic Surgeon, we decided on proceeding with the DIEP Flap Surgery - Mastectomy and Bi-Lateral Reconstruction. And although I was a Category 1 patient, the height of COVID delayed my surgery by a couple of months.

So……..

What better way to pass the wait time, than have a party!

With the help of family and friends, I had a ‘Thanks for the Mamories Party’.

It was so much fun with lots of love and laughter during the night, a welcome escape from what has been an emotional roller coaster.

Day of surgery comes around, and I am really nervous now… sometimes to the point where I am shivering / shaking. I am trying to put on a brave face for my kids and Mum but I’ll admit I was a little scared.

I check in at Royal Perth, have one last blue dye MRI scan and then get wheeled into the pre-op theatre.

This is where I meet so many Doctors and Nurses, and I’ll admit it was a little overwhelming, I had a couple blankets on to help me with my shivering (argh nerves).

There were two different surgical teams, first surgery team were doing the mastectomy and the second surgery team were doing the bi-lateral reconstruction.

The plastic surgeon comes in and while putting lines and dots on my chest and torso with sharpie, he is explaining again the procedure in detail, which is reassuring and I feel a little less anxious with the whole procedure.

He then asks me if I have any questions….and the only thing that came to mind was (pointing at my belly) ‘I have a lot to give… make sure you put it to good use’ (pointing at my chest).

We all had a good chuckle….

I get rolled into the theatre, where there are at least 13 people (could have been more)…it blew my mind and yes this room was big enough to hold all of us!

I meet the anesthetist, and after introducing himself to me says I’m going to give you some top shelf Champagne now, then I was out……

I wake and I am feeling groggy and terrified, writing this is taking me back and I have to say I have never felt so scared and vulnerable in all my life.

I was struggling to breath with the oxygen mask on, so they switch to the nostril oxygen tube.

My whole chest and torso felt sooo sooo heavy, I felt like I was being crushed and my arms were dead, like I’d done rounds of lifts at the gym.

Turns out my scheduled 8 hour surgery ended up taking 13 hours (due to some minor complications) with my arms laid open wide the entire time explains why I was feeling the way I was.

The next 24 hours I am monitored every 30 minutes, and I am in a heated room with a blanket they call Bear Hug, it’s got a hose that blows hot air into a blanket, which I have to have on me at all times.

By about day 4 post surgery the Nurses have me up and walking with a frame and two carry bags for each arm to hold the drains and I feel good being able to get up and start doing something.

Although I am reminded to not overdo it.

I was in the hospital for 10 days, and every day I got up and did my walk around the ward then rested because even that was tiring.

I was reminded to not overdo it.

Because of COVID, there were restrictions on visitors, so between my Mum, kids and friends there was a schedule of sorts on who would come visit me….. GEEZ I LOVE THEM!

I am checked out of hospital 10 days later being so super thankful to the Nurses, who were just absolutely amazing, and with instructions to keep my compression bra and torso brace on for the next 3 months….. also to not overdo it.

To say I was well looked after when I got home was an understatement!

My Mum, Kids and Friends made sure that we all had food – which was DELISH, and that I needed for nothing…..GEEZ I LOVE THEM!

Every week for the next 3 months, I am going to the Plastics Clinic at Royal Perth. And although there is always a bit of a wait, the Nurses were absolutely amazing, checking on my physical and mental wellbeing. They’re saying I am going well with my recovery, but I need to make sure I don’t overdo it.

I’ll be honest, although I was going through some pain and discomfort, I was really struggling with being restricted in what I can do, being driven around, not cooking or cleaning etc, and I stupidly thought I’m fine, I can do these minor things.

No,

No,

Shouldn’t do that,

But I did,

In hindsight, I came back to work way too early and thought I was ‘Fine’. I started doing my normal household duties and thought I was ‘Fine’.

I ended up getting a pretty bad infection in my abdominal wound, which had me needing a vacuum device attached to my stomach wound for about 8 days (and back to weekly visits at the Plastics Clinic at Royal Perth)

Not only was it a ‘Fashion Faux Pas’ because it had some weight to it and about the size of a tissue box, and you could hear the murmur of the pump, so I would walk around with this machine in a cute tote bag and although no one would take note of it or comment, I really didn’t like having this contraption on me.

My own fault though, because I thought I was ‘Fine’ and didn’t take the advice of not over doing it!

My eldest daughter was getting married in October 2021, so I had a couple of months to make sure I recovered the best way possible.

I was adamant I had to be well recovered for her big day…. Which I was and the Big Day was AMAZING!

In June this year, I had some more surgery…. And this time I DID NOT OVER DO IT!

I am fully recovered, CANCER FREE and eternally grateful to my Family, Friends and Colleagues for all their love and support.