Yes! More than a year after the referral for an oncological physiotherapist, an appointment was finally made. ‘Finally’ because the day after the referral everything was closed due to Covid. I also wanted to keep the risk of contamination as small as possible due to my health problems. I more or less went into self-quarantine, but also noticed in my environment that there was little enthusiasm for meetings. It was a lonely year in that respect.
When everything opened again, Covid was still there and it was a difficult choice to postpone physiotherapy, which contributes to recovery. Now that infections are decreasing significantly and the Netherlands is loosening the reins, it feels a bit like waking up from hibernation. With the exception of contact with my mother and sister, my contacts with the outside world mainly consisted of short messages or conversations via WhatsApp. It gives me an odd feeling of being somewhat outside reality. Fortunately, life goes on. There was a wedding ceremony, which was actually planned for next year (“We couldn’t wait anymore!”) and a friend (my age) is going to be a grandmother! Because many sad things have also happened, these cheerful events get extra shine.
After the long delay, I went to the physiotherapist in good spirits. She appears to be an expert in the field of breast cancer and decided after her recovery to expand her knowledge with a Master’s degree in Oncology Physiotherapy. A big hurdle, but she took it and that was eight years ago. That’s a boost for me to begin with. The first date we just talked. She asked me all about my medical history and concluded that there is more than just breast cancer. I couldn’t have imagined it all either.
However, she went beyond just the medical side and is actually the first professional who is interested in my mental well-being. I’m never comfortable with people trying to get into my head, but she did a good job and I even felt relief at being able to vent for a moment.
She quickly told me that I should be proud of myself for surviving breast cancer.
Well that’s a little too fast for me… it doesn’t feel like I’ve survived breast cancer at all. The diagnosis was made almost two years ago, but I have not yet regained confidence in my body. This is due to all the physical discomfort, but also due to the spot in my lungs, the cause of which is not yet clear. The follow-up examination of the lungs and my annual check-up will be in August. Since the operation and radiation treatments, my breast has been very sensitive and the pulling and crushing of it in order to make the mammography is painful. I try to think about it as little as possible, but that doesn’t always work. It remains stressful, especially sitting in the waiting room for results.
The ‘sister dates’ in my agenda are a very nice distraction. Regular appointments with my sister, where we take a whole day to ourselves to do something fun and catch up. We just set a date and so far we have been very lucky with the weather and be able to be active outside. Days like this are the best for me.
My physiotherapist asked what I expected from her and that is mainly the physical part: I hope she can help me get rid of my pain complaints. She massaged the neck and shoulders during the second and third appointments. It is still too early to say that I will benefit from it, but it feels very good to finally be able to do something about my recovery with external help. Of all the therapies so far (radiotherapy, hormone therapy, physiotherapy) this is my favorite. Perhaps aromatherapy will be the thing to change that, haha!