After several operations and infections Sirkka started feeling depressed and desperate.
Transcript
There was one point after I had the second part of the mesh removed. There was that 6 weeks where I had to be with the open wound in my abdomen. I think that was maybe the only point where I started to think that “Oh my God.” is this ever going to be over? And that was the first time that I really felt depressed. But my husband said that “You know what, hang in there because this is going to end.” And, of course, it did and I was quite… After that, things seemed to go well but it was just like a vicious cycle of doctors, infections, surgeries. I think it was 7 or 8 surgeries I had in about 5 years and that was just too many. And I’ve been a healthy person all my life, I’ve never been sick, I’ve been in the hospital four times and only because I was having babies and then I had a tubal ligation but other than that I have been probably one of the healthiest people around. Then all of a sudden, there just one thing right after the other. So it was, it was hard.
More content
- How it affects family and friends – SirkkaSirkka's brother passed the news along to her other siblings.
- Challenging emotions – SirkkaAfter several operations and infections Sirkka started feeling depressed and desperate.
- Perspectives on treatment pathways – SirkkaSirkka didn’t want foreign materials in her body but didn’t realize that her choice of reconstruction included a piece of mesh left in place.
- Work and finances – SirkkaSirkka felt well supported by colleagues at work.
- Recurrent and metastatic (advanced) breast cancer – SirkkaAs a precaution, Sirkka's doctors decided to treat her as if her cancer had metastasized.