Teacher, 56, who had a double mastectomy is STILL waiting for a reconstruction almost three years later due to Covid delays – and admits it’s left her feeling ‘horrible’ and ‘unattractive’ to her partner
- Liz Blackmore, 56, had both breasts removed in September 2019
- The usual waiting time for breast reconstruction is 6-12 months
- Breast reconstruction services were suspended in March 2020 due to pandemic
- Liz still doesn’t know when she will have the surgery and feels ‘horrible’
- She has suffered anxiety and body-confidence issues from having no breasts
A primary school teacher who had a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with two types of cancer has told how she is still waiting for reconstructive surgery more than two years later.
Liz Blackmore, 56, of Loughborough, was advised to have both breasts removed when doctors found two types of cancer in September 2019.
Two months later, she underwent the operation and was told she could expect reconstructive surgery within 6-12 months.
Nearly three years later Liz, a former intensive care nurse, still does not know when she will have anything but ‘two scars’ across her chest and admits the experience has left her feeling ‘horrible’ and self-conscious about her appearance.
‘It takes its toll. It really takes its toll. It’s horrible,’ Liz told FEMAIL.
Liz Blackmore, 56, pictured left before her mastectomy, was diagnosed with two types of breast cancer leading to a bilateral mastectomy in September 2019. Right: Liz pictured after her bilateral mastectomy without a prosthesis bra
Liz worries about the impact the mastectomy and lack of reconstructive surgery has on her relationship with husband Gary Blackmore, pictured, who she married in 2017
‘Psychologically this has been really difficult for me. All this reduced confidence. I can’t see an end in sight to all of this because I don’t know when, if ever, I’ll have the surgery. There is an anxiety it might never get done.
‘It’s not knowing. It could be three years, it could be six months.
Liz, a mother of two daughters, noticed a lump on her breast in July 2019 and was diagnosed in September that year.
After finding out she had two different types of cancer, invasive ducal carcinoma in the left breast and tubular carcinoma in the right, Liz had a double mastectomy in September 2019 at Glenfield Hospital in Leicester.
‘I couldn’t fault the care I got,’ she said. ‘The staff at Glenfield are fabulous.’
According to Breast Cancer Now, breast reconstruction services were suspended in March 2020 to help reduce the spread of Covid19 and prioritise people needing treatment as the NHS struggled to cope with the demands of the pandemic.
Liz wore a D-size bra before her bilateral mastectomy in September 2019, pictured. Liz admits the experience has left her feeling ‘horrible’ and self-conscious about her appearance
She also had follow-up appointments cancelled.
‘Cancer services have been reduced to the absolute basic,’ she said. ‘All the extra they’ve built up over the years, catering to women’s psychological needs, has stopped. It’s all gone. Women are just having to cope basically.
‘The biggest shock for me was when the follow-up appointments were cancelled. You’ve had cancer, you’ve had a double mastectomy, and you’re told if you have an issue go to your GP. That was the biggest shock I think.’
Liz, who said she does not blame the doctors and nurses in charge of her care for the delay, was scheduled to have a telephone appointment in February 2021 but it was cancelled due to staff shortages amid high numbers of Covid cases.
She had a consultation to discuss her breast reconstruction in March this year but the doctors were unable to set a date for her surgery.
Liz pictured after her bilateral mastectomy wearing a prosthesis bra. Almost three years on from her mastectomy, she still does not have a reconstructive surgery scheduled
WHAT IS A DOUBLE MASTECTOMY?
A double mastectomy is the removal of both breasts.
This is a way of treating breast cancer and is often done to women who are at a high risk of the disease returning after therapy.
The treatment may also be suitable for women who are unable to have radiation therapy, have a tumour larger than 5cm across or have a mutation, such as in the BRCA gene, that increases their cancer risk.
Most women stay in hospital for one or two nights but are able to return to their regular activities within around four weeks.
Side effects can include pain, swelling, a build up of blood or fluid at the surgery site, limited arm movement and numbness in the chest or upper arm.
After surgery, some women may wish to have the breast mound rebuilt to restore its appearance in breast reconstruction surgery.
Some patients may require other treatment after a mastectomy such as radiation, chemo or hormone therapy.
Source: American Cancer Society
The mother-of-two said she feels ‘guilty’ for wanting reconstruction when she knows it’s not ‘lifesaving’ but that she worries about her appearance.
Liz said: ‘I feel guilty for wanting reconstruction when I know it’s not lifesaving.
‘I’m grateful to the hospital staff for still being there for people and saving their lives. This is not a get at them. I’m grateful that hospital staff are still going to work and putting their own lives at risk to treat cancer.’
‘They must be under horrendous pressure’, she added. ‘My situation is not a priority.’
But she worries about the impact it has on her relationship with husband Gary Blackmore, who she married in 2017.
‘You do worry about how attractive you are to your partner,’ she said. ‘He’s very supportive but you worry about the impact it’s having on your relationship.’
Gary said: ‘The most important thing is that Liz is healthy and she’s still here. It hasn’t changed anything because she’s still as beautiful as she’s always been.
Liz has been married to Gary since 2016 but fears her appearance post-mastectomy has an ‘impact’ on their relationship
‘For me the biggest worry is the mental health aspect. She’s constantly having to wait because she can’t move on. It’s always in the back of her mind. She talks about forever. ‘It could be five years’, she says. There’s a definite impact on her mental health.’
Liz also worries about her appearance in clothes. She said: ‘I don’t look forward to summer holidays because the choice of mastectomy swimwear is really unflattering.’
She added: ‘Finding summer dresses is a nightmare because you don’t want to cover up completely, especially when you’re not used to dressing like that. It’s hard to find stuff you like.’
Liz returned to work as a teacher at Loughborough Church of England Primary School just four weeks after her bilateral mastectomy.
She also worked throughout the pandemic. ‘I had fantastic support from my work colleagues and the job is all consuming so it was easier to cope with my appearance because I was constantly busy.
‘Working with primary school children is a real pleasure and helped to take my mind off the cancer.’
Source: Read Full Article
