I hope you are staying well and safe as the Omicron surge hits NZ. As with all businesses in NZ right now, we are trying our best to balance providing a service with the safety of our team and patients, so we are grateful for your patience as we navigate rescheduling for illness or isolation needs. Our team will be doing their absolute best to accommodate and reschedule you, so please be kind to them.
It feels like everyone is at the end of their tether with Covid, and stress levels are higher than they have ever been, which is understandable. We’ve spent two long years holding Covid at bay, and now it is knocking on our door and beating it down, frantically. With cases rising exponentially, we are seeing some well-recognised Auckland businesses closing temporarily due to staffing issues. Medical clinics like ours are well versed in PPE and high standards of protection for both patients and team – we have also gone above the recommendations and implemented antiviral lab coats for clinicians, and an air-filtration system that is proven to be effective with the Covid virus – however, we are anticipating it’s likely there will be at least some disruption to our services. Those affected will always be informed as soon as possible.
I had my first filler treatment in 3 years this past month, with our wonderful nurse Beck. Beck is a fabulous injector and gave me a beautiful, natural-looking result to reduce some of the ‘sag’ that had been sneaking in over the last year or so as my previous filler diminished (and maybe I aged a bit? 🤔😹) We did some filler in my cheeks, in front of my ear to help gently lift the lower face, and then blending around my mouth corners and chin to soften my prominent chin. It’s so nice to look in the mirror and feel like myself again! Great work, Beck!
We also managed to sneak in our quarterly Team Training Day last weekend, which is always a great opportunity for our already experienced injectors to practice and play with new techniques. I was able to attend to give a few hints and pointers on how to take our injectable treatments to the next level, despite struggling with fatigue from the Tamoxifen. Due to Omicron, we did our Team Training Day in separate clinic bubbles, which actually seemed to work well! I have complete faith in our incredible team to continue to provide excellent, natural-looking results. We have always had a focus on ongoing education for our team, and despite all its efforts, Covid has not stopped our ongoing advanced training for our team.
As you read this I’ll be on my way to Mexico for my mum to look after me while my body and mind (hopefully) adjust to the hardest initial stages of the breast cancer medication Tamoxifen. I stopped Tamoxifen after just 2 months the last time I tried to take it, due to intense fatigue, brain fog, cognitive dysfunction, loss of joy and rage. My oncologist is hopeful that taking some time away from work and stress will help me integrate it more easily this time, as I need to take it for 5 years, and it plays a significant role in reducing the mortality (death) from further cancer recurrence.
I understand why there is some frustration from some people about not knowing for definite when I’ll be back injecting, however, I need to give Tamoxifen the best possible chance to work in my body, and I’m unsure of how I’ll react this time around. The last thing I want to do is to commit to something that I can’t follow through on due to fatigue – or even worse, come back before I’m ready and be unsafe due to cognitive dysfunction.
I’ve recovered well from surgery, and had permission from my surgeon and insurance company to provide some advanced training for the team in both January and February, although I was limited in the hours I was able to provide. They also OK’d me to tick off a major bucket list item that I was lucky to squeeze in just before I started the Tamoxifen – walking the Milford Track! I had to wear a compression garment on my tummy scar and two bras, and hand over almost everything in my pack to the guides and some of the awesome foursome of amazing women that I went with, but it was so worth it! I took my time and enjoyed the scenery, the waterfalls, and being in nature.
I was lucky enough to have perfect weather conditions on the hike.
The tracks are wide and relatively easy, especially if you take your time as I did. It was so good for the soul! We went with Ultimate Hikes, so had incredible food (and a choice of wine if you wanted it), hot showers and comfy beds every night. The guides were super helpful and knowledgeable (as well as carrying most of my stuff!) and I couldn’t recommend the experience more. The team told me they have had terminal cancer patients, people with kidney failure and walkers in their 90s do the trail, and while there were a couple of long days, it definitely wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. On the final day, we had a boat cruise of Milford Sound, with some of the most spectacular waterfalls I think I’ve seen in my life!
My dad continues to deteriorate with his bone marrow cancer – we are a right pair with our combined stories of fatigue! He has needed several transfusions already this year, and it appears that his chemo is no longer working. We are waiting on the results of his latest bone marrow biopsy, but it’s likely he will continue to decline over the coming months. Along with the crisis in Ukraine, It’s a beautiful reminder of how precious life is, and to cherish each moment we have!
I have friends and patients who have family in Ukraine and also in Russia, and my heart and blessings go to them all right now. I hope you get safely reunited with your families and that this crisis passes quickly with a peaceful resolution. How quickly life can change!
There have been lots of changes in the last couple of years across all areas of life for all of us and we have had a few more changes in the team with our lovely skin therapist Raechel deciding that she really enjoyed her ‘lockdown time’ with family, so making the tough but completely understandable decision to stop working at TFP to focus more on her family. Raech has been a wonderful team member at Takapuna, always lovely to work with, and a fabulous skin therapist. While we will miss seeing her every day, she will remain part of the extended TFP ‘family’, and we have the wonderful Bhavna taking over her role at Takapuna. Bhav started in Takapuna and is an excellent therapist, so it’s nice to have her back!
They say the only constant is change, and we seem to have had a lot of it in the last few years! While it can be challenging and tiring, it can also be a positive impetus for growth and new ideas. My mantra the last couple of years has been ‘where is the opportunity in this challenge?’
As part of my focus on the here and now, I decided to document my breast cancer journey with an intimate photoshoot, showing what really happens to your body before and after surgery. For those interested, you can follow my journey on my personal Instagram.
Photographing my breast cancer journey – follow my Instagram for more.
I wish you many great opportunities in your current challenges as we as a nation tackle Omicron and the inevitable changes it brings.
Sending loads of love, and hopefully a sense of ease as we come out the other side of all these challenges and changes.
Please stay safe, mi amigos
Love, Cat 😻 xx
