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Tomorrow morning, I will not have cancer anymore.

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/11/2023 (1071 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

“This is my last day with cancer,” I said to myself the night before my surgery. “Tomorrow morning, I will not have cancer anymore.”

It’s natural to be afraid before major surgery. There were times when I felt my life would never be the same again. But mostly I felt safe that December night in 2021. I felt protected, comfortable and cared for at HSC Women’s Hospital. With my surgeons Dr. Erin Dean and Dr. Alon Altman, I was confident I was in excellent hands.

Since my surgery, I feel nothing but gratitude for the people at HSC. I’m so glad I chose Manitoba all those years ago. – Andrée-Anne Boisvert

Chemotherapy and radiation knocked the heck out of me and, well, didn’t work. Major surgery, including a radical hysterectomy, was the only solution for the stage 3B cervical cancer that had been diagnosed just a few months earlier.

I get emotional thinking back on my 18 days at HSC Women’s Hospital. Everyone was working under tremendous stress through COVID-19, but you could hardly tell.

Like Eddie, the aide who asked me every day if I wanted to go for a walk; Quinnie, who brightened my days with upbeat conversations; and Nicole, my night nurse, who treated me with such skill and warmth, all that mattered to them was my recovery and well-being.

And when my partner and dad came to visit, the staff always stopped by to see if they needed anything. At HSC Women’s Hospital staff know that a patient’s recovery is a team effort.

My dad has since passed away. When I look back on my illness, I can’t imagine the sadness and fear he must have felt. I’m so grateful that the nurses and aides tried to ease his pain.

After my discharge, my complete recovery took about four months. It was a serious surgery, but it was effective. I’ve been cancer-free for two years, and I feel great.

Sixteen years ago, I came to Winnipeg to get a master’s degree in English. My plan was to be here for two years, but I haven’t left. Manitoba is home. Like the literature of the prairies, there is warmth in Manitoba. I experienced that first-hand from my hospital bed.

Since my surgery, I feel nothing but gratitude for the people at HSC. I’m so glad I chose Manitoba all those years ago.

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