‘‘To look down and see what I had before ... it's pretty incredible.
‘‘To be put back to what you were before you had to disfigure yourself - I don't know if words can describe it, it's just so good.''
The surgery two weeks ago capped a life-changing few months for Ms Steele (49), who moved to North Otago to be with a new partner after cancer gave her a new perspective on life.
She moved from Mosgiel to Oamaru after the ‘‘whirlwind romance''.
She felt lucky to have secured the same job, as a secondary school science technician, in her new town. ‘‘You just know when you meet the right person - I know it sounds really corny, but it's just amazing.
‘‘My life is just so good now.''
She met her partner through online dating.
‘‘You've got this nasty thing that's doing its best to try to kill you.
‘‘If you can successfully beat it, it gives you a different outlook.‘‘All of a sudden it puts everything into perspective about what's really important.''
Ms Steele was one of the women affected by a backlog of breast reconstruction procedures at the Southern District Health Board. Ms Steele's cancer was diagnosed in 2013, and she had her right breast removed. She had been ready for the surgery in 2014, and was initially told she was a good candidate for the procedure, but was then told the board was not ‘‘doing them any more''.
‘‘And that's when we went to the media.''After media coverage of the situation last year, the board gave an undertaking it would clear the backlog.
Her reconstruction operation was at Mercy Hospital, as the board is using the private sector to help clear the list.
Surgical directorate medical director Stephen Packer said 24 patients at the SDHB had had breast reconstruction surgery so far this year. That left 35 patients on the waiting list, but the board was on track to clear the backlog by the end of the year, Mr Packer said.
‘‘The numbers also include patients who have been added to the waiting list while the backlog is cleared and Southern DHB will continue to treat these patients,'' Mr Packer said.
When it gave the undertaking last year, 52 women were waiting for the procedure.
