Member: InkPetal | BCNA Online Network

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Re: Elective preventative mastectomy advice?
mum2jj said: If you can find an understanding surgeon who agrees with your reasoning them I’m fairly certain you can claim it from Medicare. That’s amazing! I never even entertained the idea that Medicate might be so on the pulse it could actually cover something like that. I’d love to hear and see all your stories x
4 years ago Place Surgery
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Re: Elective preventative mastectomy advice?
Zoffiel said: Interesting, isn't it? In the past, the cohort who have actively fought for the right to have their tits lopped off are, or have been, considered extremists. Those who go to extraordinarily lengths to delay what may be the inevitable seem to have the full support of the medical community. You do you. As you do. BTW, I still wear the Night Howls tee. Honestly. And especially when people get it young? With family history? Excuse me - I’m almost guaranteed to get this again, aren’t I. Why in heck are you putting me through this yeet about 1/3 of your breat rubbish. Unbelievable. Oh my gosh Night Howls!! That brings back memories …here I am with midnight approaching still wondering why I’m so tired all the time haha nowadays it’s just because there’s too much to do!
4 years ago Place Surgery
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Re: Elective preventative mastectomy advice?
Exactly and precisely this. Seems like the kind of decision a patient should have. AllyJay said: But noooo...ohhh you must have this treatment, but you can't have the other potential killer removed,
4 years ago Place Surgery
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Elective preventative mastectomy advice?
Every single day since my wide-excision I have resented my oncologists choices to deny me a double mastectomy, and for my five year survivorship I plan to treat myself to correcting it. The surgery I had left me with permanent pain, and after becoming pregnant, which I wasn’t sure was possible, my other breast grew over a full cup size. There are no bra solutions. And I lost the baby just at the end of the first trimester. I’m left more uncomfortable on a daily basis than I’ve ever been in my life. I don’t have a love-hate relationship with my breasts, they are uncomfortable both to see and touch. This exposition is more for the purposes of illustrating that I don’t take this decision lightly and is not purely out of that life long survivor’s anxiety of recurrence, and I know that it won’t be covered by Medicare. My question is, where do I go? I don’t want to come out of the surgery as a purely medical exercise, I’d like a somewhat smooth chest. Does anyone know a surgeon in Sydney who offers mastectomy and - I suppose ‘sculpting’? I don’t need or want new fake breasts or nipples, I just do not want to come out of the surgery only to recover with new alien lumps and folds to get used to. Thank you in advance for any input and guidance!
4 years ago Place Surgery
breast-surgery
double-mastectomy
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Re: Creative Corner!
I've started working on the colouring pages for Lifehouse again... it's only been a year since they had a new one. :'( I feel like such a failure all the time. At least I'm getting back to it. This time it's kittens :3
7 years ago Place Creative corner
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Re: Sleep
arpie said: @InkPetal - I wonder if our thyroid has a part in our lack of sleep? Maybe we all should get our thyroid levels checked at our next blood test? Great suggestion, but I've had it checked so often it's become silly. I think my GP is convinced I have a thyroid issue that just isn't showing up in my blood work. Boo
7 years ago Place Living with breast cancer
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Re: IVF hormone positive
Thanks for the tag-in Prim. Hello @youngdogmum, Yes! I was placed on Letrozole. In my consultation with the service I felt it was a very understood and established practice for breast cancer patients through the IVF process. Do you have some concerns? Ask anything at all.
7 years ago Place General
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Re: Creative Corner!
I didn't draw a single colouring page over the course of 2018. This. Must. Change. I've started doing sketches if I'm out having a private coffee break - so, rarely. I need some encouragement and inspiration. What's got you really juiced-up creatively lately?
7 years ago Place Creative corner
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Re: Ideas for podcast for those just diagnosed
kezmusc said: I think one of the things I would have liked to have had at the beginning was a feeling of more control. You get swept along so fast that sometimes you think you have no choice, you just have to go with what is recommended. It's all so scary, your overwhelmed with information and fear. This. Honestly dedicate as much time as you can to the psychology of it all. How you're likely to feel, how you can cope with those feelings, recommend seeking help and opening dialogues. Give out the reassurance that questions aren't rude. That what happens to you ultimately is your own choice and help people not to feel so powerless. I didn't tell anyone about my diagnosis outside of immediate family who weren't equipped to talk with me about it for at least a month, and I wasn't even on the forum yet. I was just - alone. Even though family were present at my consults, I didn't get the treatment I wanted, because I thought what I wanted it didn't matter. I would have liked someone to just talk me through any of it. I didn't google or youtube anything because I'd been advised not to, and if there'd been a link to something like this in the handbook it would have been such a comfort.
7 years ago Place News and events
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Sleep
"We know that as many as 6 in 10 cancer survivors have problems of insomnia, which is up to three times the rate found in the general population." @SoldierCrab pointed out the Survivorship Center and I found this leaflet in their resources: Can-Sleep making night time sleep problems go away from the Peter MacCallum Cancer Center. It's got a lot of very straight forward information as a starting point, but I want to hear what you've found that has helped you, and how you have handled 'the vicious cycle of sleep deprivation' if you've experienced it. I have felt fatigued, lethargic, and overall exhausted since it all started, and when it all finished (in that it-never-finishes way) I was left feeling not much better. I spent an entire year spending days and sometimes weeks as hit by fog, poor memory, physical weakness, and even nausea as hard as if treatment was starting again. For me this is a BIG issue. I'm sure I've posted and asked questions about it before, but all the conventional 'tricks' don't seem to cut it. No caffeine even eight hours before bed, exercise, cut out screen time and cut back on sugar? Done. [Tosess around for three hours and stares at the ceiling in the darkness for another hour doing the most mundane mind-calming exercises] Okay, cool, when does the sleep happen. Oh hey it's 6AM, guess I'll get up. [Fast asleep on the couch by 2, awake by 5, goes to bed at 10PM, wakes up at 3AM] This is better I guess, I'll stay awake all day and get a really good sleep tonight! [Falls asleep at 9AM] ...Damn it! What actually works?
7 years ago Place Living with breast cancer
Fatigue
side-effects
sleep
survivorship
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Young women & breast cancer
This group is for young women affected by breast cancer. In the context of breast cancer treatment, ‘young’ usually refers to women who are pre-menopausal. Here, you can connect with others who understand the unique challenges that come with a diagnosis at a younger age. We talk about things like fertility, pregnancy, early menopause, ovarian suppression, relationships, and the emotional impact of treatment and recovery. Whether you're newly diagnosed or further along in your journey, this is a safe space to ask questions, share experiences, and support one another. You are not alone during this uncertain and overwhelming time.
Choosing breast reconstruction
PRIVATE GROUP. Choosing breast reconstruction after single or double mastectomy can feel overwhelming, and deeply personal. This group is here to connect you through others' stories and images. Please respect everyone’s privacy—do not copy or share content outside this space. Information is based on personal experience and is not medical advice; always consult your healthcare team for guidance. ⚠️CONTENT WARNING⚠️ Members may share photos of breast surgeries. These images or discussions may be distressing or triggering for some. If you need support, please contact the BCNA Helpline - we are here for you.

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