Thank you everyone for the posts. I am off for my breathing tutorial tomorrow and the planning meeting Wednesday afternoon. I think I am booked to start February 3, I'll find out on Wednesday. After chemo, mastectomy I thought I was handling things well but the radiologist freaked me out a bit with all the possible effects. I did calm down when I realised just how far I have already come. I still have five weeks five days a week radiation then five years of medication but so far so good. The radiologise suggested I go public because there is more flexibility with appointment times. I did ask about dollars but when she suggested public I just went with that.   I am going back to work tomorrow Wednesday and Thursday, just to the professional development days, just for a couple of hours, to see how I go. I need to reconnect with school because I am going stir crazy a home and that thought of not going back this term is such a downer.  I hope to be able to have my radiation in the afternoons. There is a replacement for me a school so I will just buddy teach when I am there and perhaps pick up some cover lessons for absent teachers. Number 1 priority is not to over do it, the transition back to work must be nice and slow, smooth and successful - mentally and emotionally I need that. I will just take it as it comes because as we have all discovered this is a unique experience for each one of us. 

Hi Anne65,
I did ask about Mepitel film but it was not recommended or on offer. I was given QV moisturiser. Perhaps the humidity is an issue. I've done 2 of 16 radiation treatments. I can't complain. The skin is just a bit itchy around an old lumpectomy scar at this stage. Here's hoping my skin will hold up. I love swimming in the sea and intend to continue doing so to cool off my poor breast, as long as I don't get broken skin - I guess.

@BewilderedButHopeful Glad that your planning is going along nicely & you are feeling a little more at ease. Ask about using Mepitel film. i used it throughout treatment & had no burning, redness or skin irritation & you dont have to use any creams throughout  treatment. I did go private so not sure if public offer it or you may have to pay. Good luck & try not to worry...easier said than done. Love & hugs xxxx

I went public for radiation and had no issues at all. I specified no appointments before 9am or after 3pm and they were able to cater for that. I had 20 treatments and the longest I had to wait was 10 minutes on 1 day. Every other day they were on time or early. They also arranged free parking in a special reserved part of the public car park.

My only issue was the breathing. My cancer was in the left breast. I did ok with the practice run with the box on my stomach but started freaking out when it came to the "real" treatment. In the end they took the box off my stomach and just gave me direction. Breathe in a bit, let it out a tiny bit etc. I nailed it doing it that way. 

I was also included on a trial for Strataderm gel so got taken care of really well. 

I don't think I could have received any better treatment by going private.

I was given a quote of 3000 for radiation at a private hospital, the price came down to 1500 and I decided to go public. The team in public hospital told me to wait after Christmas and I told them I prefer treatment before the Xmas holidaly. I am now in my second week of treatment and I would highly recommend the public hospital,   

We had the same wait in private. It's more about letting you rest and recover than anything else.
 You're doing well @BewilderedButHopeful, keep going - and in the meantime enjoy xmas!

Planning appointment today. No problems and the technicians, nurse and doctor were very kind. The only downside of being a public patient is the wait time, more than three weeks before treatment commences - but that might be because of Christmas and New Year, which might also impact private patients. Given QV moisturising cream. The nurse said Moo Goo is too thick and waterproof. Given written info to read at home. Starting to feel less anxious. Still not sleeping well.

I will check in with an update once radiotherapy starts.
I wish everyone a safe, happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year.

As a Radiation Therapist I would never recommend the private system.  In the public it is free, you get to request your appointment time and they try their  absolute best to get it for you. The treatment quality is exactly the same. It breaks my heart to hear of patients that have to take our loans or dip into super etc just to go private. 

I should have been more clear: 18,000 was the total cost of the initial quote for treatment. 7,000 comes from medicare general, 2900 from the medicare safety net, and another 8,000 was the quoted out of pocket. 
We baulked at that. They reassured us that they would "negotiate a deal for us" and it ended up that they charged us around 1500 out of pocket. 
1500 out of pocket is not huge, but on top of everything else its significant. We were sold on the basis that the flexibility would mean that she would be able to be back at work without the radiation therapy impacting too much on her workday. The reality is that she gets to specify a four hour window - exactly the same as the public system. Moreover the admin staff havent been very professional in their communication, particularly around the money, making such a song and dance about how we were getting a really low price, as though we ought to be grateful that they were doing us a favour. 
Speaking to other people, it became apparent that the "special negotiated" out of pocket rate of 1500 seems to be the standard that people pay out of pocket. The whole experience seems exploitative. While the medical staff have been great, I know that the staff and facilities in the public system are just as good. It really did come down to the promised flexibility, of being able 5o have set appointment times and to be in and out within 30 minutes, which in the end didn't exist.
My intention was to recommend the public route.
So it wasnt $18,000 at the end, but I would definitely recommend that people look carefully at the public system. 
 

I am private and radiation with breath hold was $1,500. They happily did a payment plan to spread the cost over several months. Who is quoting $18,000? I have never heard of anything anywhere near that!