Radiation after lumpectomy

@Sister  Thinking of you for your chemo treatment ..... all the best .... make sure you drink lots of fluids afterwards  -  it is supposed to help 'flush it out of your system quicker' (from memory when my husband did it back in 2010!)  I used to call it the 'good poison' .... (sounds weird, but that's my understanding of it - hitting ALL fast growing cells - which the so cancer often is.)  xx

@Anne65 SO sorry to hear of you losing your  Mum so young - what a blow, not only for you but your Dad & other siblings .... all the best for your continuing treatment xx  Stay Strong!

I am still waiting to hear from the Rad Dept re my treatment.... with my luck, they'll want me there mid week when I am at another appt in Sydney!  :neutral:     or Thurs/Fri when tied up too!  :( If it is early NEXT week, I'll be happy as!!

cheers & all the best, ladies xx

I think the St Andrews event is around October and held at Prince Alfred’s college-it provides all sorts of information about available resources in the community plus is a fundraiser I think.

Here is a flyer for one 

https://www.bcna.org.au/media/3950/abc-day-invite-2016.pdf

Thanks @Anne65.  I didn't hear about any event at St Andrews but no doubt will at some stage.

@Sister Thinking of you for tomorrow & the rest of your treatment. I can't imagine how you must be feeling. You have been through the wars. It is a bubble between treatments, just waiting for your name to be called up again for the next round. I had such a good result after surgery & then they were on the fence with rad & now i am going ahead with it & now this gene test has put a spanner in the works! As far as your famiy goes with the gene test, they told me to get as much info about my family history as possible by talking to family & even getting a copy of pathology tests if able. As for those who have passed away, they said they can go back through medical records & see test results so don't worry too much if you haven't got any info. I got a copy of my mother's death certificate & it said on there what type of cancer she had & for how long so i gave them a copy of that. You're right, when you haven't had exposure to cancer, you really don't know much about the type but we soon learn when we are in the middle of it. I am sure they will do the testing for you at some stage so keep reminding them that you want it. It was my idea to have mine done & then the rad onc made the appt for me. My thoughts & prayers are with you for tomorrow. Stay strong & positive & think of it as a step closer to getting rid of this disease. I would love to meet you at an SA event & I know the nurse at St Andrews gave me an invite to an event happening later this year so wouldn't it be nice to meet all the SA survivors & think back over what we have overcome. Hang in there sister & know we are all here supporting you. Hugs  xx

@primek Thanks for that info, very helpful. It is a lottery & I too, will be in tears if the news comes back negative. I will see if the rest of my famiy qualify for the test & then there will be tears all round if we all come up with a negative result! It is a game of chance & you just hope each time you are on the right side. thanks again for your help & advice & i'll let you know my result which should be in around 2 weeks! xx

I’ve been on the waiting list at the GOld Coast University Hospital for the BRAC1 gene test but as it’s now free for those of us diagnosed with breast cancer, wonder if it can be ordered by GP at normal facilities. With a daughter and two sons and six grandchildren I’d like to know ASAP. 
Hubbie & I had gone the saliva gene test years ago for cancer society as no one in our immediate family had ever had cancer. When mine was diagnosed I advised them and so I’m wondering if they could do the testing (friending how long they keep the results etc). 
Very interesting all the new findings on cancer so often these days. I just hope the scientists and researchers can find a cure that’s much less traumatic than radiation and chemotherapy.  

@Anne65  I  think they would only revisit if another family member popped up with cancer. But keep reading about breast cancer and when a new gene is identified you can contact them and discuss if it's worth checking for it. 

As to the gene...it's a lotto. I can't tell you how happy I was to find both my full blood brother and sister where gene negative too...which probably means my Dad didn't inherited the faulty BRAC1 gene. The relief that my children and my  niece and her children were safe in that  respect brought tears. It meant we could just move on without fear and just keep being vigilent with out health.

Your results letter will list which genes were checked so store somewhere safe and you can recheck which ones you were checked for . 

@primek You are certainly the one to get advice from for gene testing as your family has had too much to deal with for this disease. So, now that I have had the test, do they keep checking my gene sample if new genes are discovered or do I have to request it? It would be like having a guardian angel over us testing our blood as new advancements are made! If I am positive, my sister & probably nieces will get checked. I would hate to "give" them my bad gene & would feel guilty even though I can't do anything about it. I guess in a way it is good if they know now so they can get checked early. Our famly is very close & it would break my heart to see any of them go through this. Could they be tested even if i am negative because of my cancer & my mum passing away with ovarian cancer? Your sister's mum had a long battle & she has certanly taught you how to live your life. What a courageous women she must have been & you are too, with what you have been through. My mum died at 46 y.o. & i was only 4 so i don't remember her at all. On her death certificate it says that she battled for 6 1/2 yrs so she too, was a fighter so i have to be one too! All the women on this forum give us valuable lessons & helps us to deal with the cards we are dealt. There are some brave women out there & their advice helps put things into perspective!  xx

Who knows what understanding around genetics is going to emerge in the future?  It would be worth having the genetics mapped just to have on hand.  With my sister's cancer, I have no idea what type it was (never knew there was a type) let alone if it could have been genetically linked.  @Anne65 I start chemo on Monday and feeling quiet anxious about it.  It feels like being in a bubble in between treatments but I need to take the next step.

Yes @Anne65 . Our family tree is mapped now and if others unfortunately get diagnosed it's added and all looked at again. My niece was rechecked for a new gene I heard about after I asked them if it causes ovarian cancer as well. It didn't but wasn't around at time of her testing...so they checked that  out.  She is 14 years cancer free now after have 10 positive nodes. We both had same surgery. My sister, her mother isn't with us now, but she managed stage IV cancer for 10 years. She taught us to not  give up against the odds and pack life into all that you do.