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Angela3's avatar
Angela3
Member
11 years ago

Radiation wait.

Hi, recently diagnosed with breast cancer, IDC and within 2 weeks of the diagnosis I had a lumpectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy at the Mount Hospital in Perth. Fairly good results by the way. I went thru the private system for the surgery but I have opted to go public for the radiation treatment. The earliest Royal Perth Hospital can give me an appointment to see a Radiation oncologist is in the middle of January and then the treatment may start a couple of weeks after then. My concern is that it is along period to wait before having treatment, I thought it may be a 8 week wait max. After surgery. Is this normal or should I be trying to get into the other public hospital here in Perth? Any comments would be appreciated, Angela.
radiotherapy

4 Replies

  • mona63's avatar
    mona63
    Member
    11 years ago
    Petermac had benchmarks which I didn't find reassuring at the time--can't remember what they were I just wanted to start!!! In retrospect...having a break was useful for me and family but would I trade that for asap treatment....probably. The wound site also has to be completely healed too so I'm running out of positives about the waiting period......
  • mona63's avatar
    mona63
    Member
    11 years ago
    Petermac had benchmarks which I didn't find reassuring at the time--can't remember what they were I just wanted to start!!! In retrospect...having a break was useful for me and family but would I trade that for asap treatment....probably. The wound site also has to be completely healed too so I'm running out of positives about the waiting period......
  • mona63's avatar
    mona63
    Member
    11 years ago
    Petermac had benchmarks which I didn't find reassuring at the time--can't remember what they were I just wanted to start!!! In retrospect...having a break was useful for me and family but would I trade that for asap treatment....probably. The wound site also has to be completely healed too so I'm running out of positives about the waiting period......
  • mona63's avatar
    mona63
    Member
    11 years ago
    I've had a similiar experience--- seen by surgeon at private hospital days after my mammagrams.. Operated within two weeks and then the long wait for radiation at a public cancer specialist hospital. So lumpectomy in August 2013 and radiation in October. I found the wait really difficult and switched oncologists at the hospital thinking that would hurry things along-- it didn't it just got me an earlier appt with her. However I wouldn't change it now-- they were balancing other people's needs with mine and now can see that it all worked out and I appreciated having a public specialist component to my private surgeon and private oncologist. I did consider going private at one stage for radiation but would have been a huge hassle in terms of getting ther and instead of taking an hour off work every day for 6 weeks I would have needed 4-5 hours. So convenience for me was really important. Your results being pretty good maybe influencing the wait. For me not having chemo added to my sense of urgency but sometimes time waiting is also time adjusting and recovering. Best wishes