Side effects and percentages not disclosed RE radiation

Oh indeed. I'm a public patient...sorry sausage on the conveyor belt...and thinking laterally is not something the "system" seems to be able to do. I had an appointment for my chemo on the Tuesday and was trying to arrange my regular check up with my oncologist on the same day. I don't drive, and getting to and from the hospital was a real mission. I was told that sorry, Dr Whatsit only saw her bowel cancer patients on the Tuesday, and her breast cancer patients on the Wednesday. I couldn't change my chemo day, and asked why I couldn't see her on the Tuesday anyway. It was explained again, that she only saw the bowel cancer folks on the Tuesday and it was then further explained to me that bowel cancer and breast cancer were in different parts of the body!!!! Oh my...I was SO relieved that that anatomical fact was explained to me!! I then asked why, if it was the same doctor, in the same clinic, in the same cubicle, and the patient would sit in the same chair, why would it make a difference where the cancer was. The female on the other side of the phone repeated her rubbish. I'm afraid my sarcastic side came to the fore and I asked her what the situation would be if I had both bowel and breast cancer? Would I have to come in on the Tuesday and see Dr Whatsit and talk about my bum, and then return the following day to discuss by boobs? She said she wasn't sure, she'd have to ask.  God help us all....

Yes, @sandramj  and @ Joannie, the whole system is awful. Quite apart from anything else, over-specialisation means nobody puts together the whole picture, either at the system level or for the individual patient. Will comment more on this in another thread. Meanwhile, I wanted to ask if anyone can clarify something about CAT and PET scans. I thought I'd open up another discussion on this general topic, but I can't seem to find out whether, when you are sent for a CAT scan, you get a PET scan at the same time? They are two different technologies and as far as I can see, the PET scan is much more sensitive. If all you have had is a CAT scan, can you then request a PET scan as well? And who can order one? Your GP, or only your radiation oncologist?

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I went public the whole way through.  Diagnosed on  a Friday.  Surgical apointment within one week.  I could have had the surgery the next week but as I was wanting a lumpectomy if at all possible. we had to keep looking for the primary tumour. 
 I had discovered the lump in the lymph nodes and couldn't find anything in the breast. Two mammograms and 2 ultrasounds couldn't find it.  MRI finally did.   Even the first core biopsy missed and I had to go for a second. So it was four weeks before surgery but that was my choice.

I found the public system was fantastic.  My breast care nurse was waiting for me at every appointment at the hospital.  Every appointment was followed through by her.  The surgeon even rang one of his collegues to come in and do the second core biopsy so we could move along.
  I was referred publically to a local private hospital as I wanted to use the scalp cooler through chemo and did my radiation there as well. They were more than happy to take a public referral.  Cost to me $0.

I have had numerous conversations with people who have gone private and had to pay out thousands of dollars out of their own pocket.  Some health funds class Chemo as an outpatient appointment and don't cover it.  I have one friend who had to reborrow off her house to cover her Chemo treatment. No body that I have spoken to with private cover seems to have had any better care than I did and in fact in mose cases it was not as good.
The public hospitals ask to use your private health cover (they normally pay the excess for you) to raise funds for the hospital to keep providing care.  Government funding just does not go to far these days.

I agree, health care should be free for all.

Hey @sandramj My big gripe is the risks associated with CT scans. I had surgery, chemo, radiation, and targeted therapy. But because of taxol side effects I had 4 CT scans in 3 months. I've had 9 CT scans throughout my entire life. I also had a PET scan and 14 xrays of my port and chest during treatment. Every time I refused a scan or xray they would send a 'senior' doctor in to tell me why they thought I should have it. It was only then they told me the risks. They always made out it was a greater risk not to have the tests than to have them.

Hello Samdramj  It seems I was lucky that I got a leaflet that had most of the side effects listed.  Interestingly my surgeon commented on one visit that he believes the radio leaves more damage than the chemo!!  Personally I think that radio was easier, but they both leave quite a bit of damage.  The potential side effects, I try not to get stuck on them, considering all the treatments, and a lot of the tests list cancer as a side effect.

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Private health insurance is NOT good value for money now at all. I paid $7000 up to time of surgery out of pocket after being in top cover with Medibank Private for 52 years. My thoughts are if I need to go down this track again I’m going public (unless it’s urgent surgery) and paying private rates to public hospital. Surely our public system could do with whatever the health insurance pays private hospitals for our fees. The private health system in Australia is simply a money making business. Ahead of the care factor. I had no breast car nurse, was told the radiation through private company who also ran the public radiation company would be $15,000 out of pockets so I said I’d opt for public and they bartered a cost of $150 per week for 7 payments over & above what Medicare paid.  $1050 vs $15,000!!!  Just because I asked costs. 
I now realise every blood test, MRI, ultra sound, biopsy, scan, bone scan etc I had the “bulk bill” box was just not ticked (even though I’m 67 & a senior pensioner) therefore EVERYTHING had big out of pockets.  
Hence my thought cancer is great for the private sector of the health system. It’s wrong people who are at their most vulnerable are sent to health practitioners who “charge like wounded bills”. Yet these same people work in the public system also.  Why when we have paid $430 a month and have had health insurance for over 50 yrs have to pay exorbitant amounts ON TOP because we’ve already paid over $5000 p a for the so called “C O V E R”. 
Time this was changed!!!  Because I for one will be reviewing my value for money on health insurance and choosing private or saving the $5000 each year and choosing to use public health. 
Not happy Jan.

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Having paid private health insurance since 1974 I would prefer to use it - except for the horrendous out of pocket expenses for which one gets billed.  The big factor is that my mastectomy was done within the 2 weeks where the public system has to goal of being within 4 weeks.  (2 weeks is a lot of extra time to worry !).
Having said that, our local private hospital was on Ambulance By-Pass the day my husband required an emergency hospitalization so he ended up in the public system - but they quickly asked for his private health insurance details so they could claim on it.  Cannot win.
Like others, I reckon we should all be treated equally and there should be no private insurance scheme at all.