Difficult to organize a biopsy
A week ago I had a CT scan of the chest due to being out of breath. It was thought to be a problem with my lungs though I have no cough and don't smoke. The scan showed a 3.7 cm calcified elongated m...
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I am in Canberra! It took my Mum 1 month to be initially diagnosed, and then another month to start chemotherapy for stage 3, grade 3. Very urgent I would have thought… I have never had any confidence in the medical system and am continually reminded of this unfortunately. Good on you for being proactive! Good luck 🤞
I'm surprised the GP wasn't motivated enough to call them for me and let them know it's urgent. The biopsy is scheduled for 10 a.m. Friday - in two days, in Corrimal, nearly 4 hours' drive from where I live. I can't find the lump myself, at all, and I don't know where it is, but hope it's not too far from the surface.
Illawarrian​ .... both you and your Mum should have been assigned a Breast Care Nurse (probably McGrath, possibly your Surgeon's) ... who should be able to help organise & even attend appointments with yourself and/or your Mum. Are you both living in NSW, regional areas?
When my husband was diagnosed with stomach cancer in 2010, the surgeon's Nurse sat in on all our early appointments & assisted with bookings etc. It was a HUGE relief.
Sadly, you GP just wouldn't have the time to do this for you.
Formymum​ You SHOULD be covered by ACT's Patient Assistance Scheme - tho not sure how it works if you have to go outside you 'nominated' area! ....
You have up to 12 months to apply to most of them for reimbursement of both fuel and accommodation ... so don't worry about it right now ... you just need to get there & get it DONE .....
Take care, ladies & all the best. xxI'm going to look into the N.S.W. scheme. My mother's cancer was in the early 1990s so there might not have been breast care nurses. Quite frankly the doctors in my small town seem to only be interested in serving in a regional area in order to obtain permanent residency. Everyone says they seem to have no interest in individual patients, they don't remember anything about our medications or conditions when we visit them and we all have trouble understanding them and making ourselves understood. When the doctor received the report about a breast lump, she really didn't say much about it, and certainly didn't suggest a biopsy. I had to suggest it myself and ask for a referral. She didn't offer to assist me by calling imaging centres to try and get an early appointment for me. We have six overseas trained doctors for a town of 2,000 people plus a thousand or so farmers living nearby. As a tradesman said to me, "We have to research and find out what we've got, go to the doctor and tell them what it is and then ask for the correct medication. Which we've also had to research." The female doctor I am seeing who's the best of a bad bunch, didn't even offer to examine me and try to find out where the lump is situated. She said she doesn't know how to read CT scans.
Sadly, Illawarrian​ - this is the ACTUAL TRUTH of living in regional/rural & even worse, remote areas of Australia.
Your GP doesn't NEED to read CT scans - that's what the REPORT is for ... ask for EVERY copy of every scan/report and blood test - so you have your own copy.
Give our helpline here a bell tomorrow ...1800 500 258 ... they may be able to help guide you ....
The honest truth is that most of us living in 'towns/cities' more than 100k+ of a major capital city take it (their access to diagnosis/treatment within a day) or so all for granted.
But for those of us living in regional/rural/remote towns, where we have to wait WEEKS even for an appointment with a GP KNOW just how hard it is to access 'acceptable' medical treatment within an 'acceptable' time frame. :(
Keep being proactive - ring them, demand an appt .... be that squeaky door that needs oiling ......
take care, buddy xx
