Sorry to see you join our select little group, @GorgyS - hopefully we'll be able to smooth out some of the road-bumps for you xx. It can seem like a bit of a train wreck to start off with ....
Feel free to check out this thread too, about the forum in general, what to take to hospital with you & even 'self assessment' tick sheets .... make sure you take a trusted buddy with you to all your 'early' appointments, as an extra set of ears & support, as it is easy to miss stuff .... and consider recording the appointments too, so you can go over them later, in the peace & quiet of your own home xx
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/23477/a-big-welcome-to-all-our-new-members#latestHave you been assigned a Breast Care Nurse (either from your surgeon or McGrath?) They may be able to answer the more medical questions ... I am guessing that after your surgery, your pathology may identify a more specific type of BC .... and only after the pathology is 'in' .... your surgeon will let you know what your 'game plan' is xx.
Having said that .... I've found a Melbourne based booklet on No Special Type (NST) Breast Cancer that you may like to check out :
https://www.melbournebreastcancersurgery.com.au/wp-content/themes/ypo-theme/pdf/invasive-ductal-carcinoma-4th-july.pdfAnd from the same mob - (that also mentions NST) - how to understand your pathology report ... the treatment appears to be the same as the 'known' types of BC - relative to the breast tissue pathology.
https://www.melbournebreastcancersurgery.com.au/your-pathology-report-including-breast-cancer-subtypes.htmlTry not to get too ahead of yourself tho - and yes, googling stuff can be plain SCARY .... and a lot of info is either outdated (I only try to look at stuff from the last 5 years) and a lot of it is not even relevant to your own diagnosis either, so it can be very confusing ..... Trust in your medical team - they will be doing their utmost to get the best outcome for you xx
Keep yourself as busy as you can leading up to your surgery - maybe cook some of your favourite meals & freeze them so you have 'what you like' after you come home. If anyone offers to 'do stuff' for you - mow the lawn, do the gardening, walking the pets ..... say YES PLEASE!! You may also be surprised (amongst family & friends) as to who steps up to the plate for you, & who lets you down a bit ....
Some people just don't know WHAT to say - so they say NOTHING - which is quite hurtful. :(
take care, throw up any questions that you have xx. All the best for next week
