Hi Everyone thank you so much for the kind words and advice.
By a miracle I got into to see the oncologist I wanted (and my surgeon recommended in the public system) yesterday - on Thursday the clinic staff (and I understand they are under a lot of pressure) said no she wasn't available and that I would be seeing the old professor (who turns out was retiring - which they didn't tell me) and that the oncologist I wanted to see wasn't a breast specialist (which again isn't true - found out after I rang my surgeon to report what was going on). So Thursday was a very black day. I ranted and raved and cried finally to let it all out (not at the staff, in the car by myself) .
By some miracle on Friday morning the clinic rang back and said that my preferred oncologist would take me on and could I come in at 12. You're right about the oncologist appointment being overwhelming, my god! So looks like I'm up for 6-8 rounds of chemo - every 2 weeks for the first 4 and then every week for the last part. The tumour is bigger at the moment - which the Dr thinks because I've had a core biopsy (with significant swelling and bruising) followed up a week later with the chip implant (ouch!!!!) which has left it swollen. - it can't have doubled in size in a week!
On Monday I have to have my lymph node biopsied (again triple ouch as they can't put local anaesthetic in the site) - the Dr couldn't understand why this wasn't done in the original biopsy but c'est la vie. Also getting a breast MR - the Dr was amazing and convinced the imaging specialist it had to be done before Christmas (he was not happy and could hear him yelling on the phone). The $600 out of pocket for that is a huge hit and I have very kind family who are going to pay for it. Being a single parent isn't always the easiest and especially when illness is involved. I'm lucky that my daughter will be with her father this year for Christmas so she won't have to accompany me to all these appointments.
So my next couple of weeks look like this - 24th breast MR/node biopsy, 27th bone scan and CT, 31st followup appt with Dr and then likely start 2 or 3 Jan. I am going to ask for the cold cap although the Dr said it likely wouldn't work as they are going to hit it hard in the first 2 rounds. She recommended I get my hair cut short asap (try finding a hair dresser who isn't 1. manically busy and 2. open between Christmas and New Years). I've got collar bone thick hair and a very round face - I'm hoping I won't end up looking like Bert Newton :) - particularly as I have a friend's wedding on 2 Feb. But alas that's not what is important, wellness is. Sorry I jest when overwhelmed.
I am attempting to make the most of the next week and enjoy myself as know the road ahead is going to be bumpy. I have started using the term Namaste - I'm not any religion or particularly involved in yoga but when I read what it means it seems really appropriate.
Namaste :smile:
