Newbie

Sorry to hear about your bc diagnosis but welcome to this network.It's a great place to come for support and information or just to vent. It is a shock at first and sometimes it doesn''t  sink in or feel real until you wake up after surgery. It can hit us in all different kinds of ways and at different times.I've had breast cancer twice(in the same breast) and the first time I got the news(2003) I was an anxious,blubbering mess.The second time(2010) I was quite ok with the bad news.I was so brave throughout the body scans and surgery that I surprized myself. Then it was the small thing of signing the chemo consent form that made me come undone -blubbering mess again! I guess what I'm saying is - you can't always predict how you'll react during  this crap journey. With regards to private and public hospitals, not all surgeons work at both. If your surgeon does then you can elect to go public with the hosp.but private with the surgeon of your choice.This is cheaper than going private hosp and private surgeon.If you go public with both then you might not get your surgeon doing the actual operation.You will have to check with your health fund and your surgeon on Monday. Once you have a lumpectomy and probably sentinal node removal you will find out if the margin was clear and if the nodes were clear.This might take days or a week to find out. Some women have to go back for full node clearance if cancer cells were found in the first node. The waiting and unknown are the hardest parts.The pathology of your cancer and whether any nodes have cancer cells will then determine your treatment.You will have to have radiation if you have a lumpectomy but you may or may not need chemo.Your surgeon will refer you to an oncologist and/or a radiation oncologist AFTER your surgery.Try not to think too far ahead,just get through the surgery. Have you ordered"my journey"kit from this network?Do so because it has all the info you will need and it's free.I hope I've answered some of your questions but ask anything - bound to be someone here who can help.We are either going through treatment or,like me, finished the journey.You are not alone here. Sending hugs,Tonya xx