Newly diagnosed - private or public

Hi ladies,
sorry it took me a little while to return. My appointment with the surgeon went as expected. He did an ultrasound in his rooms and believes my lymph nodes to look normal. At this stage they are telling me grade 3 stage 2. He advised a lumpectomy appeared possible but that I could consider a mastectomy, he advised genetic testing to assist with the decision. Personally I cannot imagine finding a lump again after going through everything, I think that would be very traumatic and all my life I have had lumps. I think I want a mastectomy…..
in any case, I have time to think about it. Being TNBC, I will have chemo first for 3-6 months (I’ll know more on this tomorrow when I see the oncologist).
I have a PET scan scheduled this afternoon.
on the private vs public query. I am seeing an oncologist tomorrow who works in both and am going to suggest public for the chemo at least, assuming they can get things moving quickly enough, it sounds like the public system will offer me everything I need.
I’m feeling good 😊. The thought of cancer is pretty all consuming but I don’t have a doubt that I’m strong enough and will get through this. 

Hi there @NikkiJ6, I thought it might be useful for you to hear about my public experience even though I am in Victoria. I do have private insurance, so I am a private patient in a public hospital. It doesn't really give me any privilege, other than allowing me to specify my doctors, but the hospital gets extra money this way. I have to say that being treated in a public hospital has been terrific most of the time - really good expertise, timely responses most of the time and I have not paid a cent except for medication. In terms of where you are at now, your initial surgery would need to be done within 3-4 weeks (as someone above has specified). However, the wait may come when it is time for reconstruction, unless you can have any reconstruction done at the same time as lumpectomy/mastectomy (this may not be possible for medical reasons). I waited about 18 months for my reconstruction. Good luck with your decision!

Best wishes for your appointment @NikkiJ6.  Good to take someone to your appointment as there is much you will hear and sometimes it is hard to remember everything and process all the information. Thinking of you.

Thanks @arpie 

@NikkiJ6 you may have seen my private message earlier about joining groups. Just let me know if I can help further. 

@NikkiJ6. All the best for your appt tomorrow... try and take a trusted buddy with you as extra ears and consider recording the meeting on your phone.

 @Mez_BCNA @Carissa_BCNA .. can you help Nikki join the groups please?  Maybe a Triple Neg group would be a good idea too? 

Take care

Thanks ladies,
such very helpful info. I can’t seem to join any of the groups. Not sure why, I keep getting an error message.
I had a call from my gp today who told me my cancer is triple negative, Invasive non specific type. She also said it was high grade. She said the report was more in depth than that and that it has also been sent to the specialist for tomorrows appointment. All of that means little to me. I guess I will learn more tomorrow. At the moment I feel like I have a sever case of butterflies in my stomach!

Hi @NikkiJ6 

Here is a link to the Optimal Care Pathway, which goes through the optimal process from when diagnosed and throughout treatment. It will hopefully give you an idea about timelines. Feel free to refer to this document when meeting with your treating team. All the best for Tuesday. https://www.cancervic.org.au/downloads/health-professionals/ocp/CC%20QRG%20Breast%202021.pdf

@NikkiJ6

Like many others I went private for my surgery, just to get it done asap, but I had PHI so that helped.

 I did however go public for both my Chemo and Rads and the only out of pockets were some medications around the chemo, steroids and post chemo injection (can't remember the name) .  So very little cost to me.

I think the treatment in the public was great, couldn't fault it on either chemo or radiation.  I was very lucky in that the treatment centre was next door to where I worked, so they booked me in for late in afternoon for my radiation and I went to work as normal each day and just left early to complete my treatment. 

It isn't a case of all one way or the other.  

Best of luck with your appt next week. 

Hi @NikkiJ6 - Welcome to the forum - but sorry to see you join our exclusive club - it is a massive shock to the system to get the diagnosis (as we all know.)

You might like to join the Young Women's Group .... you can discuss everything there in total privacy.

Re Private vs public - I went private for the surgery just to 'get it done asap' as my story started in the Oct/Nov & the diagnosis wasn't til early Jan the following year - and as you know, the waiting really SUCKS!  Many surgeons work in both systems .... so ask the different wait times if you go private vs public with them.

I went public for my radiation & paid nothing.  I cannot fault it here in NSW (rural) and I've seen my Specialist Rad Onc every time (I've never seen 'randoms') which has been very comforting.   My ongoing Medical Oncologist is also on the Public System (and was recommended to me by my Rad Onc) and she is VERY caring & I pay nothing.   She is also my husband's Onc (who is on palliative chemo) and as we went private with him, (less travel) so we pay $110 per consult (of which a portion is reimbursed by medicare) and whilst the chemo is free, the meds/tablets aren't (god only knows why!) but that is a minuscule cost compared to the convenience of not having to travel 1/2hr+ to the appts, if we'd chosen to go public.

Most I've spoken to who've gone Public have also been seen & treated in a timely fashion too ..... tho a few weeks may seem a lifetime, as you wait!  

Going Private 'can be' very expensive.  I was out of pocket about $7000+ .... even having to pay a $500 pathology bill that for some reason wasn't even covered by Medicare .....  So when comparing the two - ask the surgeon if he is 'no gap' (and also the anaesthetist! ) They should actually give you a written quote. 

My girlfriend on the Sunshine Coast is very happy with her treatment under the public system in Qld - including a hip replacement and follow up physio & ongoing hydropool exercise etc, following mets to her hip.  

Try & take a buddy with you to all your appointments as an extra set of ears and support, as it is easy to miss things at the time.  I also recorded all my early appointments too on my phone, so I could go over them again later, for the same reason.  Write down any questions that you, so you can tick them off as you ask them.  Better still, print off 2 copies & give the surgeon one, so HE can go thru them all too!  I do this on EVERY appt with hubby's consults.

It sounds like you are pretty busy just now with the house painting etc - try & keep busy doing stuff you enjoy, to take your mind off the appts .... once you have a surgery date, you'll be relieved & once you've had your surgery, you will just feel SO much better knowing it is 'out' .... I know I was!

Feel free to jump onto this thread to see some 'other areas' that we have in the forum that may be of interest to you - we love seeing everyone's pets, gardens, art & craft - and we even have some funny bits for a giggle when we need them!  Start from Page 1 on the Friday Funnies - there are some BEAUTIES! 
There's also a link to what to take to hospital with you & a link to tick lists re questions to ask of your Medical Team.  
https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/23477/a-big-welcome-to-all-our-new-members#latest

Take care & all the best for your Appt on Tues xx

iserbrown said:

https://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/discussion/21454/gold-coast-support-page-and-group


This may help - you will find them on the internet 

Wonderful thank you 😊