Forum Discussion
Waiting to set up surgery feels worse than purgatory
Hi all. My mum was diagnosed with breast cancer last week. Stage 1, grade 1, 8mm lump, oestrogen and progesterone positive, HER2-equivalent. The clinic told us to wait while they organise for a consul...
Thank you for sharing your experience @arpie. Would you say that the two and a half month wait advanced your cancer at all, or do you reckon it ultimately didn’t make a difference? I’d hate to think that the hospital would make my mum wait two months for surgery. The suspense and knowledge that the cancer could be worsening and spreading over such a long period of time would kill me.arpie said:So Sorry to hear of your Mum's diagnosis @mericelle - it is good that you are going to be good support for her! It is good that it is early stages & fairly small .... those things are in her favour.
The 'wait time' varies on so many different things - are you rural? That alone can impact things (maybe if you pop your Mum's city/town name in your profile, local members may be able to point you to specific agencies that may help her further down the track?)
I am rural & my lump was found in early Nov 2 years ago. By the time I had the extra mammogram & ultrasound (the mammogram 4 months earlier didn't 'find' the lump!) and then the Biopsy - it was after Xmas. Then the wait for the results for the Biopsy - it was Jan 5 before it came back positive - and of course all the surgeons were still on their Xmas break! So I finally saw a surgeon in Sydney in mid Jan & had the surgery (lumpectomy) 2 days later, and only in overnight. Mine was maybe a tad bigger than your Mum's - and I was AMAZED at how 'good' I felt after the surgery! The pain or discomfort wasn't 'massive' - just make sure she takes the painkillers as advised .... there is no point being 'stoic', when in pain!
The waiting really mucks with your brain more than anything else - I suggest that you both keep REALLY BUSY doing what you love doing (I just went fishing every day! LOL)
All the best - I hope you get a 'surgery game plan' soon - then it all depends on the pathology after the surgery as to what the next steps are.
take care xxx