The Journey Begins

The  waiting is awful. Mine wasn't picked up on a mammogram unfortunately, I found a lump 5 weeks later. This meant I didn't have the fantastic support and experience of the breast screen staff with my ultrasound and biopsy. In fact the radiologist said well we can't  say it is cancer we need to biopsy but I already knew from the looks between the person doing the Ultrasound and the radiology Dr that it was cancer. The original scan report also said it was consistant with this...but I still had to wait 12 days...over Xmas for the result. It was awful...and wasn't  helped that my darling sister in law in this time passed away from endometrial cancer and I was supporting her beloved family...and felt I could tell know one but my husband and his family in QLD. It was actually a relief to get the results as then referrals could be made and the ball got rolling to cut the damn thing out. I went through the RAH public system..my choice...as I wanted a team approach and knew that  these units are often pioneers in new breast cancer treatments. I had to travel 500km for treatment and they were wonderful as they organised  all my scans in one week. I had one more pre appointment and then it was my surgery with reconstruction done 21 days after first consult. I haven't  needed radiotherapy as sentinal nodes are clear and body scans clear but my cancer is stage 1 ...1.9cm total max measurement, Es+ Her2+ grade 3. I therfore am having ACT-H...which is 3 chemos over 5 months and  a targeted therapy for 12 months and will be on an aramotase inhibitor also as through menopause after chemo finished. It sounds awful but each case is unique and the decisions are based on all the info. Aussie survival rates are fabulous and we really are very lucky that decisions here are not made on what the insurance company decides is the cheapest option. May you have your results soon and cobtinue to get great support. Kath x