Do I stay or do I go?
Not your average post. Originally a backpacker from the UK, been in Aus 5 years and have moved onto a work sponsorship visa with my employer. I live in a very remote area and it is a 4 hour flight to my nearest 'treatment centre'. Two weeks ago it was confirmed (via biopsy) that in my left breast I have a 2mm invasive mass, and 10cm of non invasive DCIS. I had a contrast mamo and PET scan (no result yet) and scheduled for an MRI on the 6th June, and appointment with the surgeon to discuss options on the 10th June. My breast dr said the surgeon will recommend a mastectomy due to the large area of DCIS. Possibly chemo, radio and hormone therapy. They are also talking about what I want to do with my eggs. I am so scared, and I am not sleeping. I am only 34 years old without children. I don't know what to do, do I stay here in Australia and undergo the treatment recommended and stay near the hospital with the mother of a friend (who has also had breast cancer and has said she is more than happy to support me through required treatment). I love my life here that I have built over the past 5 years, and I love my job. I am scared I will lose my job with the next few months of treatment coming up (very little can be done remotely), my visa is tied to my job. I may get deported mid way through treatment? I dont know? I know I should speak to an immigration lawyer but I am already inundated with administration from cancer. My family back home are very supportive and will support whichever decision I make. They and I am also wary of the health care system back at home (which isn't in great shape). If I go home, I will take all my diagnosis letters and scans, but I will still have to start this process again from the start and basically be told twice I have cancer and they want to chop my breast off. I wont be able to get a job due to appointments and treatment, and wont be entitled to benefits as I haven't paid tax in my home country for 5 years. Its not just cancer anymore, I am not scared of the cancer as such as my whole life here being ripped away from under my feet. Sorry for the long post. I just don't know what to do for the best. Either way, I need to stay here until I have the full picture and know what the surgeon wants to do.
Newly diagnosed, WLX / Lumpectomy - What's next ...
I had my routine MG at BreastScreen in mid-Nov 2022, and got called back to do further MG, US and biopsy after 2 weeks. On 8/12/2022 got told I'd got breast cancer ER+, PR+, HER2 pending. BreastScreen had also arranged my initial Oncology appointment in the public sector in a week time, and told me that my surgery would likely be in early Jan. Everything happening so fast, surgery for WLX (lumpectomy) and SLNB (3 nodes) was done on 5/1/2023. And result got back in 2 week time. It is breast cancer NST (15mm), Stage 1, Grade 2, -ve on all sentinel nodes, ER+/PR+/HER2-. In the post surgery visit, the registrar told me that I will have radiotherapy and hormone therapy. As for chemo, he told me that although it is HER2- and -ve on sentinel nodes, all the cases he'd seen for my age group would also have chemo. I'm thankful that all my treatment so far seems to be in a timely manner although I'm in the public system. But at the same time it's kind of in the dark and I can only see and make one or two weeks plan as I would have no idea when my next treatment starts, and for how long. My first radiation oncology appointment will be tomorrow and I still have not much clues in what should I ask. The medical oncology one is in March. So I guess, in between time I'll be occupied by radiotherapy. It always puzzle me that I hadn't do any CT / PET scan to check if any cancer got to other part of my body. Should I rely on the -ve sentinel nodes result? Or is it the public practice that they won't do the CT / PET scan if sentinel nodes are clear? Or should I ask for it? Who should I have it check out with? Although I've got told that my case is handled by the multidisciplinary team, but I only get to see each specialist one at a time, when one specialist had finished his/her work then move on to the next.