My journey on the ‘medical travelator’ began just after my 36th birthday on Friday February 17th, 2006.
I kept a diary of the dates and many stops along the way.
Friday February 17, 2006
Freemasons Hospital: Appointment for Ultra Sound and Mammogram
Brighton Family Doctor’s Clinic: Appointment with GP confirming they had found something abnormal
Monday February 20, 2006
Mercy Breast Clinic: Appointment with Breast Surgeon Suzanne Neil
Mercy Breast Clinic: Biopsy on lump and also corsentinel lymph node biopsy.
Tuesday February 21, 2006
Mercy Breast Clinic: Appointment with Breast Surgeon confirming breast cancer and spread to lymph node that was biopsied.
Wednesday February 22, 2006
Sandringham Hospital: Full Body and Bone Scan
Thursday February 23, 2006
Mercy Private Hospital: Appointment Breast Surgeon
Confirmation that there is no visible spread to other parts of the body.
Friday February 24th, 2006
Epworth Hospital – Appointment with Fertility Specialist – Discussed fertility options. Best option for future pregnancies was to retrieve a wedge of ovary and freeze it.
Monday February 27th, 2006
Epworth Hospital – Day Surgery for retrieval of ovary wedge
Wednesday March 1st, 2006
Mercy Private Hospital: Surgery – Lumpectomy and axillary lymph node dissection
Friday March 3, 2006
Mercy Private Hospital – Post Surgery pathology results, Breast Surgeon confirmed 7 nodes removed, 3 were cancer infected. Still waiting on confirmation whether they will have to proceed with a mastectomy.
Sunday March 5th, 2006
Finally going home
Tuesday March 7th, 2006
Mercy Breast Clinic: Appointment with Breast Surgeon, Suzanne Neil. Confirmation that the DCIS was not significant enough to call it a major risk, so mastectomy was ruled out. Treatment plan was 6 months of chemotherapy, then hormone treatment and radiotherapy.
Mercy Private Hospital: Appointment with Irene nurse-counsellor
Friday March 10th, 2006
Mercy Breast Clinic – Appointment with nurse to have dressing removed and stitches out
Monday March 20th, 2006
Mercy Breast Clinic – Appointment with Oncologist Ross Jennens to discuss chemotherapy regime and side effects.
Monday March 27th, 2006
Monash IVF – Appointment with Dr Lynn Burmeister to discuss Zoladex. A drug that shuts down the ovaries in order to protect them against chemotherapy.
Thursday March 30th, 2006
Malvern Pschyologist – Had my first session with Carol my psychologist, booked in for weekly appointments
Mercy Breast Clinic – Appointment with Breast Surgeon Suzanne Neil final check-up before chemotherapy commences.
Monday April 3rd, 2006
Mercy Private Hospital Day Oncology: First chemotherapy