Thank goodness I staying in HBF.  i was going to cancel at $204 per fortnight and we didnt really use it. I arrived at The Mount and had my clinic appointment where the Nurse told me what was going to happen before and afterwards.  She was very friendly and made up relaxed.  She said the surgeon needs me to have another chest xray before the operation and handed me the form.  She told me the imaging place is on the next level...i stopped and thought about this.... I am not admitted yet, therefore I am an out patient and HBF will not cover the xray.  I asked if I can have the xray after I am admitted, and she said yes.  Phew.... saved some money there.   I then went to admissions for 10am, paid the $250 excess on HBF and was admitted. I was taken up to the ward, it was a bit scarey when I realised my bed was in ICU.  My mind was soon put to rest.  The bed i am in is the overflow bed for the Wandoo Ward, after my operation I will be moved.  A bit inconvenient, as when I get a visitor they have to ask the Nurse to let them in, as the ICU doors are always closed.   There was a family in the ICU lounges, obviosly visitors of a patient, they were very weepy, it was very sad to see.   The nurse came and weighed me again, and put my bands on and went through the standard questions with me.   I did not think it right for me to get into my jammies, so left my clothes on.  I wasnt sick.  The nurses kept asking if I needed anything, but each time i let them know, after the op I will need them, before I am fine, and they are busy, I can find things for myself.   I was taken across to xray, the this only took a few minutes, then back on the ward.  The surgeon came to see me, as did the gas man, I changed into my jammies, and the heparin infusing drip was inserted.  It would stay in my arm until 9am the next morning.   That night in hospital I needed some sleeping tablets, I was very anxious.  My husband came back up that night, as did my daughters and son, my other son was on the rig working, and cannot visit until next week.   I had no appatite for dinner when it arrived, but  later on my husband went and got me some KFC, (a walk into the city, up to William St, thent he 950 bus back to the hospital).  It was late when he left, I could tell he was sad, but didnt want to show it.  Everyone, including me, was sad, but didnt want to show it.   I cried each time they all left, did they cry when they left too?   Parking was available around the hospital, and a City of Perth Car Park accross the road.  Access to and from the Freeways was also close.   My operation was to be at 12 noon tomorrow, a heart patient was to be first off the rank.   I fell asleep that night staring out the window on the lights of the BHP and Rio Tinto Buildings in the city.  Watching the lights on different floors turn off and on, wondering who was in there so late.  Beats counting sheep,!!   ... View more

 I received an appointment letter to see the Lung Surgeon on the 8th of May, Finally!! This appointment was then rescheduled to the 22nd May, I hate waiting. This appointment was then rescheduled to the 29th May.   There are only 3 surgeons in WA that do this operation.  My surgeon has not done one for a while as usually when the Lung Cancer is discovered, it has spread, and the operation cannot be performed.   He looked at the dates that the Cancer was found, and commented that I should of seen him straight away!! If the cancer has spread, he cannot operate and will just sew me back up.   He told me 1 out of 10 people can be operated on, and I am very lucky for it to of been accidently found. He said my results from the respirotory clinic were good, I was 53 and otherwise healthy, so he will operate, and remove the lobe of the lung with the cancer, and the infected lymph node.  He will also put the camera back down to see if anything has spread.   He will open me up under my right arm and cut to the back, he will the open my ribs and work on the lung. He was very positive.   I then had to see the Nurse to book me in for the operation. She said I cannot have it done at FSH until 24th July!!! Your kidding right!!! I then told her I have HBF, she saw the doctor, and he said he can operate on me on 7th June at The Mount.  All booked in, i must go to the hospital on the 6th, so they can give me a heparin infusing.  I will come off the warfarin, and he can control the blood through the drip.   Very anxious now, I am going in hospital in a week and a half, he is taking some of my lung.   Because of the time, what if it has spread, and he cant operate. what if something goes wrong, and I dont wake up after the op.   I was scared before, but now I am petrified.   I let everyone know the date, I am positive, I will fight this, and I will win. My husband looks really stressed, I have never seen him like this before. We need to talk. I try talking about 'if somethig happens.....' but he just says nothing will happen. I like to be prepared just in case. ... View more

While waiting for the appointment letter for the lung surgeon, I receive an appointment letter for the Breast Clinic at Fiona Stanley Hospital.   How did I get an appointment there? I went, this is great, now my lung and breasts will be done at the same place, that is if anything is on the breast. SKG seem to think so.  They said I need a biopsy on both breasts.   I attended the clinic, I explain to them that I already had the ultrasound and mamogram a few weeks ago, I have a copy of the letter from SKG.   They request the images from SKG to be emailed.  What should of took 10 mins took them about 1 and  1/2 hours.   The doctor decided she wanted to to an ultra sound on me, and did. Doctor said there is nothing there at all. Also, the PET scan I had for the Lung Cancer would of  showed up radio active blobs in my breasts.   Thanks you SKG for all the worry, and thank you Fiona Stanley Hospital for telling me my breasts are fine.   I went to work the next day smiling and telling people i have healthy breasts!!!  Some thought I was going crazy, but those that knew, were happy for me.   I only have the lung worry about.   Rang the family and told them.  We are all so relieved. ... View more

At the moment work knows, as I have many appointments, my husband, two close friends and my two girls.  Its confirmed, so now I need to tell everyone.   After seeing the doctor, we head up to Mam and Dads house. I txt my sister to let her know I was going, and i was going to tell them the bad news. I had mentioned to my sister weeks ago I may have cancer, when they picked it up at the local hospital in the chest xray, but had'nt talked to her since.  I was absent minded, i should not of told her in a txt.   We arrive at the house, and I am prepared, and will not cry.  Dad comes walking along the path to meet up, I break down, the tears flow, i  cant talk.  I manage to tell Dad to come inside so I can tell them both at the same time.   They both sit and listen while I tell them from the beginning, Mam interupting and saying ohh its you heart, I say no, and tell her about the breasts, she says ohhh its your breasts, I say no, and by now she is concerned, I tell them I have lung cancer.   My sister walked in the door, she had been crying, Mam was crying, Dad was holding back the tears and so was my husband.   We talked about everything, and how i was due to see the surgeon and have an operation.   We talked about the chain of events, no symptoms, all i needed was a medical certificate for work, but because of a faulty ECG Printer, they discover I have lung cancer.  Breasts still need to be  checked.   I could tell they were being strong for me, and I was being strong for them. Inside we were all guttered.   We went home, my youngest daugher told her brothers for me. Everyone is going to be strong.   On Mothers day all the kids and Mam and Dad came over, we talked about it, but I dont think they are as strong as they say.  is it they wont cry around me, as they dont want to make me sad.  They can cry if they need to, I cry, but only when I  am alone or with my husband.   Why is he not showing any emotion? Does he think I am going to die?  I need him to talk about this. Its not a maybe you have cancer, its You have cancer, the big C   But I am one of the luck ones, they can removed it.   At work no one tip toes around me, they know i have cancer, and they are very supportive.  There are a few that pretend they dont know, so they dont have to mention it, as they dont know what to say.   Please talk to me about cancer, I have lung cancer and I am scared stiff.   I start to look at my faith as a Catholic, I dont go to church anymore, but I still believe there is a heaven, and a hell.  My husband tells me there is nothing there, we just die.  He needs to realise I need faith in what i have been taught, that there is something on ther side.  I have cancer, if I do die, I want to know my family are on the other side waiting for me.   I need my husband to open up, is he as scared as me, or is he treating it like its just the flu, and I will get over it.  I dont like him being quiet, he needs to talk, we need to talk. ... View more

The last week was terrible.  I didnt want to get out of bed at all. Some days I stayed in my pj's all day. Most days I cried. Some days I managed to get myself into work, some days I worked from home.   My alarm went off at 4.30am.  I had to be on the 5.50 train to Murdoch, then I would get a connecting bus to the hospital.   I was given a gown, and a bed, and the nurse went through the procedure with me. The gas man came to visit me again, and he told me how luck I was, as usually by the time lung cancer is discovered it has spread.  Very rarely can it be removed.   It was about noon when they wheeled me to theatre.  I had to drink some horrible liquid and cough at the same time. Apparently that will numb the throat.  Next think I know I was waking up in the day ward.   A nurse asked if I was from Mongolia.  I am from England, how could that be mixed up!   I had to eat before I could leave the hospital, the nurse kept telling me to eat.  They brought me ham and cheese sandwiches, i dont eat cheese. I ate the bread, drank the tea, got dressed, and was discharged.   In the car I read the notes, malignant nodule, lymph gland infected, other nodules appear but not malignant.   Well i have lung cancer all I need is for the doctor to formally tell me. I have been talking about it since the beginning, so I wont get all teary.  I dont think I have anymore tears in me.   I tell my husband not to come, but he insists.   I have to wait for the appointment to arrive in the mail. I have cancer, now I need to know what they will do and when. ... View more

Finally, the postman brought my letter of appointment from the Lung Clinic at Fiona Stanley Hospital 18th April I had the PET Scan.   I caught the train up to FSH and to the clinic at 9am. I had been fasting since midnight.  i dont usually eat breakfast, but because I wasnt allowed to eat on this occassion I was starving.   Walking past the coffee shop, I could see people with no hair, people with scarves covering their head, and I found myself staring, (which i dont usually do), I realised that could be me soon.    The PET Scan was explained to me  this way -- i have no food/sugar in my system as i was fasting, mallignant cancer like sugar, therefore radio active sugar syrup will be injected into my body.  And the cancer cells will grab more of the syrup than the healthy cells, and it will show as a radio active blob, therefore thats how they know if it is mallignant.   I had to lie in a room for 40 minutes.  I could not read, play a game on my phone, i had to keep very still. I fell asleep, as the nurse had to wake me for the injection.   When injecting the radio active syrup, she did this from the passage way.  There was a hole in the wall with a tube, this tube then travelled through to the canula in my arm.  Once injected, I had to lie still until I have the scan.   I was told I was radio active for the next few hours, and if I see pregnant people, to stay away from them.   The PET Scan machine looked similar to the CT Scanner. One of the nurses took me in there, and the radiologist asked me a few questions, then the scan was completed.   I had about an hour before my next appointment at the Respiritory Clince at 1.30, so went and had Subway as I was starving.  And my husband has arrived to be with me. I cry.   My breathing was good, I have strong lungs, not sure what this appointment was in aid of, but I passed.   Straight into my next appointment with the Lung Clinic, he has the results from the PET scan. He shows them on the computer screen to me and my husband.  He shows how the throat is clear, and the rest of the body is clear, apart from the right lung.  It has radio active glows, I have a 4cm (its has grown) nodule, and the lymph node is cancerous.  Mallignant.   I hold back the tears and ask the doctor the questions.  Why are my breasts not radio active? I show him the notes from the SKG Scan saying I need a biopsy on both.  Doctor shrugs, nothing there is mallignant.   Okay, I will work on my breasts later, I have malignant lung cancer. Everything is happening too fast.   Doctor books me in for a procedure where they put the camera down my throat, and take a sample of the tissue.   He wants me in hospital in a few days, Tuesday after Easter is over. I fill in the paper work, and I am sent to the anaesthetist, and he explains what he will be doing in the procedure. The nurse weighs me and measures my height. (I seem to have gained 3 kilos since being weighed for my PET Scan this morning, and grown 3 centermeters.)   I then have to go to pathology, and have my bloods tested, quite a wait here.   I make the pharmacy just before they close, I need to use claxane instead of warfarin before the procedure.  If i stop the warfarin, my blood will clot, so if i stick a needle of claxane in my belly each night it will stop it clotting.  My belly will be bruised.   Driving home, I realised I had spent all day at FSH.  I have lung cancer, still iffy on the breasts. I cry and stare out the window as my husband drives home. Why isnt he crying?   I need to try and focus on camping this weekend. What if this is my last camping trip. What if I am not around next summer.   I help pack the car. ... View more

I went to see the GP 5th April and he had my results from SKG Imaging, they were not good.   He tells me I need a biopsy on both breasts. He tells me that I should have it done at SKG St John of God, where I had the ultra sound and the mamogram.  Great, I wont be an inpatient, so my HBF wont cover the cost.  I will need to claim of Medicare and pay the difference.   Do I get my breasts sorted first or do I get my lung sorted?  If i go for the breast biopsy and it is mallignant and I need an operation, then wont this delay the treatment of the lung.   Maybe non of the cancer is malignant. Maybe I am dreaming, and this isnt real, I am not sick, but I have cancer in my breasts and lungs.   I decided to get my lung seen to first.   I cannot focus, I can for a while then I get weepy as the thought of Cancer comes into my head.   Spent most of the weekend in Bed crying, feeling sorry for myself. I hate waiting, I keep watching the letter box. ... View more

While waiting for the hospital to give me an appointment with the Lung Clinic, I asked my GP for a referral for a mamagram and ultra sound on my breasts.     I have no lumps, I have no discharge, no symptoms of breast cancer,  but the Xray and the CT Scan showed something in both breasts.   After ringing around for an appointment it was going to take 3 weeks before I could be seen.  I cant wait 3 weeks, what if the mass grows.   I am in HBF so I decided to make an appointment with SKG at St John of God in Murdoch, they could get me in the next day.  However, as I was not an inpatient, HBF will not cover the cost.  I sent the bill to Medicare, and it worked out the gap I needed to pay was about $190.   Thoughts of the mamagram still brings tears to my eyes! My poor breasts were squashed and poked and squashed again.  I was so pleased when this was over.   Then they did the ultra sound, that hurt too, but not as much.   I was just about to get changed and leave, when I was told I needed to go back in for another mamogram!!  Then another ultra sound!! This time the doctor came and did the ultra sound, they must of found something.   I went home miserable, lung cancer and breast cancer, (and I dont have any lumps, discharge etc)   No letter from the Lung Clinic yet.   I carry on as normal, the body knows what to do, the mind is somewhere else.  I feel numb.   At this stage only my girls and my husband know about this.  Work has also been told, as I will be requiring leave to attend appointments,   If I have breast cancer, I will have both removed, and then concerntrate on the lung cancer. What if it has spread and its all over, what if I am going to die?   I always though this happens to 'other people', it appears I am now the 'other people'   ... View more

In the past I have had no major health issues, apart from having a TIA (mini stroke) 2 years ago, at the age of 51, which I recovered from.  Tests showed I had  antiphospholipid syndrome, (my blood forms little clusters) and therefore need to stay on Warfarin for the rest of my life.   I took Thursday 28th of March off work as I had felt I was coming down with a cold. On the Friday morning I figured  I would take this day off sick also and rest up.  I decided to go and see my GP and get a Medical Certificate for work.  I wouldnt normally do this, but for some reason I did.   My GP gave me a medical certificate, but he wanted to connect me to the ECG Machine to make sure everything esle was okay.  He doesnt usually do this.  However, he did not realise that the printer on the machine was malfunctioning.  It gave an irregular reading, and he sent me to hospital for a second opinion.     My GP had faxed the hospital, so they were expecting me.  He had also told them that I had previously had a mini stroke, and he was worried the irregular reading from the ECG may be something more sinister and for them to check.   The local hospital checked my heart, it was fine (by now my GP had been told the printer was faulty), they also checked my INR level for my warfarin dose, that was fine.   They also decided that they would do a chest xray, and keep me in hospital over night for observation.   They came to my bed that night and told me I have a mass on both breasts and a mass on the right lung. I was virtually told I may have breast cancer and lung cancer.   The next morning I was still in shock, the doctor took the canula out of my arm, and said I can go home.  But I will need to make appointment for a CT scan of my chest.   Just as I was about to leave the hospital, the doctor returned, and told me he had liaised with the City Hospital, and they advised I need to have the CT Scan before they discharge me, as it could take weeks to get an appointment as an out patient. Doctor then had to put in another canula as fluid would be injected into me. He said it is unusual for the City Hospital to ring and say they must do it now.   After the CT Scan the doctor told me I have a nodule on my right lung which is about 3cm and also a lymph node in my lung which looks irregular, and the masses on be breasts which will need to be looked at with an ultra sound and a mammogram at a later date.   My case was referred to the Fast Track Lung Clinic at the major hospital.   My world was turned upside down. I didnt know if it was benign or mallignant, all I knew was I had cancer.     ... View more