OMG its so expensive!

sue2194
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Re: OMG its so expensive!

Postby sue2194 » Thu Sep 20, 2012 3:55 pm

Hi Sammy,

Yes have just trawled through all of that to find the info had been repeated at the end. Yes I will definitely be there, even thinking about staying close by as Mona Vale is a good hours drive from Randwick. Then I could have a wine or two and just chill. That will depend on whether DH is still unemployed or not. Keep your fingers crossed.

PM me and I will pass on my numbers, if you would like to chat about the surgery recovery etc.
Sue

Dx 6.7.10 ILC Grade 2 Lumpect, no clear margins, LB Mastectomy, 3/16 nodes+ ER/PR+/HER- rads x25, Arimidex. Tram flap recon 20.8.12 with oopherectomy

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Sammy
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Re: OMG its so expensive!

Postby Sammy » Thu Sep 20, 2012 3:12 pm

OK now Sue, we definitely have to talk! I want to know all about the aftermath.

Are you coming to the get together on 20 October? Its actually in Sydney this year so you really should...

Look under gatherings in the members area.
Dx 11/2/11 RBMx clear margins 21/2/11 ANC 16/3/11 1 x node +ve. Not multifocal, unstaged.
-IDC 25mm gr 3 ER-, PR-, HER2+,
-ILC 16mm gr2 ER+, PR+, HER2-, infiltrating subtypes allover
13/4/11: 4 x AC, 4 x T + rads + herceptin + femera

Dec 2012 LBMx, bilat tram LCIS
Dec 2013 Lymphoedema R arm

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Re: OMG its so expensive!

Postby Janette » Thu Sep 20, 2012 2:52 pm

Sue,
That's great to hear. Makes it all worthwhile. :hugs:
Janette


sue2194
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Re: OMG its so expensive!

Postby sue2194 » Thu Sep 20, 2012 2:20 pm

Hi Sammy

Yes that sounds exactly right. She is so worth the wait, the results are fantastic!!!
I am now 4.5 week post surgery and doing really well. The scarring on my boob is so fine, have seen other peoples that were 3 months old & didnt look as good as mine.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPPPPPPYYYYYYYYYY !!!!!!!!!!
Sue

Dx 6.7.10 ILC Grade 2 Lumpect, no clear margins, LB Mastectomy, 3/16 nodes+ ER/PR+/HER- rads x25, Arimidex. Tram flap recon 20.8.12 with oopherectomy

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Re: OMG its so expensive!

Postby Sammy » Wed Sep 19, 2012 2:49 pm

Good luck to you Jenn, your surgery is now just over a week away! I'm sure it will all go well. I will be thinking of you next Friday.

Sue, I have a sneaking suspicion we have the same plastic surgeon! Does her first name start with M? Is she in her fifties? Is she almost impossible to get an appointment with?

I'm so glad you were pleased with the results....
Dx 11/2/11 RBMx clear margins 21/2/11 ANC 16/3/11 1 x node +ve. Not multifocal, unstaged.
-IDC 25mm gr 3 ER-, PR-, HER2+,
-ILC 16mm gr2 ER+, PR+, HER2-, infiltrating subtypes allover
13/4/11: 4 x AC, 4 x T + rads + herceptin + femera

Dec 2012 LBMx, bilat tram LCIS
Dec 2013 Lymphoedema R arm

sue2194
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Re: OMG its so expensive!

Postby sue2194 » Tue Sep 11, 2012 7:03 pm

Hi Sammy,

I had a unilateral tram with unilateral reduction and oopherectomy just 3 weeks ago,YAY!!!!

Although it was huge and really not something to be undertaken lightly, I am thrilled with the results. My female recon surgeon from St leonards has done an amazing job on the scarred mess I was left with after a lumpectomy, skin sparing mastectomy and 25x rads, which left me with open infected wounds. Ultimately the expander had to be removed, and the again open wounds took 3 months of daily dressings to finally heal. So as you can imagine it was a truly horrible mess and not something I wanted to be confronted with daily, for the rest of my life. I had always been the booby girl with a great clevage.

I didnt have really high expectations as I had been warned with that much scarring things would be difficult and the incision would have to be higher than my surgeon would normally be happy with as the tissue was soooo damaged.

But I have to say " The girls" look great and even though its really early days the scar lines are so fine. I really am THRILLED and so glad something has gone right for a change. My surgeon is Fantastic I would happily recommend to anyone, she calls the tram "The Goddess" operation and though I may not be a goddess... more like patch work Barbie, .... the boobs are perky and the tummy flat.... no muffin top for me. Its been the only up on this roller coaster ride.

I really dont have a total cost yet, recon surgeons gap is $5242.60, the gynea gap will be $1215.00, there was a vascular surgeon and the aneasthetist and I heard mention of an assistant surgeon, though I think they usually bulk bill.... least I hope so. So really I am not expecting much change from $15000.00. We always planned this would go on the mortgage... although when we made this plan & even when I was in hospital, DH was employed and now sadly he is not... that wasn't on the schedule. Hopefully he will find something amazing REALLY FAST. Even with all that extra pressure I am so glad I did it, and so is hubby, its made such a difference to how I feel about myself. I finally feel like I am on the way back to the old Sue. The bubbly happy one, who always found the fun and joy and didnt worry too much... I can wear some of my old clothes that showed a little clevage and this year I may even wear a bikini, and I havent done that for 20 plus years.

SO GO FOR IT ... IS HARD, IT HURTS, ITS EXPENSIVE..... BUT ITS SOOOOO WORTH IT.

PM if you like & I will give you my number and we can chat if you like. I will post pics soon too.

Dont forget in all of your estimates you will not be able to work for about 6 weeks.
Sue

Dx 6.7.10 ILC Grade 2 Lumpect, no clear margins, LB Mastectomy, 3/16 nodes+ ER/PR+/HER- rads x25, Arimidex. Tram flap recon 20.8.12 with oopherectomy

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Re: OMG its so expensive!

Postby Jennt28 » Tue Sep 04, 2012 11:16 pm

Sammy, I am scheduled for a bilateral mastectomy with immediate free TRAM recon on the 28th of this month. Out of pocket quotes put it at around $14,000 for the breast surgeon. plastic surgeon and anaesthetist.

The day I opened the quote I felt ill...

Jenn
Diag: 01/12/11, ER+ PR+ Her2+, 20mm, Grade 3, 1/1 node positive
Surgery: Lumpectomy in Dec 2011, CT/bone scan clear
Tx start 12/1/2012: 3xFEC, 12xTaxol, Herceptin till March 2013
Surgery: BMX with free TRAM in Sep 2012, 1/1 node negative
Me: 47, wife, mother, work full-time...

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Re: OMG its so expensive!

Postby Janette » Tue Aug 21, 2012 8:21 pm

You do deserve it Sammy. Hope it all goes well. :hugs:
Janette




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Re: OMG its so expensive!

Postby Sammy » Tue Aug 21, 2012 5:17 pm

Thanks, ladies, for all your encouraging replies.

My surgeon's quote only includes surgery, hospital visits and office visits for up to 6 weeks after the op. Later adjustments and nipples will be extra.

But you know what? I think you all are right. I'm just going to go ahead with it. I think I deserve it.
Dx 11/2/11 RBMx clear margins 21/2/11 ANC 16/3/11 1 x node +ve. Not multifocal, unstaged.
-IDC 25mm gr 3 ER-, PR-, HER2+,
-ILC 16mm gr2 ER+, PR+, HER2-, infiltrating subtypes allover
13/4/11: 4 x AC, 4 x T + rads + herceptin + femera

Dec 2012 LBMx, bilat tram LCIS
Dec 2013 Lymphoedema R arm

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Re: OMG its so expensive!

Postby JudyB » Mon Aug 20, 2012 12:22 am

You are not being selfish at all. I was prepared for the big quote as Schoolteacher had already been here and told me what hers was, mine was even higher than that though and one thing you must remember is that the anaesthetist's bill is not part of the quote. My anaesthetist ended up costing me $5500!!!! That was well over my quote but probably because the operation took a lot longer than the quote was for.

My quote did cover everything else though apart from the tattoo which I could easily have lived without. I never got a bill from the anaesthetist for the follow up surgery so am guessing that it must have been included in the first bill too, either that or I slipped through a crack somewhere. I'm not going to go chasing it........

I was very lucky in the end that my parents gave me $10K to pay for it. My mother's words were "we couldn't do anything about the cancer but we can help you with this." Even so I would still have scrounged the money up somehow. I am very very glad that I had the surgery and I think it has gone a long way towards helping me feel more like my old self. There are times now that I can forget that I ever had the mastectomy. It's not perfect but I don't have to worry about stuffing my bra with something. I have a cleavage and can wear low cut tops again and I don't need to worry about bending over and flashing a scar and a rubber boob.

Sometimes I do wonder if I would have been so generous with my husband if he were in a similar situation but never has he made me feel bad for spending that money. He had already arranged a loan from his work before my mother gave me that money. He didn't really want me to have the op because it worried him, he was happy with how I looked (well not happy but he wasn't disgusted or anything) but he also understood that I really wanted it and he was happy to have us spend the money.

I wonder too whether I should have gone public but I think I am glad I went private. I really wanted the surgeon that I had the quote from and I think anyone else would have been hard pressed to come up to his standards in my eyes. I know that my husband felt a lot better about the whole thing knowing who my surgeon was going to be. I was very happy too that I only had to wait less than a month for the surgery once I decided that yes we would go ahead with it.

Best of luck with your decision but do not ever feel guilty. You didn't ask to get cancer and you didn't ask to have your breast taken away. I think we deserve to do whatever we have to to make us feel more like our pre cancer being.
DX Sep 09, LB mast with axillary diss. Grd 2 Ductal Carc. 50mm diam. Margins clear. 1/13 nodes. OR+ PR+, HER2- . FEC x 3, Taxotere x 3, RADS x 30, Tamoxifen, DIEP reconstruction April 2011, Femara 2013, Oophorectomy 2013.

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Re: OMG its so expensive!

Postby Skettie » Sun Aug 19, 2012 2:45 pm

Not selfish as at Sammy. To me it's the last piece of the puzzle, important for mental health.
I'm getting a bank loan to pay for mine.

Wish there was an easier way for you though, like we need more stress in our lives! :hugs:

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Re: OMG its so expensive!

Postby The new girl » Sun Aug 19, 2012 1:05 pm

:wave: go for it sammy,put yourself first nothing wrong with that :wink: ......Rosa

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Re: OMG its so expensive!

Postby schoolteacher » Sun Aug 19, 2012 8:59 am

No you are not being selfish. You didn't choose to have BC. And you shouldn't have to live with the results if you don't want to.
I was horrified and distressed when given my quote. We had planned a new kitchen for sometime and I wasn't prepared to forgo that for breast recon. My choice. DH said we would manage somehow if that's what I wanted. I chose to wait and go public so that took just over 18 months.
We all make decisions based on our circumstances at the time. It would be great if BC patients were offered lower rates by PSurgeons as we didn't choose our situation :hugs:

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Re: OMG its so expensive!

Postby jezza » Sat Aug 18, 2012 9:34 pm

No ....you are not being selfish but maybe your medical team are. You may have to pay that in the end but as Sue says its always worthwhile to ask questions.

If you have the time just check with receptionists...health funds etc. say that you're really struggling with costs....sometimes they can make suggestions to help you.

Good luck

jezza
Dx Jan. 1992 9mm Grade 3 IDC node neg. LB mast. Prophylactic RB mast. 6 months later. No chemo. No rads. Saline implants. 22 years NED. (No Evidence of Disease)

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Re: OMG its so expensive!

Postby SueM44 » Sat Aug 18, 2012 7:51 pm

Hi Sammy
I too got a shock with the out of pocket expenses.
We were infront by alot in our mortgage so I asked and got a redraw. The bank was great I told them the story and the didnt charge me redraw fees. Just sent me a cheque.
It is worth raising costs with ps receptionist. I did last time when I had my exchange surgery and she was able to help me out, with things like ringing the several anaestheasists they use and book one who would bulk bill because I was a bc patient- its definately worth asking. I was reluctant at the time but glad I did.

In my opinion having a reconstruction and wanting a good outcome is not selfish at all. As wives, mothers, partners and friends we can put ourselves last, I didnt in this case and Im glad I didnt.

:hugs: Good luck with your decision.
Sue :)
dx Jan 2010 7mm IDC Grade 2. ER+ PR+ HER- had WLE and SNB in Jan followed by 30 rads. Hysterectomy May 2010. Genetic testing revealed BRCA 2 September 2010
Bilateral Mastectomy & Immediate Reconstruction Nov 2011


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