Induction session at the oncology treatment centre

We had our induction at the Zita Mary today. That is the oncology treatment centre at Calvary Hospital. It was all pretty uneventful really. The reading materials that we had been given earlier, combined with the consultation with the medical oncologist on Wednesday, had already told us pretty much everything we learnt today.

Still, it was good to see the place and meet some of the people that will be there. The staff were reassuring and stressed that chemotherapy isn't always as bad as the stories that go around. In fact, they said that even over the past five years there have been some significant advancements in management of the side effects and the drugs that are used. Most of the side effects can be treated, so long as we tell them what's going on. Everyone's response is different.

The other thing that happened today was we got the results from Ali's bone scan. It looks to be all clear although there was a small spot of interest in her vertebrae but the report stated it was remote that this could be a metastasis. It's more likely minor damage caused by earlier scoliosis. We'll take the scans to show the medical oncologist (whose name also happens to be Alison) on Monday just in case she wants to look at them.

For those that heard about the, ahem...let's call them frank discussions, that I had been having with our health insurer, they came through and confirmed that they would have covered costs for the mastectomy and reconstruction if we had gone through with it. It seemed that when pushed, they were prepared to accept that the breast reconstruction was not 'cosmetic' and that the fact we increased the level of our cover in April this year was an independent decision, not one based on some secret knowledge of a prior condition.

Some lessons we've learned from this:

• if you think you are right, be prepared to push back
• if you are not sure, find out somehow but don't just rely on the insurers
• where you have something serious to discuss and possibly contentious, talk to real live people, not mystery voices on the telephone hotlines (it's much easier to reach over the counter and grab someone in person)

Anyway, that's about it for today. I think Ali must be feeling OK as she's starting to nag at me for writing such long posts. The next big step will be on Monday with the first chemo treatment.

Bye for now and stay posted for more as we go.

Comments
Just a couple of quick things before I go... thanks for all the comments. Ali enjoys reading them all.

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