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Hi Nonsuch
Im being treated in Birmingham also, at City. They have quite large breast care centre and a great BCN team who may be able to get you linked with someone depending on where you are being treated.
Perhaps give them a call via City Hospital main switchboard
hi , i was treated at city hospital birmingham , cannot fault anything about it.. i was recalled from a mommogram, showing no symptoms what so ever, had further mammo,s scans biopsys, and 2x surgery,s ... excellent team .. excellent care... lovely BC nurses..
they have their own one stop breast unit, in the BTC , birmingham treatment centre... its a new building... at the very front of the hospital ... you will be in excellent hands there xx angie
Agreed Angie, lovely team of BCN and Chemo Nurses.
Thanks for getting back to me so quickly.
Libralady, I had no idea you were in the Birmingham area, no trace of accent in your posts (lol).
As it happens I'm on the QE path because of my PCTs establshed links. I can't find any links to a SBBCC though I'm sure one exists...I shall google separately!!
Have either of you had a DIEP flap, and if so, were you advised to buy any particular garments?
Hi nonsuch
No not me, I'm having chemo before my mastectomy in may time so can't help you there but I have seen an active thread in latest posts about this particular surgery.
Yes I will be having my rads at QE.
Had rads originally at the QE (later rads for recurrence at Coventry) although had my surgery and chemo in Redditch - they were both excellent. Mo x
Hi Nonsuch
I had surgery at QE and just started chemo there. Saw the Breast surgeon and now see Onc at south Birmingham BCC which is at front of Birmingham Women's Hospital - just over road from QE. Plastics is in QE and rads will be in cancer centre in old QE. Gets a bit confusing but all staff have been fantastic. BCNs are based in SBBCC.
I had Mx with axillary clearance with tissue expander. Didn't go for immediate reconstruction as need rads so seemed like a good compromise. Now have plenty of time to mull over reconstruction options.
Out of interest - how long does the rads appointment take on average at QE and do they have free parking for rads patients considering its every day?
I can't comment on length of rads appointments libralady because I haven't started yet. I get a parking card for my chemo at the moment so I imagine it will be the same for rads. There's a new multi-storey car park just across the road so very easy to get to. Also all hospital sites are very close to university train station.
the first appointment takes about 1 1/2 hrs .. ths is where you are possitioned and marked for treatment .. on your first visit you will be given a free parking permit .. this allows you 2 park directly oppersit the cancer centre free of charge for your duration of treatment.. you will also be given a tunic to wear for your rads this will come in a bag with your name on it .. you put it back in the bag after each session , and its waiting for you the following day .. its got press studs to open so your not totally nude on top .. the actual rads itself takes just a few mins.. its the re possitioning that takes longer.. as you have to be in exactly the same possition each treatment.. all in all about 20 mins from parking your car, untill finishing .. angie
Hi - just adding my voice to the support for the teams at City Hosp in Birmingham.
I've been with them since diagnosis, through chemo and will be haveing my mx there too in January.
The BCC nurses are great, very understanding and will listen for hours if you need.
Also with regard to car parking at City - don't know if this helps but you can buy a set of 10 car parking passes for £10. These mean that you can park for as long as you need for £1. Given the hours that chemo takes sometimes I have been grateful for this. They sell the sets at the reception desk in the Treatment Centre.
Best of luck to all
Linstar
You might need to get in touch with the BCNs through the Women's Hospital. Try this number: 01216272203. That should be a direct line to the BCNs, or at least to their answerphone, and they're good at getting back. If you have a patient number, leave that with your own phone number, name of the surgeon if you know it and explain the circumstances.
You should get free parking for your rads sessions--I gave them the slip from the machine, and they changed it for a different one to put in on leaving to raise the gate. (I assume rads is still in the old building.)
I hope it all goes well for you.
Hi I am having my reconstruction surgery at Good Hope hospital in Birmingham on thursday. My other surgery MX/WLE and SNE and full clearence was at Solihul hospital. Everyone I have dealt with has been fantastic at both hosptials x