Moving treatment immediately post surgery to the Royal Cornwall Hospital Truro

Hi Rhona B welcome to the forum and sorry that you have not had a response as yet. Can I suggest that you give the Macmillan Line a call as they may be able to direct you to information about the hospitals that you are asking about. 08088080000. Good luck with whatever you decide to do..Gail x

• Thanks Gail, I'll do that tomorrow.

You could also have a direct conversation with both hospitals.  Starting with your current hospital.  Transferring across health authorities is always tricky.  I transferred from NE London to Guy's hospital.  The former were unhappy but I had a relationship with Guy's.  I knew what I wanted to do. 

Start asking the questions and judge the reactions.

All the best 

Thanks Ricki,  I'll start asking today!

Hi Rhona. Yes, I do! I’m currently undergoing 6 rounds of neo adjuvant chemotherapy for HER2 positive Grade 3 DCC at Treliske. My experience at the Sunrise and Headland centres has so far been very positive. Is there anything you’d particularly like to know? With best wishes x

Thanks AniJ,

I don't think there's anything specific.  I was trying to decide whether to transfer my treatment post op to Truro as we've sold our house in Warwickshire. We didn't want to have to rent up here while I go through chemo and radiotherapy but also didn't want to move without knowing what the experience at Trelisk would be like. My GP in Truro has been very positive about the Mermaid centre and hearing your comment really helps, thank you.

I hope your treatment goes well.

Rhona

Hi Rhona,

The Mermaid Centre really is fantastic, the staff are so kind and my care has been extremely efficient. The Sunrise Centre can get very busy and appointments don’t always run to time, but in the scheme of things that’s really not an issue. The Headland Unit is also very busy, but I cannot rate the staff there highly enough. They’re brilliant. I was absolutely petrified going in for my first round, but they put me completely at ease. The 24hr helpline is second to none. I’ve just spent two days in the assessment unit following my 3rd round and they’ve given me exceptional care. The only down side is the OOH care if you’re unlucky enough to have to go in via the ED. Whilst the staff were amazing, they are extremely pressured. Treliske deals with a huge area and during the summer months, the population increases hugely! 
There is also a Macmillan Centre called The Cove. It’s a lovely place where you can go in for a coffee and a chat and they have a wealth of resources to hand. I hope that helps you a little bit. Happy to help with anything else you may think of if I can. Wishing you all the best with your treatment and your move xx

Thanks Ani, that is so helpful. You have really made me feel I'm making the right decision to move my care. Of course if we add in being by the sea instead of as far away as you can get, it's  a no brainer.

Warwick hospital are now supportive of the move, so it'll be full steam ahead.

Thanks for sharing your experience. If I think of anything specific, I'll ask! x

Hi Ani,

I think you might be nearing the end of your chemo. I hope you're doing ok.

I have now had several appointments at the Mermaid centre and couldn't be happier with my welcome and treatment. Knowing your experience helped me face them calmly. My next milestone is the oncologist appointment on Friday.

I wondered if you can give me an idea of how quickly your chemo started after seeing the oncologist. We are racing towards completion on our house sale and planning would be easier if I had a timeframe.

Rhona.

Hi Rhona,

Lovely to hear from you, I hope you’re doing ok? I assume you have now moved as it would be a bit of a hack from Warwickshire! I hope all went well. I’m pretty sure my chemo started 2 weeks after my initial oncology appointment. They didn’t hang about. I also had an ECG within that time and then a follow up appointment just prior to treatment to take bloods. They are super efficient. I had a picc line put in after my first round, as my veins decided not to play ball, and that was all sorted out for me in house too. Thank you for remembering where I was with my treatment . I was extremely lucky not to have my sixth chemo, as I was really suffering with side effects. The staff on HODA might as well have given me a loyalty card I was in that often!  Thankfully my tumour has been deemed to have shrunk enough to proceed with surgery in September, so  I’m just having the targeted treatment until then.

i hope your meeting with Oncology goes well. They’re a great team (especially the breast oncology nurse specialists). Good luck with your treatment and stay in touch! Might even cross paths one day as it’s a small place! x

Anita x