As many of you are aware I'm now living at my little house in North West Victoria. Today marks the end of the first week here and it's gone incredibly quickly. I'll be honest and say apart from unpacking I've mostly just allowed myself to rest. I was really exhausted by the lead up to the move as well as the move itself. It's also been really hot here.

Now that most rooms are unpacked I want to start working on the outside of the house, clearing away any long grass and tumble weeds. A lot of them have blown away but I need to clear more each day I suspect if I want to keep them from piling up. I'll need to mow in stages, the front part of the house is fine - I mowed that last visit but the rest will be done in order of priority.

My first inside job is to attach panelling to the laundry room wall to block the cat from escaping. It's only a temporary fix but it will mean I don't have to worry about her until I'm ready to fix that part properly.

I also want to cover a couple of floor holes in the back part of the house. Fixing the subfloor is the next job my son-in-law will be helping me with but he's busy replacing his own kitchen at the moment so it will probably be a while before he's available.

So I recently started velocity banking. My balance has never looked so healthy. Yes it will dwindle as I go through and have expenses come out, but it's so motivating. I'm tracking every cent I spend to make sure I don't go over budget.

As my aircon has died and the best quote I could get was $1700 which is a fair bit better than the $3150 I started with, I've got to tackle this next. I need to do 2 bigger drives before the repair can be done and I'm already not coping in the heat. It's gone from 'push through with the windows down' to 'getting sun burnt and a major headache'. I have a lil fan but it's only a 5% help.

I've had my gutter maintenance done (now when it rains I can breathe easy) and after some 'creative' budgeting, I've worked out how to pay for my car repair. It does mean using my buy now pay later card, reducing my expenses this pay period to bare bones, just exisiting levels haha and needing to make up about $300 in expenses by June, but it's doable.

I tried to see the bank but there isn't anything they can do. He told me not to even bother applying for a balance transfer on my cc. I left feeling angry as he'd wasted so much of my time because he double booked himself and just left me waiting in reception for ages. I'll be moving my home loan to a different provider when my fixed rate ends next year. I get my finances are not his fault but he was just so rude. Ok mini vent over. I'm definitely tackling this debt between now and then. He told me come back when two are clear. I'll clear two and then go and see my original mortgage broker, at least he was kind and compassionate.

Right, expenses till pay day…I've got enough food for me and the pups to get be through to next pay other than some fruit and veg. I've given myself $37 for misc. expenses like a coffee out when I visit the office. It could also be used for extra food or petrol etc. it's my 'bugger forgot to budget that' category. I spent $2 today buying some rice crackers to use up my dip and cheese on hand. I also grabbed a tin of home brand baked beans to put over mini baked potatoes and on crackers or toast.

I'm going to try mixing honey and sriracha to make sweet chilli sauce to go with my last few wedges and sour cream. Substitutions were on my top 3 list from the grocery challenge.

My next goal is to use the food inventory lists to make a meal idea lists. Just gotta now count down the days till payday (plus 2 extra to allow funds to clear to my credit card). Booking the car in today so I can start crossing off days till it's repaired. I've never succeeded at a challenge like this but I don't have a choice. I guess it's funny what we can do when we really have no choice.

Despite having to dip $850 more into debt for a short time, I'm feeling in control of my finances for once.

Thanks for everyone's support and comments on my blog posts :0)

I've decided I won't be getting the aircon fixed in my car, I'm going to try and tackle more of my debt and just 'make do' with some sort of usb fan and cooling bandana type thing. I was outside cleaning my gutters today after it rained. I didn't realise how much they had filled up - water was spilling from the sides and top which is really bad. With so much more rain expected in the next few weeks, I can't wait for my tree to stop shedding.
I'm now classing this as an emergency expense (I'm doing my best to clear them myself a little at a time using tongs and a lil step ladder, but I'm no substitute for a professional who can get up there). I'll shop around and have it paid back in 2 pays.

I've been looking online at the different debt payment methods and came across one I haven't tried before.
It sure has some mixed reviews but for the most part, I can see how it might help me - I figure I'll give it 3 months and if I don't see a big improvement, I can switch to the snowball method again.

I'm going to try something called Velocity Banking. Using my credit card, I'm aiming to pay the first half of it off in 6 months by basically paying all my funds onto it except my debt, one dog groomer I pay in cash and my hairdresser who also gets paid in cash. Then as the amount owing will be less, I'll pay less interest and more of my money will be going off my debt.

Since my problem areas are my groceries for me and the pups (this is where I normally overspend), I discovered Aldi has gift cards, as does my local pet store and I also shop at Coles and Woolworths who also do them. So I can keep money on the credit card longer, I'll just buy these each pay so I am not tempted to just swipe any old purchase at the checkout. Apparently if I stick to 7/11 at least half of the time they also do gift cards for petrol. Not always the cheapest but in my area, not usually too far off and again it might be worth it for the budget aspect. I also checked and I can pay my water and rates quarterly when the bill comes in - meaning I'll pay less interest over time. A small % hit at payment time but the money saves me more on my credit card interest as 1/2 my card is $14% the other half is 9%.

The most important thing is for me to stick to my budget. I'll be tracking every purchase I make that's not a direct debit.
I'm purposely trying to just not buy anything I don't need. I combined the dog and grocery budget too. I get so much of it at the same time as my own food, it was so hard to track.

I'm currently enjoying a bonus $50 from my boss at work as a thank you for covering them. I dutifully put my $32 of my grocery money onto my credit card and spent the last of my grocery money today buy 2 lots of mince that was on sale (pups), some olive oil spray, vitamin gummies and sugar free zooper doopers (I have lots in my lil stockpile but less than $4 is a great price).

I'm going to rotate my petrol tomorrow too (I keep a lil on hand for tough pay weeks) and I will top that up next pay. That money is already on my CC.
As my title suggests, even with Murphy visiting, I'm just reminding myself I can do this and this time next year I'll be in a much better position. Might even be able to look at getting that new car (with aircon) haha

at 10am, after a diagnostic period lasting 11 months, I begin chemotherapy.

[This is long. Coffee and a cut lunch may be needed.]

Chemo and 2 targeted treatments will be given for 12 months. Probably in February, treatment will pause for the removal of a breast and some lymph nodes. Radiation will round out the treatment.

The cancers are breast cancer and Paget's Disease of the breast. The breast cancer is invasive. The tumour and nipple cancer is aggressive (Her2+). All 4 quadrants of the breast have cancer and pre-cancerous activity. The tumour is 2.5cm long. Cancer has reached one lymph node under my arm. It is classified as Stage 3 cancer.

I didn't feel a lump, and hadn't undertaken a routine BreastScreen.

In April 2023, I noticed a crust on my nipple.

Thinking it was a dermatitis, I applied moisturiser (Neutrogena Norwegian formula hand cream - it fixes everything, right?). I applied it day and night for 4 months with no change.

By August 2023, the nipple cracked and leaked. The leakage would dry onto my bra or shirt. When I removed my clothing, it would rip open my nipple.

This happened for two weeks. On a Monday in August, the moment I woke and opened my eyes, I immediately had a thought: could these be symptoms of breast cancer?

I scurried to my computer to google, as you do, and yes!, they could indeed be symptoms of breast cancer. I kind of knew ...

It was very early in the morning, but my son came out. He had just turned 17. He asked me what was wrong. I said, "I think I have symptoms of breast cancer." We both burst into tears.

Later that morning, I phoned BreastScreen ACT to book a mammogram. Because I had symptoms, they wouldn't see me, advising me that I required a Diagnostic Mammogram. Something told me that was going to be expensive. How little I knew about the costs ahead.

I was seeing my doctor on the Wednesday that week for iron infusions. I asked for a referral, and was able to make an appointment at an I-med diagnostic clinic for that Friday. It was my birthday.

I-med insisted that I would also need an ultrasound.

I had always been terrified of having a mammogram, and burst into tears the moment I walked in. The technician was incredibly gentle with my body and my soul. She was able to completely avoid the painful nipple area. My nipple was visibly disintegrating and houses many many nerve endings. The tech showed her supervisor the images, and returned to do more. I knew; I just knew.

The ultrasound tech had to run the transducer probe over the nipple again and again and again. It was torture. He was lovely, and apologised, giving as much verbal comfort as he could. I asked him if he thought there was cancer. He said that there were two areas of concern.

A week later, the two areas were biopsied. The technician's bedside manner was unacceptable and the procedures were painful. It was a gun biopsy, and he didn't warn me about the loud sound or violent vibration. I felt frayed. A few days later, my GP received the report "non-cancerous calcification". So, no cancer. Hmmm.

GP started me on 3 lots of antibiotics over the course of a couple of months. A staph infection had been detected and later cleared. The antibiotics had no effect on the visibly-suspect painful nipple.

Thankfully, DH found silicone breast shields; and I think these have prevented infection, and allowed me to successfully wear clothing. The only time that I don't wear one is when I'm showering.

GP started me on topical steroid cream. After 12 weeks, there was no real improvement, though sometimes the skin almost closed up again. Mostly it's been an 'open wound' (ulcer) since August.

Towards the end of January, GP said that he didn't know what was wrong with me, and knew that I needed a specialist. He couldn't send me to a Breast Surgeon as they only do cancer.

My 'father', a close friend who lives in a nursing home, is a retired doctor (he was a sex doctor) and pharmacologist. He urged me to go to a Plastic Surgeon. GP agreed, and I asked to go through the public system.

Mid-April. I'm sitting topless on the examination table, and the Plastic Surgeon comes blustering in donning his gloves. He takes one look at me, and says: you have Paget's Disease with underlying breast cancer. Sorry that we've wasted your time. I'll send your file to the Breast Surgery department.

After 3 weeks of not hearing from Breast Surgery, I phoned around trying to find my file. Plastics had lost it. My GP lit a fire, the file was found, and I had my first consultation with the Breast Surgeon.

Breast Surgeon and Registrar looked at the film that I had brought from my August I-med appointment. They turned to me, and asked, "What does the report mean, 'non-cancerous calcification'? There is cancer here, here, here, and here", pointing to various 'spots'.

On-the-spot, I am given a biopsy in my nipple. There are no polite words to describe this special experience. Paget's is confirmed.

I am sent for an MRI.

The results of the MRI reveal a 2.5cm tumour, not previously noticed by anyone; cancer in a lymph node; and cancerous and pre-cancerous cells (DCIS) are throughout the entire breast.

Surgery is scheduled for the end of July.

[The thought of surgery has been, by far, the worst part of this experience. The thought of a mastectomy was both grotesque and ghastly to me. I wished that I would die on the operating table. But then I gained perspective. Is losing a breast really the worst thing that could happen to me? Losing an eye; losing a limb; burns all over my body; and paralysis are all worse than losing a breast. I began to accept and psychologically deal with it.]

I am sent for two more biopsies - on the tumour and lymph node. "Markers" are implanted at the same time. An artery is accidentally cut. A 7' tall nurse comes in to "apply pressure" to the hematoma in order to prevent swelling. Weeks later, I am still bruised. The nurse might be the biggest person that I've ever seen, and he did his job rigorously. There was no swelling, and I am surprised that the breast remained on my chest.

The results are all bad news. Surgery is now delayed; chemo will start first.

I am sent for an appointment to an Oncologist.

I am sent for an appointment to a heart specialist.

I am sent to the dentist.

I am advised that I will lose every hair on my body, and it is recommended that I cut my hair short, followed by a buzz cut, followed by a complete shave.

The Canberra Hospital has long had the longest waiting lists in the country. So far, all of the diagnostics were done in private clinics; most were not covered by bulk-billing despite being ordered through the Breast Surgery department.

I also learn that not all treatment at the public hospital is free. One dose of one of the two targeted medications cost $6,000. I need 6 doses. The company that supplies the drug will cover the cost of the five treatments, if I pay for the first one. Turns out, $6K is a bargain basement price; it used to cost $100K. Breast Nurse tells me that it is known as the 'mortgage medication' because women had to mortgage their homes to pay for it.

There is also a monthly cost for I-don't-know what. We're up to about $10K out-of-pocket so far, and if all goes well, hope to keep all costs within $25K.

Reconstruction. It may be possible to have reconstruction at the time of surgery or it may not. Advice is that most patients require a replacement implant two years after the first one anyway because radiation therapy buggers up the implant or supporting tissue or both. At some point though, patients lose their category one status, and there are years of waiting before reconstruction is offered.

Anyway, I regard many Simple Savers as 'friends', and wanted to tell you my story. It may serve as a warning or guidepost for your own experience one day. I wouldn't wish this on anyone. Right now, I am without fear and anxiety. I'm just getting on with it. I'm yet to deal with I-med.

I welcome any advice.

. . .. hair .. short hair .. buzz cut ..