ABC news item re breast reconstruction

June1952
June1952 Member Posts: 1,935 ✭
in General discussion
Each
morning I have a quick look at the ABC news on my phone –
this is an interesting story today:



https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-10-22/breast-reconstructions-take-years-for-women-outside-cities/101556426

Such a clever lady and hopefully the story will bring the subject to the attention of those who need to be aware and who make the decisions we all have to live with.

Comments

  • Afraser
    Afraser Member Posts: 4,452 ✭
    Every woman should have the opportunity for affordable breast reconstruction in a suitable time frame, recognising that immediate reconstruction is not possible or desirable for some.
    Equally it needs to be recognised that those who choose not to have reconstruction are not less whole, or somehow permanently damaged! With all due deference, I did not equate my breast with a leg. My scar reminds me most that I’ve had ten years I might have missed. 
  • Annie C
    Annie C Member Posts: 853 ✭

    "Federal Assistant Regional Health Minster Emma McBride said
    the Department of Health was undertaking further consultations about the
    proposed changes.............

    Ms McBride goes on to say,

    "I'm determined to make sure no matter where you live, you have access to the care you need close to home."

    Ms McBride should then put into action immediately, and ensure her State counterparts do also, actions that remote women need to access such care closer to home.

    It is unacceptable to ask remote area women to travel 2,300kms for scans and / or biopsies for a breast cancer diagnosis.

     


  • arpie
    arpie Member Posts: 8,199 ✭
    Absolutely @Annie C .... Once I read that she'd said that - I thought - I won't hold my breath til it happens ..... :( 

    Some of the 'click on' related stories down the bottom of the page are worth checking out too   
  • Annie C
    Annie C Member Posts: 853 ✭
    The thing is that "care closer to home" has not changed in 25 years in the remote regions of Western Australia.
    Twenty five years ago my husband had to travel 2,300kms for cancer surgery and then twenty years later I was undertaking the same travel. Nothing changed. All the promises, all the proposals about cancer care centres to be built in the regions have amounted to nothing.
    To illustrate the difference in access to cancer care, scans, biopsies, surgery and follow up I like to relate the story of my cousin and myself.
    My cousin's travel day for her breast cancer care consists of a half hour drive to her clinic, has her appointment, scan or whatever and then has a half hour drive home to her house, her kitchen, her bathroom, her toilet and her coffee mug.
    My travel day starts with us being up at 04:30am, then consists of a three hour drive to the airport, leaving home at around 6:00 am, always allowing at least an extra hour in case of hold ups by roadworks or tyre blow outs.
    The road has heavy three trailer roadtrains, has cattle wandering across and in the Wet Season the creek crossings and floodways are running.
    Check in at the airport and wait around for a few hours. If we are lucky the arriving plane is on time. If we are even more lucky our departing plane leaves on time for a three hour flight to Perth. Then an hour to our accomodation. It is not my house, not my kitchen, not my bathroom, not my toilet but there is my coffee mug because it goes everywhere with me.
    If I am fortunate, I have clearance by the hospital clinic to go home and thus repeat the outwards journey.
    My cousin lives in the city, I am remote. We are both in our seventies. I am aware that I choose to live where I live, but then so does my cousin. The ease to our respective medical care is determined by our postcode.



  • arpie
    arpie Member Posts: 8,199 ✭
    edited October 2022
    I hear you, @Annie C.  Are there ANY decent Cancer Centres at all outside of Perth?  They are slowly getting equipment closer to my town, but it will be a while before they get all the gear ... so I am more than happy to continue going where I go, as I know them now after 5 years ..... 

    Whilst not as remote as you, I have to do similar planning as it is a good 4hrs on a good day (longer, if bad weather or bad traffic) to get to my surgeon appointments and half that for my scans & Rad Onc ..... so I also have to build in that 'buffer zone' in case of delays or accidents along the way.  Normally I would leave the day before for the Surgeon's appt, just to reduce that 'I'm gonna be late' stress level! ..... 

    Last week I had to travel for my scans & I was glad I'd actually planned to leave 4hrs before the appt (the town is 2hrs away) ... and just as well I did, because the battery was flat on my car!  I had to push it a bit to access the motor - it is a VW Transporter and is VERY heavy, so that took me 15+ mins on my own!   I'd recently bought a Jump Starter for it (which is BRILLIANT) and I managed to start it on my own, first go, so happy with that.  If I'd waited for the NRMA it would have taken well over an hour to get to me - and then I REALLY would have been stressing out ....   
    Choosing a jump starter - Just make sure you know your engine size, Number of cylinders & fuel type.  Diesel vehicles need a stronger jump starter than a Petrol vehicle of the same engine size.

    I still have to go back for my Rad Onc appt some time soon, so will have to repeat it all (hopefully not the flat battery tho!)

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