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Jax1964's avatar
Jax1964
Member
8 years ago

Navigating the minefield

I fall outside the norm. I live in a motorhome with no fixed abode.
I had a GP in Maclean, first mammogram in Coffs Harbour, biopsy at Sydney Breast Clinic, 2 x surgery at Lifehouse, scan and drain at Goulburn then referred to Canberra for radiation.
I chose Canberra because they have accom attached to the hospital and caravan parks in the city as a back-up.
After reorganising my life to stay put for 2 months, I've just been told that the waiting list for Canberra radiation is 6-8 weeks so they have shunted me back to Sydney.
Does anyone know which hospitals have accom attached to them as there are no caravan parks in the city.
Has anyone stayed in the accom? What's it like? (the rooms in Canberra looked like cells). 
accommodation
radiotherapy

19 Replies

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  • steplightly's avatar
    steplightly
    Member
    8 years ago
    #Jax1964 Have you tried bass hill tourist and residential park  15 mins from revesby ?  
  • Jax1964's avatar
    Jax1964
    Member
    8 years ago
    A head-spinning turn of events... I begin radiation at Icon Revesby in Sydney on Monday!
    Of course it has to be the one place with no accom nearby - not even a caravan park.

  • SoldierCrab's avatar
    SoldierCrab
    Member
    8 years ago
    Orange has Western Lodge, Bathurst sends the radiation bus up every day Bathurst has cheap caravan/van parks 

  • arpie's avatar
    arpie
    Member
    8 years ago
    @@Jax1964

    Port Macquarie has Rotary Lodge attached to the hospital  & a great radiation/oncology unit ...... $175 up front for basically the 4 weeks accommodation (the rest subsidised by IPTASS) .... just under 6hrs north of Sydney .....

    I will be doing my radiation there from the end of Feb and staying in the lodge from Mon-Fri (going home on weekends, 2hrs away.) 16 nights/20 treatments at $11 a night (by my reckoning!)  

    I am assuming you know that you can also claim 22c/km to GET TO your treatment as well?  (also via IPTASS)  Most Rad units will have at least a 2-3 week 'wait list' - for initial appointment, the planning/mapping and then the start of the treatment .... but that has to be better than 6-8 weeks.  Dr Last and Dr Hansen at Port Macq are the radiation people.

    We stayed in the Port accomm back in 2010 when my husband was doing chemo for 3/4 removal of stomach cancer - nicely appointed rooms, with a fully equipped kitchen/library/common room as well as basic in room breakfast making gear.  They've just opened 12 new rooms, with another 12 on the books as funding allows.

    Good luck with your search for Rads.  Port is a nice place to 'do it'!  
  • Zoffiel's avatar
    Zoffiel
    Member
    8 years ago
    And lots of caravan parks. Genesis is the company name
  • Zoffiel's avatar
    Zoffiel
    Member
    8 years ago
    Albury is an option. There is a public facility there with accommodation. All brand new and fancy and subsidised. Not sure if it is as cheap as Canberra but worth asking if you are desperate. It's a five hour drive from Sydney