FOR many people living with cancer in regional and remote parts of Australia accessing information and support services after their diagnosis can be difficult.
Which is why the Breast Cancer Network Australia held an information forum in Busselton on Wednesday for women in the region who are living with breast cancer.
Breast Cancer Network Australia ambassador Raelene Boyle attended and said she was a great pusher to hold rural and remote forums because women living in these areas were starved of information.
Ms Boyle said these women did it tougher because they did not have access to the facilities that were available in major towns or cities.
“Often they have to travel distances to get their treatment and all of that makes life very difficult,” she said.
“I know people here travel to Bunbury, when you are juggling children to get them ready for school, trying to get to your own appointment, have your treatment, then get home and organise dinner it all gets hard.”
Ms Boyle said for women living in places like Busselton they often got support from each other by comparing notes and sitting down over a coffee.
“Women are great communicators so getting them together like this is great,” she said.
Breast Cancer Network Australia is an organisation which supports women after they were diagnosed and provides them with information about their condition and mechanisms to help them cope.
The organisations sends out a kit to every woman who is diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia which contains information, a diary and an area to keep cards of the different doctors.
“Quite often your memory is not working that well and you are scared,” she said.
“The fear running through your system blocks a lot of memory.”
Busselton resident Janine Clayton was diagnosed with stage three triple negative breast cancer, said it was great to have the forum in Busselton because it was hard to find information on her condition and she could hear directly from health professionals.
Ms Clayton said there were not many services available in Busselton and to access programs and treatment people had to travel to Bunbury.
She said after her diagnosis her family went from two incomes to one and did not have the money to continually drive to Bunbury to access these services.
“When I was going through radiation there was no way I could drive myself so I would catch the bus which was great but there is so much more at Dot’s Place South West Cancer Support Centre but it is too far,” she said.
Over the last year, Ms Clayton has gone through six rounds of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiation, which amounted to 30 rounds.
