Calling all North Queenslanders

[mazsa]

I have been a member of this site for close to 12mnths now and I so love it. This site is so helpful no matter whether we be a sufferer, fighter or carer. I live in WA and am moving to Qld towards the end of the year, we are unsure of exactly where we will be living but I am sure it will be Townsville. A lot depends on the availability of work for my partner who currently works on mine sites. I have inoperable PC and in my eleventh month of chemo and I'm just hoping there are members on this site that reside between Cairns and Mackay that will be able to give me information as to oncologists etc. I know Mater cater for chemo in every major town, just from the website but I am having trouble getting any information from Mater at Townsville, Mater in Cairns has rung me so I have all the basis details I need for there. Plus getting to know people who live there all the time will be a big help for me. It would be great if I could start off a friendship base before we get there then I won't be so scared. Thanks to any one who wants to help out

[SILLY]

Queensland is a great place . I hope you find what you need for your care and also a place to live that suits you. I live in southeast Queensland so am not much help,sorry. I hope someone else will be able to help.

[kasianne]

Hi Mazsa I live up in Townsville and I went through the public health system at the local hospital. I was diagnosed by a doctor that I paid for privately and he actually recommended that if I was going to be operated on and treated in Townsville then I would be better off being treated there than privately at the Mater and that if I wanted to go privately then my best options were in Brisbane. I have to say that the treatment was excellent and I also know other people who were private patients went through the main hospital on the advice of their doctors to. If you need any further information I can try and find it out for you and pass the information onto you Hope the move and plans all go well and please contact me through here if I can help anymore.

[Dotty_and_Rex]

Hi,I am a Cairns local and my husband has a private medical oncologist who is excellent,he had to be referred to the Cairns Base Hospital to have radiation treatment at the new (only a few years old)Liz Plummer Cancer Centre.A few years ago he would have had to go to Townsville Public Hospital or Brisbane.When he had a PET scan he was sent to the Mater in Townsville instead of Brisbane because they got the new PET scan machines for the far north just before christmas 2011.The surgeon saw him at Townsville Hospital which is a fabulous hospital and he would have been operated on if the tests had of been negative.The Cairns Base hospital only have two oncologists at this stage 1 medical and 1 radiologist,both very good.My husband and I have been treated very well by the public hospitals in Cairns and Townsville and we are so grateful. We are more than happy to help you with friendship and information. Hope your partner finds work in the mines and no matter where you live in the far north I reckon you will both love it. Dotty

[mazsa]

Thank you Dotty for that information so far I gather that the treatment in the public hospitals is better than the private though I have private health membership so I would go to a private Dr. I have made a file in my email inbox to store all the letters I have been receiving from everyone regarding this and I will be in touch with you when we decide to make to move over. I lived in Qld before for 3 yrs, mainly south east but I have spent a few days at Townsville and I loved what I saw of it then and Cairns is only a short drive away and there is so much to see and do from Cairns. I have decided I want to see as much as possible of north Qld before my time is up. David will have no problems finding work in the mines as he is well and truly qualified in what he does as a heavy duty diesel fitter and mechanic. Even if it means he will be away for a few weeks at a time I will still go exploring. Looking forward to meeting you and having a cuppa. Mazsa

[mazsa]

Hi Kasianne Thank you for that information it certainly is helpful, I honestly thought I would be better off going to a private hospital for treatment as that is the case over here but it looks like I am wrong. I have private health insurance so there is no problems with paying for a private Dr. I hope you won't mind if once we know for sure where we are going and if it is Townsville (fingers crossed) if I contact you again for names of private Doctors etc. Mazsa

[mazsa]

Hi Silly, I know Qld is a great place to live as my daughter and I spent 3 years over there. Started off in Mackay then moved to Gladstone and finally settled in Ipswich before we made the stupid decision to come back to WA. I just can't wait to get back over there but I really want north Qld as I hate the cold and it does get cold down south. Where about's are you? Mazsa

[kasianne]

HI Mazsa That is no problem at all but I do believe most people are treated at the main hospital although the box was ticked that I was a private patient. I think this was because a the time I was still a temporary resident here in Australia and I was treated under a reciprocal health care agreement therefore all my costs were billed to the UK. I met many patients during the many hours sat in the chemo chairs who were privately being treated there and also during my time as an inpatient after my surgery. I also know of a few other cancer patients who have opted to go via the public health system as they received better treatment. One woman I met was being treated with chemo alongside me and she was having to travel down to Brisbane for her surgery as she was a private patient and once she heard my story felt she had not been given the best advice and was rather jealous that mine was going ahead up in Townsville as the though of travelling back after surgery was not good news to her. She was really struggling with the chemo and was extremely ill, making me feel guilty as I was on exactly the same regime and sailed through it. The surgeon I had was first class and highly respected by his team and I couldn't believe how dedicated he was to his patients when he turned up on Christmas and Boxing Day before he headed off on a holiday with his family and his registrar was equally as dedicated. I will give you as much information that I know of but maybe going privately through the general hospital is your best option, I know if I have any further cancer issues that is where I will be heading directly to.

[SILLY]

I live for years in Brisbane,then for years in Ipswich and now for years on the Gold Coast. I was happy in all these cities.

[SILLY]

What is it about when people are saying they have had better treatment in the public system?I went privately for surgery but did share a room with 3 others. It turned out I loved chatting to the younger womanin the next bed .That was a positive .I also had the same ENT and anaesthetist for the third time and this helped a little. For radiation it made no difference whether one was public or private but for follow-up visits I see my rad/onc. in his private rooms ,not at the hospital. A Facebook friend in northern NSW was told to go public by her doctor,although she had private insurance . For surgery and reconstruction she had no out-of -pocket expenses. Is this why people say going public is better?