Out of pocket expenses for cancer treatment

My name is Angela and I was diagnosed with breast cancer on January 29 2025.

It turns out that my rural city doesn't have cancer treatment facilities. I had to travel for an MRI, as well as for surgery and in roughly 3 weeks i have to travel again for Radiotherapy. The MRI and surgery were 600 km away. Petrol was $100 per trip and I had to travel twice. February 20-21 and March 4-6. I had to pay out of pocket for access for my MRI because it was too far to go for just a day. I did consider catching the bus, but that's still $80 return, plus accommodation because the bus only travels once a day.

Thanks to donations from caring friends, family and strangers I made it to my MRI and to have surgery. My friend Agnes gave us accommodation aswell and fed us over the surgery trip. My diagnosis has taught me that people care, which has been humbling because my life has been fraught with DV prior to 2022, which had me believing otherwise.

Soon I have radiotherapy. I see the oncologist April 3 and am hoping for dates then. Radiotherapy is 3 whole weeks, Monday through Friday, 210 km away. I have to stay by myself, caring for myself in hospital accommodation that still costs $40 a night. 1 week totals $280 per person and I have to stay 3 weeks. There is one charity where I live and they've give I'd me a bunch of vouchers for groceries which have really helped. They don't fundraise for Rotary House though. Rotary House is where my son and I have to stay, while I get radiotherapy.

There is a system called PATS, which reimburses some costs, but even then I still have to pay up front and hope PATS will reimburse some. They only reimburse accommodation at $40 a night and my MRI accommodation was over $200. It was only through donations that i was able to make it for my MRI and surgery.

I don't have the up front costs for radiotherapy.

If you're wondering why my total is 5,000, it's primarily because of radiotherapy. I need to take a carer, because I dont know how sick I will be. My son is able to do that but it doubles accommodation costs and also means putting my 2 cats in a cattery. He really doesn't want to stay on his own for 3 weeks (He's high functioning autistic).

I currently only have $2,000 of donations left. Much has already been spent on appointments, travel, some accommodation and meals while travelling for appointments/surgery. Accommodation for radiotherapy is $280 x 2 ($560). The cattery is $15 a night x 2 (approximately $700 becausei need nights either side of travel so its more than 21 days). Plus I need to buy groceries for 2 ppl while in Warnambool. Groceries are generally $100 per person per week (approximately $600 total). I also have a pre radiotherapy appointment in Warnambool with the oncologist which requires overnight accommodation and meals, plus petrol costs to attend that appointment and radiotherapy.

Usually I would work and save. But it's Term 1. There's rarely any work for relief teachers in Term 1 and even if there was work I couldn't go because I've had back to back appointments and phone calls since my diagnosis and, since surgery I have days when I'm swollen and owie. I've also become increasingly tired this last week. I think maybe it's all caught up with me. Now that I have less appointments and am essentially just waiting for Radiotherapy before the war against breast cancer settles (I still have to take tamoxifen for 5 years).

So normally I would get a loan and work hard to pay it back as soon as relief jobs are flowing in again, but I don't know how sick radiotherapy is going to make me or for how long I might be too sick to work.

They did rule out chemotherapy so that's a bonus. I'm hoping I'll bounce back after radiotherapy, and get enough work to go back to surviving/thriving.

If anybody requires more proof of costs I will try to provide it. So far I have uploaded all the proof I have. They wouldn't let me keep my breast surgeon notes. The photo with the bruising is from my core biopsy. I have invasive ductural carcinoma. The biopsy notes say stage 1 but the breast surgeon notes said grade 2. The MRI showed no spread but during surgery they found a 2nd, smaller lump. Pathology report came back that the larger lump was grade 1 but the smaller lump was grade 2, (growing faster).

Radiotherapy is needed because even with clear margins, no lymph node presence and no spread, they can't guarantee that they got every cell and they can't see cancer cells with the naked eye. So, radiotherapy should kill any remaining cells. It also reduces the risk of future carcinomas - I have what I call "boomerang cancer"; it comes back. Radiotherapy, reduces that risk.

Any help anyone can provide will be received with more gratitude than I can ever express. By far, the biggest burden this journey has created is financial. Lack of finance was causing literally 95% of my stress, because there are no services where I live (except chemotherapy), despite it supposedly being considered a second city. They have an MRI machine, but not for breasts (womp womp).

My family are in Melbourne and I've only lived here 18 months. I'm virtually alone with limited friends who are able to help with appointments, transport, and just in general, keeping my spirits up.

I'm mostly just gutted that my local hospital doesn't cover everything cancer patients need. I have to get an MRI every year now, in Adelaide, in March, but knowing that means I can save up in future.

Having cancer is one battle and a big one on its own, without having to navigate a lack of available treatments and support. I truly appreciate everyone who has donated and helped me so far. When I get back to work I'm going to put planned apartment renovations on hold and work on building up savings just for medical emergencies. Then go back to saving for apartment goals. I've come such a long way since my life stuck in DV. I've made vast improvement in all aspects of my life. I'm so grateful to not be under threat of homelessness any more. I was having such a marvellous time working and saving and improving our home one goal at a time. I look forward to returning to that, after I save emergency medical funds, so that, should an emergency such as this one arise again, then I won't need to crowd fund for help. I just didn't see this coming, and I really wasn't ready for my city to not have any services. Now that I know better, in future, I'll be prepared.

Until then, i thank you all so much for your support and help.

Thankyou for reading my story.