“Having to travel when you live regionally is a burden. It does get very hard and costly.”
Danielle learned she had the ATM pathogenic variant (gene mutation) in her 30s in 2023, which increased her chance of breast cancer. Living in Geraldton, WA, she couldn’t get the care she needed locally because most specialists treated women with a breast cancer diagnosis, not young women considering a risk-reducing mastectomy. Instead, she travelled to Perth for consultations, surgery and follow-up appointments, facing the added emotional and financial burdens of care far from home.
Travelling for answers
Danielle first accessed care through the public system in Perth, four and a half hours from home. Appointment times were fixed. “They just send you a letter four weeks in advance to say you’ve got an appointment at this date and time. You’ve got to make it work.” That could mean travelling down the night before and staying one or two nights.
Getting clear information wasn’t easy, either.
Dr Google isn’t healthcare
When Danielle asked her specialist about a mastectomy, he told her it wasn’t an option because she was young and wanted children. But that was the reason she was considering surgery at 32. “I was so worried that I’ll get pregnant and not know that I’ve got breast cancer and then find out when I’ve got a newborn baby.”
At a later appointment, Danielle asked again. “I said, ‘I’ve been considering surgery options. Can we please have some more information about this?’ And he just said, ‘Just Google it, there is plenty of information available.’”
“I didn’t want to have to Google it myself and get information that’s not accurate. I wanted to hear from an actual surgeon,” she says. “I felt let down by the public health sector.”
Danielle found a private surgeon in Perth she trusted, who explained everything clearly over three consultations. Together, they decided on mastectomy with expanders, giving her flexibility to make decisions regarding implants, “I had so many decisions to make at once, I needed time to not feel rushed into making decisions”..
Planning surgery from regional WA
Danielle had surgery in Perth in May 2025. Living regionally shaped the practical plan. Her surgeon wanted her to stay in Perth for two weeks after surgery in case she had complications. “That was quite hard, navigating accommodation, having to have a carer with me because I don’t have anyone in Perth.” Her partner took time off work until she left hospital, then her mum cared for her.
The travel didn’t end when she went home. Danielle had to go back to Perth every six to eight weeks to have her expanders filled. The Patient Assisted Travel Scheme (PATS) wouldn’t cover flights, and because she couldn’t drive, someone had to take her there and back.
When complications happen far from your specialist team
Danielle was recovering well at home when she had a major bleed several weeks after surgery. She was rushed to Geraldton hospital’s emergency department and deteriorated quickly. Because she was actively bleeding, she couldn’t be flown by RFDS to Perth and had surgery locally instead.
The hospital didn’t specialise in the type of surgery she’d had. Worried a complication might be missed, Danielle organised her own way back to her specialist in Perth because an interhospital transfer wasn’t deemed necessary..
Once home again, distance still showed up in smaller ways. When one breast felt harder than the other, Danielle didn’t know if that was normal. “One of the things I really did struggle with is not having that person I could just drop in and be like, ‘Hey, can you feel the breast? Is this normal?’”
She also couldn’t access the local breast cancer nurse because they only supported people with a breast cancer diagnosis and are not familiar with prophylactic breast reconstruction.
The cost of getting the care you need can add up quickly.
Danielle had implant reconstruction in November 2025, again in Perth.
Through all her appointments and surgeries, she managed long drives, overnight stays, time away from work, and the cost of specialist care, accommodation and transport. Even with PATS support, travel costs were significant. “That covers very little. It only covers a proportion of your accommodation. It covers enough fuel a couple of times.”
Moving into private care brought more financial pressure. “I contacted my private health insurance and that was another roadblock. They said they weren’t willing to go ahead straight away with the surgery because I needed to wait 12 months because it was considered a pre-existing condition.”
Travel also added pressure at work. Danielle says she was lucky to work for a flexible organisation and had plenty of leave. “But it was a bit hard sometimes when I’ve got things happening at work.”
Support and using your voice
Danielle knew her mum and partner were always there for her. She also found wider support through counselling, the ICA Facebook community and resources, and women who understood preventive surgery. She told friends, “I need you to help my mental health and get me out of the house as I knew I will struggle feeling isolated during the recovery.”
Danielle wants other people living regionally to know, “You don’t have to go back to your hometown just because you’re discharged from hospital. You can stay in a local community to seek extra advice if that’s more comfortable for you.”
“You have a voice. If you are getting treatment, make sure your people looking after you actually include you in your journey.”