• If you are used to living in the country, having to travel long distances to stay in a hospital in a big town or city might be really stressful.

• You may be away from the support and comfort of your family and friends and miss your home, community, lifestyle and the food you usually eat.

• Being alone in an unfamiliar place is hard and you might feel lonely, frightened or uncomfortable.

There are other challenges too:

Missing out on study

If you’re away a lot for treatment, you might be able to continue with your regular school work through distance education and doing courses online.

• There may also be Hospital School services available in your hospital.

• You can learn directly from a teacher on the ward or sometimes they can visit you where you are staying in town.

Financial issues

• Travel costs, petrol, accommodation and eating out can be very expensive. You or your parents may also have to take time off work or pay for child care. These extra costs might make you feel even more stressed and worried.

• Living in country Australia shouldn’t have to impact your treatment decisions and there are services available in every state that offer assistance for travel and accommodation costs for rural patients.  Some of these services are listed below:

www.ama.com.au/node/4099
The website of the Australian Medical Association provides information on Patient Assisted Travel Schemes available in each state. They help with the cost of travel and accommodation for cancer treatment.

www.vise.org.au
Volunteers for Isolated Students Education provide educational assistance to students in rural Australia and domestic and personal support in the case of illness.

www.angelflight.org.au
Angel Flight is a charity that coordinates free non-emergency flights to medical facilities for people in need.

For a list of helpful ideas, check out these tips from other rural patients:

• Try to organise several appointments for one trip. 

• If you're not feeling well make sure you take someone who can drive with you. Consider staying overnight if you have to drive yourself. 

• Let your support people know that you may not be up for sightseeing or shopping after appointments and that you may just want to head straight home.

• Take pillows for the car.

• Take a map.

• Find ways to stay in touch with family and friends – phone calls, letters, emails, Facebook, MySpace and Skype.

• Make contact with a support group or person near your treating hospital so you can share your experiences with other people who have been through cancer.

• Find out if there is Rural Cancer Nurse in your area and/or your treating hospital. They can offer advice and help to improve coordination between your rural and metro-based health services.