Liley Wykes, Dubbo NSW
Amy Allen Photography
CLOSETOHOME
PatientsinregionalNSWareenjoyingbetteraccesstolocal,specialised healthcareprovidedbydedicatedspecialists.Wespoketothreepatientsand theirdoctorsaboutthebenefitsofthiscare.
ByStephanieOsfield
LileyWykes,84grewupinOrange andin1967,marriedhusband Trevor,afarmer,inDorigo. Afterafewyearsonadairyfarm, thecouplespent17yearsemployed andlivingontheYatesVegetable WestResearchStation,in Narromine,wheretheypropagated, tendedandpollinatedplantsto collectseeds Theyalsoraisedtheir twochildren,latermovingtoa25acrepropertynearby,wherethey continuedtogrowcropsforYates. FastforwardmanyyearsandLiley nowagrandmotheroftwo,lives withherhusbandinaretirement villagenearDubboZoo,having movedtotownforeasieraccessto amenities SowhenLileydiscovered alumpbehindherrightearin2022, shewasverygratefultobeableto receivetreatmentandcarecloser tohome
Abiopsyofthelumpshowed atypicalcells “TheENTdoctorin DubbosaidIneededtoseea SydneyENTdoctorspecialisingin thatkindofsurgery,”Lileyrecalls “Theprospectofdealingwiththe travel,traffic,crowds,stressand
costofaccommodationwasvery off-putting We’retoooldtodrive thatdistancesowewouldhavehad tocommuteovereighthoursvia busandtraintogetthere.Thewait fortheSydneyappointmentwasat leastfivemonthsandwouldhave coincidedwithbigeventslikeTaylor Swift’sconcertandMardiGras,so hotelswereallbookedout”Liley wasthenreferredtoanENT specialistinNewcastle,butthewait wassixmonths.“Then,luckily,my DubboENTdoctorsuddenlysaid, ‘howwouldyouliketoseeanewENT specialistinOrange?”Lileyexplains “Thenewspecialisthadjustcome backtothecountrytosetup practice Iwasoverthemoon”
Twodayslater,Lileyhadan appointmentwithhim “Hewasso lovely,dedicatedandinclusiveof myfamilyandgoodatexplaining everything”
Afewmonthslater,heremoved thelumpinhospital.“Gettingcare closertohomemadeitsomuch easiertogoforthepreandpost-op visitsatthehospital Thenursing staffweresolovelyandwithmy
specialistIwasinthebestofhands Thehospital,whichhasbeenredone inrecentyears,haslovelygardens andviewsofthegolfcourse,soitfelt verycalming,”saysLiley,whofelt morerelaxedknowingthatwhen shewasdischargedthenextday,it wouldonlytaketwohourstoget homebycar.
“It’salovelycommutepast canolacrops,wattlesandeucalypt trees,”shesays.“Tendaysafterthe surgery,Iwasveryhappytolearn thatthelumpwasbenign Iwasso luckytoseeanamazingspecialist nearby ItmeantIcouldreceivetop qualityhealthcarewithfarless stressandtravel”
DrSamRoberts,Liley’sENT specialist,whohasexpertiseinhead andneckoncology,seesmany patientswhofindtheideaof commutingtoSydneyfortheir healthcareintimidating,“especially iftheyhaveneverbeentoacity biggerthanOrangeorDubbo”. DrRobertshimselfgrewupnear Walgett,thenlivedonafarm
Dr Sam Roberts, ENT Specialist
Liley Wykes, Dubbo NSW. Amy Allen Photography
betweenArmidaleandTamworth“In additiontoappointments,rural patientstreatedinthecitymight havetogobackandforthfortests andthenstaynearbyaftersurgeryin caseofcomplications,”hesays “But sinceCOVID,ithasbecomeeasierfor specialiststoliveandpractisein ruralareas,increasingpatient options IoperateattheChrisO’Brien LifehouseinSydneyonceamonth Recently,Idida14-houroperation thereandafterwards,Ididallthe follow-upcareforthatpatientin Orange Telehealthisofgreatbenefit asitmeansIcanpractiseinOrange butdialintoonlinemeetings,talk aboutapatient’stumourandget pathologyandscanslookedatby expertradiologistsandpathologists whospecialiseinneckandhead healthinthecity.”
Threeyearsago,ClairThompson, now77,aregisterednursefor30 years,lostsomehearinginherright ear.TheninJanuarythisyear,she heardaloudsquealingsoundand herleftearsuddenlylostallhearing Testsconfirmedshewasnow ‘profoundlydeaf’.“Myqualityoflife quicklydeteriorated,”Clairrecalls.“I wentfrombeingabright,happy, personwhowasactivesocially, goingoutforcoffeeandplaying cardsregularly,tobeingmostly housebound Ididn’tfeel comfortableorconfidentgoingfor walksordrivingveryfarfromhome I couldnolongertalkonthephone–eventomakeanappointment Thoughmywonderfulgroupof friendswereverysupportive,the spontaneityofnormalconversation wasgone.”
Dauntedbytheprospectof drivingfivehoursforanMRIscanin Newcastle,Clairdidn’thavethetest “ThenaCochlearearimplantwas recommendedandIneededtobe assessedattheclosestclinic,three hoursawayinSydney’swest Ididn’t wanttobotheranyone,soIpaida driver$400totakemetoSydney andbackinoneday”Clinicstaff explainedthatafterthesurgery
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Clairwouldhavetotrav twicemonthly,thenmon mademefeeloverwhelm thinktwiceabouthaving surgery,”sheconfesses wasfortunatetofindsur coulddotheoperationi
“Itmadetheworldof asInolongerhadthish commuteandwasable supportivefriendsaroun pickedupthingsforme, appointments,didmyw droppedincleanclothe thepre-opandpost-op closebywasahugeplu psychologicalwellbeing
Earlierthisyear,aftertheimplant wasswitchedoninNewcastle,Clair wasrelievedthatshecouldhaveit furthertunedinOrange. “Iwassogratefulforthetechnology anddedicatedsupportofthestaff butveryrelievedtherestofmy carecouldbefollowedupnear home.Icannowhearbirdssinging, mycatpurringandwaterfallingon theleaveswhenIwatermygarden Mydaughterrecentlysaidshehad heardmelaughmoreinaweek thanIhadallyearandwaspleased to‘havehermotherback’ It’sstill earlydays,butIhavehadmyfirst conversationonthephonewhich wasveryexciting.Ihavenewfound energyandoptimismandcansee thelightattheendofthetunnel I cannotpraisemyspecialisthighly enough.Iamsogratefulforhis incrediblesupportand encouragement Thequalityofcare providedbyhim,myanaesthetist andallthenursingstaffwas exemplary.”
ForDrAydinMohammadi,an Otorhinolaryngologistheadand necksurgeon,“beingableto restoreClair’shearinghasbeenan absoluteprivilegeoneofthemost professionallyandpersonally rewardingexperiencesofmy careersofar”
DrMohammadiworksincentral westNSWinseveralregional hospitalsincludingBathurst, Forbes,andOrange,wherehis practiceisbased.“Itrainedin NewcastleandSydneybutmy exposuretothekindnessofpeople ofParkesNSW,whereIgrewup, alongwithmypassiontofillgaps inruralandremotehealthcare, drewmebacktothecountry,”he says “Ihopethataccessing specialistcareclosertohome helpedClairfeelmoreempowered andlessstressed
“BeingabletorestoreClair’shearing hasbeenanabsoluteprivilegeandone ofthemostrewardingexperiencesofmy careersofar.”
DrMohammadi
Dr Aydin Mohammadi, ENT Head and Neck Surgeon
Workinginaruralregion,Ifeela deepconnectiontomyverygrateful patientcommunityandImore directlyseeresultsoftheirhealthcare. Ialsoliveonlyfiveminutesawayfrom work,soIenjoybetterwork-life balance”
JoyCochrane,72,grewupin Barradine,marriedin1968and movedtoWalgettwheresheworked asanurseatthehospital “Backthen andwhenIwasachild,ifsomeone hadaconditionlikecancerthey usuallywenttothecityfortreatment, buthealthcarehascomealongway sincethen,”sheobserves
In2020,whenJoysawhersurgeon afterahysterectomy,shewas shockedtolearnshehadatotally unrelatedformofcancercalled folliclelymphoma.Initially,she travelledtoTamworthandNewcastle forspecialistappointmentsandtests, whichshefoundexhausting
“So,itwasareliefwhenIsoughta secondopinionwithahaematologist inDubbo,andthecommutetook threehours,notuptosixhours,”Joy says “Ican’tspeakhighlyenoughof him.Heisawonderful,caringdoctor, verywarmandcompassionateand soclearinhowheexplainsthings I wasalsoluckytobeabletohavemy threecyclesofchemotherapyin DubbowherethereisanewPET machine,soIcangetscanscloserto home,too”
Joyiscurrentlyundergoingchemo inDubboeverythreeweeks.Three timesshehashadadversereactions andhadtobeairliftedfromBaradine toDubbowhichtakes50minutes “Atthosetimes,itisverygoodtosee myspecialist’sfamiliarface,”she says “Havingchemoclosertohome issolesstaxingformeandmyfamily Myhusbandandtwinsistercometo everytreatment,sittingbymyside, chattingandkeepingmecompany fortheeight-hourinfusion Whenwe leave,it’sareliefthatthesoothing drivehomeisonlyacoupleofhours alonglovelyquieterroadsseeingthe treesandbirds I’mabighomebody
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g hugedifferencetoJoy’squalityof life
“Joyhasbeenabletohaveallher consultationsandchemotherapyin westernNSWwithouteverhavingto traveltoSydneyforcancercare
“Herconsultationsareamixofher comingtoseemeinDubbo,me flyinguptoseeherinmyoutreach clinicinWalgettandalittlebitof telehealth,too
“ShehasreceivedallherchemoimmunotherapyhereattheWestern CancerCentreDubbowhereIam
Coonabarabran,Walgett,Bourke andCobar
“Theseclinicsallowpatientsin ruralandremoteareastoreceive specialistbloodcancercarecloser tohome,andinmanycases‘on country’,inaculturallysafemanner bypartneringwithlocalIndigenous EldersandAboriginalHealth Workers,”saysDrGleesonwhois workingtoincreaseequityof accesstospecialistcancercare andoutcomesforpeopleinrural andremoteareas.
“Joyhasbeenabletohaveallherconsultations andchemotherapyinwesternNSWwithoutever havingtotraveltoSydneyforcancercare.”
DrTomGleeson
Dr Tom Gleeson with patient Joy Cochrane