Hi members,
I hope you have all had a wonderful month and enjoyed the content round-up for March.
Please find the April content round-up below and keep an eye out for announcements for new content in May, as we have lots of great things planned!
If you missed it, please find information about our Ballarat Information Forum here. We are so excited to be back on the road and to connect with our community!
As always, if you have any feedback on the content or have any ideas of topics you’d like covered, please feel free to always send me an email acox@bcna.org.au.
Enjoy!
Thank you,
Amelia
Podcast:
In conversation with Kala and Emily: Living with metastatic breast cancer
Joining us for this In Conversation episode are Kala and Emily.
Kala was diagnosed with stage 4 de novo metastatic breast cancer in her spine and liver in 2018. Following her treatment, she received a complete response. However, in 2019, Kala developed brain metastases and she is currently receiving ongoing treatment.
Emily was diagnosed with early breast cancer in 2019. She underwent treatment and surgery and was in remission. In 2021, after feeling something wasn’t right, Emily had scans which showed that the breast cancer had spread to her pelvic bone and liver. Emily has since undergone further treatment and surgery.
During this candid conversation between Kala and Emily we’ll hear their stories, biggest challenges, how they coped with their diagnosis, what resources they found helpful, how they have adjusted to lifelong treatment, the financial impact and the advice they have for those diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer.
In conversation with Tania and Fiona: The challenges of living in a rural area following a breast cancer diagnosis
Joining us for this In Conversation episode are Tania and Fiona.
Tania was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2005 when she was 32 and living in a rural community 100kms from Adelaide. After her diagnosis she had to travel to Adelaide for tests, surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
Fiona was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021 and lives on a farm in southwest Victoria. She had a mastectomy, four and half months of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and has recently commenced hormone blocking medication.
During this candid conversation between Tania and Fiona we hear their stories, the challenges they faced, how they coped with the hardship of travelling for treatment and the financial impact, where they found support and the advice they have for those diagnosed with breast cancer living in a rural area.
Ask the Expert:
Living well with lymphoedema with Maree O’Connor
In this Ask the Expert event, we heard from lymphoedema physiotherapist Maree O’Connor and BCNA Consumer Monique Bareham. Maree is lymphoedema physiotherapist with over 30 years experience in the management of lymphoedema for people affected by breast cancer and Monique was recently announced as South Australia’s 2022 Local Hero for her advocacy for compression garments for lymphoedema after her own personal experience of lymphoedema following breast cancer treatment.
This session addressed what you need to know to be able to live well with lymphoedema, including symptoms you may experience, how you can reduce the risk of developing lymphoedema, current and emerging treatments, where you can find help and what you can do to help manage lymphoedema.
