Hello everyone and welcome to Fridays update.
It’s been a busy couple of weeks within the online network with lots of activity. The online conversations have been many and varied and the highs and lows have been reflective of the reality of living with a diagnosis of breast cancer.
Some of the events of the last few weeks has prompted Marianne to include a few timely reminders and clarify a few things in today’s update.
Our Community Guidelines clearly state that members of the community should always treat each other with respect and never attack other members of the community or the BCNA team.
Whilst you are part of this community because you have a breast cancer diagnosis, that is pretty much where the similarities stop. You are an extremely diverse group in terms of the type of diagnosis you have, the stage you are at, the treatment you have had/are having and the impact of all of this on you. There is also a diverse range of backgrounds and personalities. This diversity means you are going to have a different range of experiences and opinions. You are not always going to agree. That is perfectly fine, and in fact it is what makes this community so special, but everyone needs to take responsibility for how you express and respond to these differences.
Please always remember that unless you are commenting in a private group, your comments are not private and can be seen by anyone and can in fact show up in a google search.
Our community guidelines state that the BCNA moderators reserve the right to edit, move, close, and delete discussions. Members who seriously, persistently, or wilfully ignore the community guidelines may be placed on pre-moderation, temporarily suspended, or banned from the online network. Decisions taken by our moderators are final and will not be discussed within the online network or privately with anyone other than the member affected.
We don’t take this role lightly and always prefer the community to self-moderate and manage any issues that arise. This after all is your community. We will and do step in however when needed. To respect individual privacy we will usually manage issues privately rather than publicly but when necessary we will close or delete comments or whole discussions and will explain publicly what we have done and why.
We only have minimal moderator coverage after hours or weekends so sometimes discussions will take a turn without us knowing. Please private message us to alert us to an issue if you have concerns and have not seen us respond.
And please treat BCNA staff with respect. We are open to feedback and acknowledge that we may not always get everything right but we will always have the best intentions and give careful thought to how we respond to best meet the needs of the individual and the community.
The community is here to provide a safe environment for people to share their experiences and receive support and understanding. It is not for receiving medical information. Our moderators are nurses and we do endeavour to correct inaccurate or misleading information but any concerns or need for individual information should be discussed with your medical team.
There can always be times where something touches a raw nerve with you so if you find that you have posted something that you feel may have been a little over the top or disrespectful, you can always acknowledge your reaction, apologise and move on. You can also contact us and we can discuss your options re editing or deleting the post. We are always happy to assist. If you are offended by something someone has said, try not to fire back as this only escalates the situation. You can calmly let the other member know how this has impacted you either via a post or privately. Remember, the aim here is to resolve the issue not inflame it.
Most importantly though, enjoy the online network. You are an amazing community who 99.9% of the time provide the most beautiful and thoughtful responses and support for each other during difficult and challenging times. The online community is an important part of BCNA and you experiences help shape the work that we do.
COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS
Every week we have so much variety in the posts being shared online. See three of my favourite recent conversations that you may have missed!
Great thread started by @kezmusc, which highlights her playlist of 3 songs which are reflective of her day!
Great thread started by @Sister which shows some beautiful photos of her morning beach walk! There is such beauty in nature, what a beautiful photo.
Great thread commenced by @Tracey_B with some great reflective quotes.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Book – This Present Moment by Meg Welchman
Meg Welchman has just self-published the second edition of her book titled This Present Moment. Meg is a BCNA member who is living with advanced breast cancer. In her words, the book ‘charts how I cope with adversity as a psychologist and cancer survivor. This is the book I wish I read when I was first diagnosed- to know that almost 8 years on there is both surviving and thriving despite having secondary cancer....It would have helped me immensely.’
A review of Meg’s first book - This Present Moment: an art therapy journal by Meg Welchman is available via the link below
https://www.bcna.org.au/news-events/book-reviews/#presentmoment.
The Past, Present and Future of Breast Cancer Research – Public Session
As part of activities to recognise their
40th anniversary in 2018 and on the eve of their Annual Scientific Meeting for
researchers, Breast Cancer Trials will be hosting a Q&A event at The Art Gallery
of NSW, to discuss The Past, Present and Future of Breast Cancer Research.
Moderated by Journalist and Channel 10 presenter Sandra Sully, the Q&A will feature a panel of breast cancer experts and trial participants, to discuss and answer questions about the history of Breast Cancer Trials research group, key milestones in breast cancer research and clinical trials, current research trends and developments, and what can we expect in breast cancer research in the future.
Panellists
Professor Alan Coates AM
Professor Fran Boyle AM
Ms Leslie Gilham
Associate Professor Nicholas Wilcken
Associate Professor Prue Francis
Professor Cristin Print
The Past, Present and Future of Breast Cancer Research is being held in Sydney on Tuesday, 24 July from 6.30pm to 8pm at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.
It’s free to attend, but you will need to register. (https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/qa-the-past-present-and-future-of-breast-cancer-research-tickets-46059786060).
The event will be broadcast live on Facebook.
Q&A Event – The Past, Present and Future of Breast Cancer Research
STAND WITH ME AT THE 'G
Join team BCNA and volunteer at our iconic Field of Women which only occurs every 4 years. We’re looking for 300 passionate volunteers to create this event. The volunteer shift is 9am – 5pm, with shorter shifts and sedentary roles available. Please contact Chloe to register to volunteer at specialevents@bcna.org.au or (03) 9805 2529.
Hoping you all have
a great weekend, stay warm and have fun,
Regards Giovanna
