It is a nice welcome today for Victorians as the lockdown
restrictions lift today - Enjoy your greater freedoms!
BCNA continue their October breast cancer awareness campaign, highlighting
issues that impact those diagnosed and advocate to drive change. Thankyou to
all of our members who have shared their stories, resources and support.
Community highlights
Reminder Private Groups
Given that in October we have had ‘Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day’
and ‘Men’s Breast Cancer Awareness Day’, I wanted to remind members of the
Online Network’s private groups if you are seeking greater peer-to-peer support:
BCNA NEWS 13 Oct 2021 - When an Employee Needs Leave for Cancer
Treatment
‘Don’t come back’ were the words Liz
Tapping heard when she asked if she could take leave from her job to receive
treatment for breast cancer. Her employer of 5 years sacked her on the spot. A
recent ruling in the Federal Circuit Court found this action contravened the
Fair Work Act.
“There is also a lot of misunderstanding about metastatic breast cancer
and what this means interms of your treatment and
survival.” – Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness
Mother-of-three Andrea Smith knows
she will lose her life to an incurable form of breast cancer. But she is determined to help other sufferers while she can.
Read Andrea’s story CLICK HERE
The Pink Bra Project
Continues
This breast cancer awareness month show
your support for those affected by breast cancer and the people around them.
$10 from every Pink Bra sale from Berlei's
Pink Bra collection will go to BCNA. Hear BCNA member’s stories and ambassadors
Stuart Diver, Aunty Pam, Raeleen Boyle and Sophie Conway https://www.berlei.com.au/pink-bra-project
·
How to manage resistance treatment with
hormone blocking therapies
·
Immunotherapies and triple negative
breast cancer
·
How to reduce the risk of fractures from
bone metastasises
·
New drugs that enhance the action of
chemotherapy in the cell
·
Uncertainty and fear of what might happen
in the future
·
Support groups are a really important way
to connect with others and reduce feelings isolation
Upfront About Breast Cancer Podcast
Have you checked out our new 10-part podcast series, Upfront About Breast
Cancer - What You Don’t Know Until You Do, with Dr Charlotte Tottman?
Each episode explores Charlotte’s lived
experience, provides explanations of psychological triggers and responses and
practical strategies that may help you or someone you know on their breast
cancer journey. All episodes are available to stream now across all podcast
platforms.
To listen visit https://bit.ly/3oD0S0C
BCNA Member Support Team & Online Network Moderators - Introductions
This week I am pleased to introduce you to Anna Wilson from our Member Support Team:
Anna joined BCNA In
2012, after a friend told her there was a position available on the helpline.
Originally a primary teacher and with three young kids, she decided to take a
leap and move into this space. While Anna knew little about BCNA’s role, from
the moment she started her role she loved it! Anna felt like she could really make a
difference being part of the organisation and found many ways to contribute both
on the helpline and then in the fundraising and the sponsorship team.
Anna loves to hear
the stories of the people who call the helpline and see how BCNA can really
make a difference. She loves her colleagues at BCNA and enjoys collaborating
with them each day “They are all so professional, knowledgeable and they care
deeply for all those women, men and their families who are experiencing breast
cancer”.
Outside of work, Anna loves
gardening and especially loves spring. Her two helpers Maggie and Billy are
never far away!
Books / Movies/ TV Series/ Documentaries
Have you seen the My Journey article about ‘The Library’?
The Library
provides names of some books you might find helpful or interesting to read.
Books in the
'about breast cancer and DCIS' and 'live well' sections have been reviewed by
BCNA staff and are recommended as reliable information. Personal stories have
not always been reviewed by BCNA, but may have been recommended to us by others
diagnosed with breast cancer or sent to us by the author (often a BCNA member).
If there is a
book you would like to suggest for this list, please email us at contact@bcna.org.au or
post here in the discussion and I will pass on.
Hope you enjoy this update and I always welcome feedback. In the meantime, if you have any concerns while online, please contact one of the moderators -
If you need to speak with someone regarding your concern, please call 1800 500 258 alternatively, you can email contact@bcna.org.au (We will be back on deck Monday).
Take care,
The mod team – Mez, Carissa, Jenny, Anna, Pat & Michelle
"Awareness is all about restoring your freedom to choose what you want instead of what your past imposes on you" - Deepak Chopra
Lymphoedema Support Group of NSW
information days have been invaluable information for me since I went to
my first one in 2015 (I think that was my first,I been to a few )
After being diagnosed with secondary arm lymphoedema since 2010 due to
breast cancer /masectomy/lymph node dissection in 2007. Learning
about what it is and why its important to keep the swelling down helps
motivate me to stay on top of it,but it has taken many years to learn
tips, tricks, methods, products etc fill my 'toolbox' of knowledge to
be able keep the swelling down.Its a daily challenge and different
things work for different people,so it's not simple to treat and manage.
Could not do that without lots of information.
It really 'gets
my goat' when I meet people with large limbs who weren't diagnosed
early,and who often are then told nothing about how and why to look
after this chronic condition.Even many mainstream specialists and GPs
and physio are not always aware of the new methods of treatments.I have
meet people who been told nothing they can do about it ! SO WRONG!!!!! It
breaks my heart to meet and see people become physically
impaired,mobility challenged,depressed,getting dangerous infections and
financial challenged due to excessive lymphoedema swelling from poor
information and support. Fellow lymphies spread the word.We have to
encourage each other to keep being proactive in learning how to monitor
and manage our swelling.No matter what the cause of the lymphoedmea,or
the part of our body that is effected.
This conference will be
great for anyone who has lymphoedema and now it's virtual this year,
anyone can attend from the comfort of home.
FYI. It is a live virtual event,and a recording will not be made available for viewing after the event.
Sat 6th Nov 2021 9.45-2pm Australian Eastern Daylight Time (AEDT) Short breaks ,including a 30 min lunch break have been scheduled. Program may be subject to change without notice.
See
the Lymphoedema Support Group of NSW webpage,their Facebook page and
the Eventbrite page for more information and to book tickets.
I spent some time a few years ago providing information to a woman who was being bullied into resigning from her job (public service, but not in my area). She had metastatic breast cancer, had two medical certificates that she was definitely able to work, at her job, desperately wanted to work (for financial and self esteem reasons) and was being pushed around by a younger, male manager who ‘just didn’t like the idea’. I sent her a lot of BCNA material and finally she got some support from her Union, but it was pretty horrible.
Unfortunately we have heard similar stories through the member support helpline calls @Afraser @arpie. The Policy & Advocacy team hope that Liz's story and others like hers will encourage employers to access the right information to support their employees with breast cancer. If you are interested, you can also listen to Liz on the ABC radio https://www.abc.net.au/radio/melbourne/programs/mornings/liz-tapping-cancer-employer-settlement/13583312
Here you go .... another 'look at it' from a different news source too (from before the judgement) .... pretty shocking in this day & age!! So sorry to read she now has Mets too :(
Many thanks, all good - the link I mean, not the story. It’s appalling. I ended up taking practically no time off, but not because I had to face that sort of behaviour. My boss at the time could not have been more supportive.
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