The Beacon magazine - new edition now available!
Hi everyone, The October edition of The Beacon magazine is available now on our website. In this edition, we share many personal stories which help to reflect our Breast Cancer Awareness Month theme of 'Living Well, Your Way' and how that looks different for everyone. I'd love to see your comments if you enjoyed reading it but also any topics or story suggestions you'd like to see in future. @Carissa_BCNA
August Content Round-Up
Hi members, I hope you have all had a great month! Please find the content round-up below for August. As always, I’d love to hear what topics you want BCNA to explore further! Please send me an email acox@bcna.org.au 😊 Enjoy! Amelia The Beacon: The latest edition of The Beacon launches tomorrow! In this edition two women will share their experiences of living with metastatic breast cancer, you’ll hear from a woman who has been diagnosed with breast cancer twice and had a different experience the second time round, discover strategies to help you manage long-term side effects of breast cancer treatment and learn about your rights when it comes to health insurance. Plus, much more! View the latest edition via the BCNA website tomorrow and don’t forget to subscribe to ensure the next edition comes straight to your inbox! Webcast: Just diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, what’s next? This month we hosted a webcast, ‘Just diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer, what’s next? We heard from Medical Oncologist Professor Fran Boyle, Metastatic McGrath Breast Care Nurse Alice Gibson, BCNA Consumer Representative Ros Casperson and BCNA member Cybele Orton. The webcast addressed what is important to know in those first few weeks after a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer including navigating the health system, treatment options, identifying key members of your treating team, and the support and care available to you. Watch the on-demand video via the BCNA website. Information Forum: This month we’ve hosted two online Information Forums that will be available to watch on-demand in the coming weeks via the BCNA website. We’re hosting another online Information Forum on health and wellbeing on Thursday 8 September. You can register here. Additional resources: Don’t forget, we have so many existing webcasts, podcasts and articles on My Journey and in The Beacon that cover a range of topics. Explore them below! Digital events My Journey Podcast episodes The BeaconJune Content Round-Up
Hi members, I hope you have all had a great month! Please find the content round-up below for June. Do you have any feedback or have any ideas of what you want the team to cover? Please send me an email acox@bcna.org.au – I’d love to hear from you 😊 Enjoy! Amelia Podcast: Episode 44: Work after breast cancer: Tackling the difficult conversations Joining us for this episode of Upfront are Greg Smith and Lisa Edgar. Greg has more than 20 years’ experience in executive coaching, mentoring and human resources consulting and has successfully led major organisational change programs in large organisations. Lisa is a BCNA member and had been working as an HR manager for three years when she was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2012 and stopped work to focus on her recovery. Unfortunately, Lisa did not receive the support she needed from her employer. We hear about how best to approach your employer to discuss your diagnosis and treatment and the impact it may have on your ability to work, what support you should expect from your workplace, challenges you may face when working after a diagnosis and what you can do if your employer is not supportive of you. Listen here. Ask the Expert: Managing side effects of hormone blocking treatment with Dr Michelle White We heard from medical oncologist Dr Michelle White and BCNA Consumer Representative Kym Berchtenbreiter. Michelle specialises in treating women diagnosed with breast cancer and is the lead investigator for several local research studies and the development and conduct of clinical trials. Kym was diagnosed with early breast cancer in 2009 and will discuss the side effects she experienced from hormone-blocking treatment, her strategies to manage them and her advice for others. This session addressed what you need to know about hormone-blocking treatment, including common side effects and how you can manage them, and how to ensure a good balance between quality of life, risk of recurrence and control of disease progression. The on-demand link will be available next week via the BCNA website. Information Forum: This month we hosted an Information Forum in Launceston. Thank you to those who joined us. We will have on-demand videos of the presentations on the BCNA website in the coming weeks so keep an eye out. You can view the on-demand videos from the Ballarat Information Forum via the BCNA YouTube channel. The Beacon: The Beacon launched this month and you can view it via the BCNA website. In this edition of The Beacon, you’ll hear about a woman’s experience with meditation and mindfulness following a breast cancer diagnosis, discover the benefits of mindfulness from our expert, discover the power of a conversation with someone going through a similar experience and learn about why exercise is the wellbeing wonder drug and how you can get into it. Plus, much more!May Content Round-Up
Hi members, I hope you have all had a great month! Please find the content round-up below for May. Do you have any feedback or have any ideas of what you want the team to cover? Please send me an email acox@bcna.org.au – I’d love to hear from you 😊 Enjoy! Amelia Ask the Expert: Managing cognitive changes related to breast cancer treatments with Jo Lewis We heard from occupational therapist Jo Lewis and BCNA member Kate Keogh Murray. Jo has over 20 years’ clinical experience as an occupational therapist and her clinical work specialises in workplace rehabilitation and work health and safety. She is currently completing her PhD, investigating how cognitive changes experienced by women with breast cancer impact on return to work. Kate was diagnosed with early breast cancer in 2017 and is currently experiencing cognitive changes due to her breast cancer treatment and prescription medication. This session addressed what you need to know about cognitive impairment following breast cancer treatment, including key causes and symptoms you may experience, effective strategies and practical tips to help you manage symptoms, and where you can find help. Watch here. Webcast: Managing long-term side effects of breast cancer treatment In this webcast we heard from medical oncologist Professor Bogda Koczwara and BCNA Consumer Representative Naveena Nekkalapudi. Bodga is a senior staff specialist at the Flinders Centre for Innovation in Cancer where she developed a Survivorship Program and is the Cancer Council SA’s Clinical Investigator for chronic disease management after cancer. Naveena was diagnosed with early breast cancer in 2014 and discussed the long-term side effects she experiences, her strategies to manage them, and her advice for others. This webcast addressed common long-term side effects of breast cancer treatment and how you can manage them, explained why ongoing support and follow-up care is important, explored the role of survivorship care plans and why you might need one, and let you know about support and resources available to you. Watch here. Information Forum: This month we hosted our first Information Forum in Ballarat. Thank you to those who joined us. We will have on-demand videos of the presentations on the BCNA website in the coming weeks so keep an eye out. On Wednesday 22 June we will be coming to Launceston. For more information or to register, visit the BCNA website. The Beacon: The June edition of The Beacon launches tomorrow! You will be able to view it on the BCNA website. In this edition of The Beacon, you’ll hear about a woman’s experience with meditation and mindfulness following a breast cancer diagnosis, discover the benefits of mindfulness from our expert, discover the power of a conversation with someone going through a similar experience and learn about why exercise is the wellbeing wonder drug and how you can get into it. Plus, much more!