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Cancer at Christmas

There's nothing Christmassy about cancer - and being diagnosed with it during the holiday season can be very difficult, physically and emotionally.The rigours of the days following a diagnosis can be exhausting: appointments, tests and scans, maybe travel (even short distances can be challenging with holiday traffic and summer heat), and if cancer treatment is part of the mix (chemotherapy, radiotherapy), that physical fatigue can be overwhelming.The emotional impact can be even tougher to endur...

Talking about it

From guest Blogger Jane BissellIn the previous post we spoke about writing, and how good it can be to get words on the page, noting down how we're feeling day to day. This type of writing can be done well in a daily journal, or in short one-off pieces that you create when you need to.There is something so beneficial about sharing our experiences, whether that's just with the page or screen, or with others who 'get it', no detailed explanations necessary! COVID did a real number on community...

Writing about it

It's a well known fact that writing can be a useful therapeutic tool, and the more you do it, the more benefit you can derive.Keeping a daily journal, whether it be to simply record what we do during the day, or to confide within its pages our joys, sorrows, challenges, and achievements, can make us feel good too. There's something about 'getting it out' onto the page. The act of writing can help us process thoughts, sort out problems, and find ways forward when life seems so hard. This com...

A good golf swing

From guest Blogger Jane BissellIt's high season for golf during the summer. Needless to say they're not playing in the type of clothing you see in our picture, at least I don't think so! I had a friend visiting recently. She has experienced breast cancer and we were talking about how our lives have changed as a result of our diagnoses and the surgery we had.Her cancer was very aggressive and so her treatment was correspondingly hard and lasted for some time.She had an initial mastectomy, an...

Plan for your rest and know what matters

From guest Blogger Liz PenningtonWe approach the end of another year, one that has brought with it significant demands on families and whānau, and seen communities continue to navigate notable  uncertainty.As we head into December we are thoughtful about the year ending and a New Year beginning. It brings with it some natural review and reflection. If we are working in a paid or unpaid capacity, we can assume that we've got a rest covered because we have some annual leave that we are takin...

Being diagnosed during the holidays

From guest blogger Jane Bissell'How can I celebrate Christmas when I’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer?'Everyone is decorating their homes, shopping for gifts, buying up large for Christmas dinners and celebrations, and going to end-of-year parties …You've been given a diagnosis of breast cancer, or you're in the middle of treatment.The impact of a diagnosis changes our perspective during the festive season. Instead of wondering whether to serve roast potatoes, or potato salad with the ha...

It's OK to cry, laugh and scream - that's normal!

“Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind.“Pooh!” he whispered.“Yes, Piglet?”“Nothing,” said Piglet, taking Pooh’s paw. “I just wanted to be sure of you.”― A.A. Milne, The House at Pooh CornerWe all need reassurance at some time or other, especially when we’re trekking down  an unknown pathway into a serious headwind, venturing into new territory, experiencing something in life that is challenging and scary.Having someone walk with you – someone you can be su...

The value of peer-led support groups

There is much to be said for support given by someone who has 'been there too' and that's why peer support is often recommended as a valuable option when recovering from serious illness or trauma.If you've had a diagnosis of breast cancer, being in a well-facilitated, confidential space with others who 'know how it is' can be comforting, reassuring, informative and very helpful. This type of support can be particularly valuable around the time of diagnosis because the person receiving such life-...

A diagnosis can pull us out by the roots

Last summer my pink miniature hibiscus started to outgrow its pot so I decided to risk planting it in the garden with the lemon tree and some other shrubs for company.The hibiscus had been a feature on my deck for years, flowering prolifically, a real companion of sorts, so uprooting it was something I thought long and hard about.It was quite an ordeal, removing the poor thing from its pot. Much of its root ball and soil was lost in the process so it was with a heavy heart that I transplanted it...

It's good to have hair on cold days

There is a cold southerly wind coming up the Gulf this afternoon, whipping the grey-green waves into white-capped frenzy and chilling the bones. I was out running errands earlier and the thought came into my head: I’m so glad to have hair keeping my head warm, because there was a time when I didn’t have any.I am many years past my experience with chemotherapy. I had it as part of my treatment for breast cancer, in the summer of 2001-2002. I don’t have many pictures of me without hair but h...

When everyone thinks you're better ...

... but you're not.A diagnosis of breast cancer heralds the start of a lengthy period of treatment and recovery. Much depends on the individual and the treatments needed but that period can be 6 months, 12, even 18 months or longer.It's an unfortunate fact that surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and adjuvant therapies have side effects that are profound and can persist for a long time afterwards. Sometimes these physical effects may be permanent: localised discomfort and pain, reduced mobi...

'Just keep busy.'

From guest blogger Jane Bissell You've been diagnosed with breast cancer and surgery is a few weeks away. Those few weeks may feel like years. You want something to be done now, you don't want to hang about. Many say this can be the most difficult time: The Waiting. The advice you may hear most often is, 'Just keep busy and the time will pass.' Easy to say ... and you may wonder if those who tell you to 'keep busy' have ever faced a situation like yours.  There's much to be said for that ...

Becoming a peer support volunteer

Tū rangatira ai'. 'We've been there too.' 'Paying it forward' to help someone else going through a journey that you know well can be a rewarding experience. Breast Cancer Support Aotearoa is on a mission to provide the best peer support possible to women, men and their families experiencing a diagnosis of breast cancer at any time in their lives. What is peer support? It is emotional and practical support from those who have 'been there too', to others going through a similar experience. Our...

Recovery: A salute to the sun

About three weeks after my mastectomy surgery when the last of the supportive troops of friends, pouring through the front door bringing baskets of baking, armfuls of flowers, cards with hopeful messages and boxes of freezer meals turned to a trickle it signalled time for a change in my attitude, independence and effort. The goodwill was running low. No more swanning around in PJs until midday. A routine of activity and “road back to normality” needed to be established. Vacuuming, laundry, e...

Treatment: A tribute to my cancer companion Millie Magic of Lonehill Classic Dream

I have always been an animal lover and for some reason dogs have always been my ’true love’. Dogs embrace everything I love about animals – beauty, loyalty and never-ending devotion and love. In my life, so far, I have had three wonderful dogs but my most special companion has been my liver and white Springer Spaniel, Millie, who has passed away, aged nearly 14 years. We had a connection right form her birth. She grew up with our children and she lived through our family’s joys and sadne...

Treatment: Cancer Etiquette

You’d never know that many of us at the chemotherapy unit are bald as. Scarves, beanies, hats, and wigs hide the peachy fuzz on our heads. There is a good reason for this: it’s cold with a bald head. But I suspect there’s more to our cover-up.  Without even knowing it, we still believe that cancer is just not polite enough to be seen in public; its shame must be hidden, and all its nasty signs smoothed over. We have not advanced much beyond our parents’ generation, who could not eve...

Initial Diagnosis: Whispers of Pain

I thought I heard your voice speak But my mind was somewhere else You called me by my first name But I felt like someone else The only thing I knew for sure Was the pain I knew I had to endure The sunrise that I might not see My grandchildren sitting upon my knee My voice was tight and my screams were loud But not a single word my lips did sound Instead I smiled and nodded my head And my eyes did glisten but no tears I shed I left your room and my head did whirl You had changed my life and my st...

Christchurch Support Group

The Christchurch Support Group meets every third Sunday of the month, 10.30am  at Orderings Garden Centre Barrington's  Urban Eatery cafe. The address is 92 Stourbridge Street, Barrington, Christchurch. Join us for a coffee, good conversation and a stroll around the Centre. Phone 0800 273 222 for more information or just come along. You can also visit our Facebook page (link to https://www.facebook.com/Christchurch-Breast-Cancer-Support-BCS-220808834993394 ) and PM ...

What is oncology massage?

What is oncology massage? (The following information is taken from the Society for Oncology Massage site LINK to https://www.s4om.org/ ) "Oncology massage is a massage therapy technique to safely work with complications of cancer and cancer treatment.   "Anyone who has ever received cancer treatment, from those in active treatment to those in recovery or survivorship, as well as those at the end of life, are best served by a massage therapist who has received t...

What is lymphoedema?

What is lymphoedema? The term 'lymphoedema' relates to a build-up of lymph fluid under the skin, causing swelling. This is known as lymphoedema. The Lymphatic System (Information sourced from the website of the NZ Lymphoedema Therapists)  Lymph flows within the body's lymphatic system, a network of vessels that picks up excess fluid from the body tissues and returns it to the bloodstream near the heart. Lymph fluid leaks from our blood vessels (this is normal) to surround cells and collect ...