February 2006
The Young Ones
February Newsletter
News from our last meeting
The Young Ones first meeting for 2006 was a special one with the opportunity to say thanks and good-bye to Tanya for all her work and dedication to The Young Ones over more than five years. It was great to see Tanya, and some new faces, as well as some old friends at the meeting. The presentation of a book of memories and thanks from the group was greatly appreciated. Though there were some tears, Tanya loved the present and sends her thanks to all who contributed. She will be keeping in touch, continue to read our newsletters, and hear with interest how we’re all going. Thanks again to Tanya; without whom The Young Ones would not exist, leaving the young women in Victoria affected by breast cancer with nowhere to turn.
It was great too to see some new faces at the meeting. After the long break over Christmas, there was lots to catch up on and plenty of opportunity to share experiences and concerns. Check the website for photos from February’s meeting.
Grant
Tanya had applied for the yearly Human Services Grant for our group late last year and I’m pleased to report that our application was successful. We received $900 to help with the ongoing costs of maintaining our website, The Young Ones phone, and producing and distributing the monthly newsletter.
The Young Ones database
We are continuing to work on moving to the new Young Ones Access Database system. A big 'thank you' to Christine, who has kindly offered to do the data entry for us, and Kerri who helped with the set up and structure. Most of you have sent back your database update questionnaires, but there are still some of you who haven’t. You do need to return the form to us confirming your contact details even if you don’t answer the questions, or your name will be deleted from our new database, as we will assume that you no longer want to be a member. If you haven’t got a questionnaire please contact me and I will send it to you, or you can download one from the home page of our website at www.theyoungones.asn.au.
The Young Ones newsletter
Each month The Young Ones newsletter keeps our members informed of news from our meetings and what’s happening in the coming month. It’s also a great place to read reviews and articles of interest. We are looking for a Newsletter Coordinator to write, collate contributions from members, and distribute The Young Ones newsletter for 2006. If you are interested in helping to ensure our members stay informed, have a computer, and approximately 5 hours per month to spare, please contact me for more details about this position.
We are always looking for articles to include in the newsletter. If you’ve recently read a book, seen a website, lecture or production that you think other young women who have experienced breast cancer would be interested in, we’d love to hear from you.
We’d also like to introduce a member profile for each newsletter. In this section we invite our members to tell us their story of diagnosis, treatment, things that got you through the tough times and life after breast cancer. To read the story of another young woman who has been through a similar experience can be a great comfort when you are diagnosed with breast cancer. The experience, particularly for young women, can be very isolating. It can also be helpful to put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard, and write about your experiences. If you feel you’d like to share your story, send it in. We’ll include it in the Newsletter and add it to our website.
Send all contributions to ritamarigliani@netspace.net.au
Herceptin update
There has been much reported about Herceptin since research published in October 2005 showed that the drug Herceptin can have a significant survival benefit for women with a certain type of tumour - HER2 positive breast cancer. Around 20% of women diagnosed with breast cancer have this type of tumour. In Australia that means around 2,500 women each year. This drug is very expensive and there is much effort being put into having it included on the PBS system, and thus subsidised by the government. A great place to keep up to date with Herceptin news is Breast Cancer Network Australia’s website www.bcna.org.au. Updates are on the home page with links to other relevant and interesting sites for more news and information.
What’s happening in the next month?
At BreaCan located on the First Floor at 123 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne (between Russell & Exhibition Streets). BreaCan is free, confidential information, support and referral service for people with breast cancer, their families and friends. Open 10am-2pm Monday, Wednesday and Thursday.
Call 9664 9333 or email breacan@whv.org.au to book for any session or program.
Wednesday 1, 15 & 29 March, 10.30-11.30am “Feel Good” Gentle Exercise Program for Women with Breast Cancer
Wednesday 8th March, 12.00-1.30pm Breast Reconstruction – What You Need To Know
Dr Gillian Farrell is a plastic surgeon who works in the field of breast reconstruction. In this session, Gillian will cover a number of areas including what women need to consider when deciding on breast reconstruction, the types of reconstruction surgery available and new developments in the field today.
Thursday 23 March, 6.45 pm (for 7 pm start) - 8.30 pm What about the Children?
Mothers who have been diagnosed with breast cancer (or other serious medical conditions) often express concerns about their children. Julie Barrington is a Clinical Psychologist working at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre; she has extensive experience in working with children with emotional and behavioural problems and their families. In this session, Julie will touch on areas of concern frequently raised by parents including, how do I tell my children about my illness; how can I help my children to cope; what is “normal” behaviour; how can I help my anxious child and how do I know when I should ask for help.
Thursday 30 March, 12.00-1.30pm Yoga for Breast Cancer
Sally Dawson is a classical yoga teacher and principal of the Waverley Yoga Studio. In this session, Sally will talk about the benefits of yoga for women affected by breast cancer, while touching on the practical aspects including deep relaxation, postures, meditation and conscious breathing.
Our next meeting
Our next meeting will be on Thursday March 30 at 7pm Cafe Coco, 129 Smith St Collingwood.
Contact details
Rita Marigliani: 041 123 5964 Email: ritamarigliani@netspace.net.au Postal Address: 48 Andrew St. Windsor Vic 3181
Website: www.theyoungones.asn.au
