News from our last meeting
The last meeting nearly didn’t happen as Rita had a function to attend, I couldn’t make it, Kerri got sick and Alison came down sick the morning of the meeting. Luckily Donna was available to make sure everything went smoothly and I’d like to thank Donna for helping us out at such short notice. We had no new members at June’s meeting and Hope is still keeping Grace and her son company.
Jane gave the group a run down on her fundraising bottled water. It is a spring water with the distinguishable pink lady on the front called “BeCause Water” and ten cents from every bottle sold is donated to BCNA. Jane has been successful in getting it into a number of shops and it is available to everyone in cartons of twelve for $1 a bottle. You can get behind this great idea by telling all your friends, family and work mates. If you would like to order some BeCause then you can call Jane during business hours on 9421 5112 and keep it in mind for your next function.
Rita and Kerri have helped me to set up the new data base so all I have to do now is input all the information. With my fantastic computer skills and all the free time I have, I expect to be finished by August 2009. (Just joking I hope) Thanks Rita and Kerri for coming over and teaching me how to use it.
Dianne received some bad news recently relating to her cancer and is spending time in isolation at the Royal Melbourne hospital for the next few weeks. Our thoughts, best wishes and prayers are with her and I am inspired by her courageous spirit.
The Young Ones has a new look
The Young Ones has a great new look website that you should all check out at our very easy to remember new web address www.theyoungones.asn.au. Carina at Web Ideas helped me with the design and set up and will be training me in the next couple of weeks to maintain it. We now have 11 pages on the site covering many topics and links to other informative websites. There is also a shared stories and idea’s page where you can send me things and I can list them on the site if we feel they are appropriate. The old website will have a link to the new site in case people get the address off our leaflets. I hope you like it as much as I do and would love to hear your comments. We will also be able to get statistics off the site such as how many people visit and if they come from another site or straight to us. Make sure you have a look.
Time to dress up and have some fun
Otis is having a ball in Bendigo on Saturday October 8th to celebrate delivery of the Otis model in Bendigo for the last two and a half years to over one hundred and fifty women and their significant others as well as celebrating the launch of Creekside in Thredbo NSW which begins in November for seven months of the year. The Foundation are having a black tie dinner and dancing for $100 per head but want to offer fifty women and their partners subsidised seats at $30 per head for those wanting to come that otherwise would not be able to attend. James and I will be going and would like to make up a table of ten or more with any of you who would like to join us. We will stay in Bendigo for the night but it is only an hour’s drive from Melbourne if you want to drive home. Please contact me ASAP so we can get tickets before they all go. The last Otis Ball we went to was FANTASTIC! If you’re not sure what “Otis” is then visit their website via our new webpage.
Saturday Arvo Group
The next group lunch is Saturday 16th July at 12.30pm, Café CoCo 129 Smith Street Collingwood. We will meet in the upstairs room because I’m expecting more people to turn up to our second get together. I have made up a flyer about the group as a couple of support groups, etc. had requested some information on who could attend. See you then.
Our next meeting
Our next meeting will be on Thursday May 26th at 7pm Cafe Coco, 129 Smith St Collingwood
Contact details
Tanya Wilson or Rita Marigliani: 041 123 5964
Postal Address: 9 Dunrossil Drive Sunbury 3429
Website: www.theyoungones.asn.au
Like to share something with the group?
I also have a fertility success sorry. I have just had my third baby nearly three years after my original diagnosis. Everything was going really well until I noticed some lumpiness near my original surgery three weeks before my baby was due. We decided to get baby out early which was fine by me (I was over being pregnant!) The Mercy hospital was fantastic. It was decided that I would not go home after having the baby but to be transferred downstairs to Mercy Private for my operation and Luke my new baby would become a boarder in the nursery on the ninth floor. I finally left hospital ten days later with my beautiful baby, minus a breast. I breastfed my two older children but this little one has been on a bottle from the start. I was unsure about it at the beginning but four months down the track we are both doing really well and getting lots of sleep! Jane.
I have forwarded the newsletter on to a number of friends so that they may hear a voice other than mine. Also my Mum in Perth, who having been through cancer twice herself, then watching her closest sister die, then me diagnosed and then her niece diagnosed with ovarian cancer, is very interested in the support that is available to me over here. I just need to get the kids sorted out and cared for, and then I'll be hightailing it over to Collingwood for a meeting.Also wanted to add that I and my two girls religiously enter the Daffodil Day Arts Awards. This year the girls received a "highly commended" for artwork and story writing. My story (but not my painting) made it through to the Highly Commended category. My eldest (10) has now written and illustrated 4 books for the Awards. I will bring them along whenever I get to the Saturday arvo group. The exhibition opens soon, and all our work will be displayed, so look out for it if you go, under the names of Carey Wright-Schnell, Katarina Schnell and Vienna Schnell. Carey.
Today I went to the BreaCan session on meditation with Julie who I met last year at the Young Ones and who works in the same building as me. It was a very worthwhile session. I was really impressed with the Buddhist monk and his philosophy. Rose.
Thank you for your wonderful newsletter, as informative and interesting as ever. Is it just me that doesn’t understand or is it something I am missing. Could you or someone out there explain what a “control group”is? I am in my last months of tamoxifen and am told that in Sept 2005 I come off it “cold turkey”if you like and am in need of no other medication. I had a lumpectomy and auxiliary clearance in Sept 2000. As I terminated my “friendship”with my oncologist a couple of years ago as we didn’t get along, I only see my surgeon and his conversation skills are limited, I don’t know who else to ask? Di. (We have sent a reply)
If you’d like to share tips, ideas, stories, suggestions, information, etc. Then send it via the contact details shown. I’d love to hear from you and I’ll list them on our new website. Tanya Wilson.
What’s happening?
Aromatherapy. Wednesday 20th July, 7.30pm. Baton Rouge Quality Inn, 1233 Stud Rd, Rowville. The Valley Private Hospital is having an aromatherapy products night. Cost; Free. RSVP on 9790 9333
Auditions. Saturday 23rd July, 10.15am-12.15am. St. Anthony’s Primary School, Corner of Grange and Neerim Rd. Carnegie. (Melways Ref. 68 G4) Format; Reading and discussion of suitable rehearsal times to act in a play about pre menopausal women who have experienced breast cancer. Performance’s are on
Friday 28th October evening, Saturday 29th October matinee and evening and Sunday 30th October by demand. To register contact 98073864 Mary or 85042248 Kerri.
Sexuality and Intimacy after breast cancer. Thursday 21st, July 12-1.30pm. BreaCan, level 1, 123 Lonsdale St. Melbourne. Cost; Free. Dr Amanda Horden will draw on findings from her research to encourage women to explore these topics in a sensitive manner. An interactive and humorous approach to practical strategies that will assist women in communicating their needs sexually and intimately.
Daffodil Day Arts Awards Exhibition. July 26th-August 19th, 8am-6pm Mon-Fri, 12pm-4pm, Sunday. The Edge Gallery, Telstra Centre, Corner of Exhibition and Lonsdale St, Melbourne. Cost; Free. An exhibition of works done by people affected by cancer. Some of our members including myself, Carey, Judy and Marlene have pieces on display.
