November 2006
The Young Ones
November 2006 Newsletter
In this month’s The Young Ones newsletter . . .
It’s hard to believe that the year is almost over and Christmas is just a few weeks away. November seemed very quiet after the pace of October. We had the launch of Armed with Chocolate Frogs this month, a beautiful collection of writings by women with advanced breast cancer, see it reviewed here. We also have a report from Sharon Holt on her experience on the Pink Ribbon Motorcycle ride.
Breast Cancer Network Australia ran their Advocacy and Science Training this month, with another Young One, Joanne Smith, now joining the ranks of consumer representatives. You can find out more about this program, and how you can apply for next year, by visiting the BCNA website at: www.bcna.org.au.
It’s been a big year and we all deserve congratulations for making it through. Have a happy holiday break and I hope the New Year brings all that you wish for.
Rita Marigliani, The Young Ones Coordinator
Armed with Chocolate Frogs: Living with Advanced Breast Cancer
In our August newsletter we reviewed Heartsongs in the Key of C: Women Writing About Early Breast Cancer, a collection of creative writing from women from rural Victoria. That writing project triggered a second, this time women with advanced breast cancer from around Australia'attended' writing workshops by teleconference. The book from that writing project Armed with Chocolate Frogs: Living with Advanced Breast Cancer has just been published. It was launched at BreaCan on 30 November. Tess Moloney, the book's publisher, writes about why and gives us an overview of its contents.
I was 37 when I was diagnosed with early breast cancer, and 10 years on, the major continuing impact is the ongoing loss of women I know. I published Armed with Chocolate Frogs because when I first saw the manuscript I thought it was a stunning, gut-wrenching collection of writing, because I wanted to be part of breaking the silence around advanced breast cancer, and in acknowledgement of six friends who I have lost.
The collection takes its names from Lee-anne Hazeldene’s humorous and deceptively simple piece 'The Chocolate Frogs'. Lee-anne observes her doctor's practice of giving chocolate frogs to encourage and reward good service from other medical services and health professionals. By adopting this practice, Lee-anne quickly cottons on to the currency – chocolate frogs – in her new environment. It is an example of what I have seen many women faced with cancer do – learn fast, come up to speed and arm themselves with their newly acquired knowledge and use it to their advantage.
Armed with Chocolate Frogs is an eclectic mix of short pieces – prose and poetry – from 20 women, each of whom has advanced breast cancer. With a chapter a piece and bio notes at the end, it's possible to get a sense of the writer and her issues and approach to her illness. A wide variety of situations, emotions and responses are covered. There's often immediacy in the writing. Every reader will have her own favourite pieces, those that echo, jolt, remind, persuade, inform, amuse or sadden. Here's a selection of mine, which also serve to demonstrate the collection's range.
In 'Before BC' Veronica Macaulay-Cross writes about conflict with her daughter and her wish to be alive to see her grow up. It begins:
"You’re a loser,’ yells my sixteen-year-old daughter. ‘Just shut up!’
I feel the knife twist and turn in my heart, which shelters my reconstructed breast. (This breast sits up, firm but nippleless, while the other droops, soft and warm.)
‘How can you say that to me, after all I have been through?’ I yell through her closed door.
‘Oh, you’ve been talking about dying for six years!’ she shouts ..."
'Hair raising' by Mary MacGregor is a classic tale of hair loss, wig shopping and regrowth that lots of us will identify with.
"What!…Bald? I have just spent $150 on a colour and cut and you are telling me that I am going to lose it all in a month?"
Browyn Taylor's 'Lemon butter' is about the pleasure of being home from hospital and undertaking a domestic task.
Judy Shepherdson's 'April Fool's Day' is about her decision on her five-year anniversary of diagnosis to get a tattoo and, upon finding out why, the tattoo artist's offer to give her a free tatoo on her 10-year anniversary.
Sometimes the title of a piece conveys a great deal, as with Mary Dewhurst's This is what I want to tell him'.
Anne Pennington in 'Not afraid of dying', Carolyn Johnson in 'Undone' and Maria Water in 'The challenge' deal directly and honestly with their life-limiting disease.
Lesley Wilder's 'The envelope' is totally gripping as she sits in the car and sneaks a look at her test results while her husband is collecting the takeaway.
In 'In the bones' Jenny Morrison conveys her shock that she didn't know that breast cancer could travel to her bones.
In 'Little fish' Jenny Muller is initially fearful of her stepson's response to the death of his goldfish because of his exposure to her own illness and his loss of his mother from breast cancer some years earlier.
In 'Playboy centrefold' Pat Mathew's gives a rundown on her numerous scars and figures she has left her run too late.
Julie Pallot's In the unit' is her observation of a new patient's initial anxiety and process of settling into the routine and rhythm of a chemo ward.
Having read and reflected on every piece a few times as we prepared the collection for publication, I admit that each piece is really a favourite.
Women with advanced breast cancer repeatedly give the feedback that they want to hear from and about other women with advanced breast cancer. Armed with Chocolate Frogs catalogues lots of different experiences, some funny, some sad, and conveys a strong sense of the women writing. Not all the writers survived to see its publication but we can still listen to their words and learn from them.
It will find many audiences: women with advanced; their family and friends; women with early breast cancer; anyone interesting in reading about personal responses to serious illness. It can be ordered through bookshops or directly from Kate Carey Productions: (03) 9370 6497; katecarey@overthefencepress.com.au or online at www.overthefencepress.com.au/katecarey. 200 pages, RRP $24.95 ISBN: 0977552918.
Tess Moloney
Pink Ribbon Motorcycle Ride 2006
On Sunday 22 October, Christine Lee and I were two of 20 "special guests" who were invited to ride as pillion passengers in the Pink Ribbon Motorcycle Ride 2006. The meeting point was Bunnings at Vermont South, where the organisers paired us up with our riders, and we got to meet and have photos taken with the celebrities who were taking part in the Ride, such as Anthony Rocca and Tara Moss. Those of us who were "special guests" were in the leading pack of bikes, right behind the celebrities! It was a fabulous sight to see after we set off; I kept turning around to see the hundreds of gleaming bikes following. (I found out afterwards that over 1300 motorcycles took part on the day to raise money for breast cancer research.) So many who took part also decorated their bikes in the theme of the day: pink, pink and more pink! Over the following two hours, we wound our way throughout the scenic hills of the outer east, Belgrave, Seville, until we finished the journey at Maroondah Reservoir in Healesville. There we were treated to a sausage sizzle, live band, and for the special guests, there was the surprise of being rewarded with "showbags" of lovely goodies for us all. It was a great day, a great buzz for those of us that took part, and so great to see so many people out raising money for, and throwing their full support behind such an important cause.
Sharon Holt
Amazon Hearts – Calendar of adventures for 2007
The team at Amazon Hearts have got another year of fantastic trips and adventures for young women affected by breast cancer lined up for 2007. Visit www.amazonheartodyssey.org for more details, but here is a taste of what’s on offer:
- April 2007 – Amazon Heart Expedition, Arizona. Trekking adventure through the Navajo Indian Reservation. Applications open now!!
- July 2007 – Amazon Heart Thunder, United States. One week motorcycle journey from Los Angeles to San Francisco.
- August 2007 – Amazon Heart Thunder, United Kingdom. One week motorcycle journey from Edinburgh to London.
- September 2007 – Amazon Heart Special Event. Dragon Boating in Australia.
- October 2007 – Amazon Heart Thunder, Australia. One week motorcycle journey from Sydney to Brisbane.
- December 2007 – Amazon Heart Odyssey, India. Construction project in the poorest areas of India.
Applications open approximately 4–5 months prior to the start of each adventure.
The Young Ones Meetings Dates for 2007
Meeting dates for next year are on the website – our next meeting is 22 February at Café Coco, hope to see you there!
The Young Ones Christmas party – Friday December 8, 7.30pm
It’s not too late to RSVP to join us for what should be a great night at Templebar Precinct, 98 Smith St Collingwood (across the road from Café Coco) for our Christmas party. It’s a Spag and Drag night – a cheap and cheerful dinner with plenty of time for us to catch up on our news before the Show starts at 8.30. Email or leave a message on 041 123 5964.
What’s Happening Next Month? (See The Young One website for updates)
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.
BreaCan Resource Centre
Ground Floor
Queen Victoria Women’s Centre
210 Lonsdale St, Melbourne
POSTAL PO Box 1066, Melbourne Vic 3001
PHONE 1300 781 500 (cost of a local call for country callers)
FAX (03) 9921 0840
breacan@breacan.org.au
www.breacan.org.au
Thursday 7 December, 11.00am – End Of Year Celebration Morning Tea
BreaCan invites you to help us celebrate the festive season with friends, fun and some yummy food! We can look back on the wonderful achievements of 2006 and enjoy catching up with old friends and meeting new people from BreaCan. This is always a popular event so to help with catering for all please RSVP by Monday 4 December.
Feel Good Gentle Exercise Program: Wednesdays fortnightly – 10.30-11.30am
A session of gentle exercise to tone the whole body and help the lymphatic system. Conducted by a qualified instructor, the program helps maintain upper body mobility, flexibility and a smile. Sessions are open to all ages. Women need to register and complete enrolment forms prior to attending so contact BreaCan for details. Dates: December 6.
BreaCan will be closed from December 20, over the Christmas period, reopening January 10, 2007.
Newsletter Contributions
We welcome all contributions to, and feedback on, 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, or would like to share your story, we’d love to hear from you. Send all your stories, reviews contributions and feedback to ritamarigliani@netspace.net.au
Our next meeting: 22 February 2007 (2007 meeting dates on the website)
Contact details Rita Marigliani
The Young Ones Coordinator:
041 123 5964
Email: ritamarigliani@netspace.net.au
Website: www.theyoungones.asn.au
