March 2014 providing personalised emotional, practical and financial support and care to people affected by breast cancer
newsletter of breast cancer care wa
Join us for the 11th annual
Long Table Lunch
On Sunday April 13, the annual Celebration of Women Long Table Lunch will return and provide the ultimate dining experience to over 700 supporters at Claremont Showground. Gather your friends and have fun as you celebrate in style at this inspirational event. Featuring live music and entertainment, plus unique auction items and prizes for you to bid on. Come prepared to help us beat the $300,000 fundraising total raised in 2013. Ready your tastebuds for something amazing as this year’s four course gourmet delight is brought to you by top WA chefs including; Stephen Clarke of Clarke’s of North Beach, Dan Masters of Rockpool Bar & Grill, Scott Brannigan of Balthazar and Chris Taylor of Frasers, as well as Innovations Catering and Azzura Gelati. The 2014 theme is about seizing the
Tickets are on sale NOW for $160 each, but hurry as this is a sell-out event. To book your ticket please call 9324 3703 moment in life and “learning to dance in the rain”. We will celebrate three incredible women from different walks of life who are affected by breast cancer. This luncheon epitomises the spirit, generosity and giving of the WA community as every item, from the marquee and furniture down to the butter and teaspoons, is donated to ensure that all money raised goes directly to help support Western Australians with breast cancer.
Enjoy the behind the scenes action and volunteer at Long Table Lunch Registrations for Long Table Lunch volunteers are now open and we’re looking for 150 volunteers to assist with set-up, table and drinks service, fundraising, data entry, scullery and event pack down.
The day is a fun and memorable one which receives incredible support from the community and extremely positive feedback from both guests and volunteers alike. As a volunteer you will enjoy working with an enthusiastic and
In this issue
compassionate team, getting a taste of what it is like to work at large scale event and most importantly, knowing you’ve made an extremely positive difference.
Support Services - Art Therapy.................2
Grab a friend, sign up and be a part of this special and unique event. Email alex@breastcancer.org.au or visit the volunteer page on our website to register.
Workplace Giving......................................5
Note: Volunteers must be over 18 years and will be required all day from 9am on Sunday 13 April 2014.
Breast Cancer Care WA, 1034 Wellington Street, West Perth WA 6005 l (08) 9324 3703 info@breastcancer.org.au l www.breastcancer.org.au
Writing your way to better health.............3 She was only 34........................................4 Fundraising Champions............................6
Services Team Update The service team is looking forward to an exciting year ahead as we prepare for the move to our new premises in Cottlesloe in July. Cathie Smith We envisage that Support Services Manager / Counsellor this is going to open up many opportunities for our clients to enjoy the wonderful surroundings and become involved in more of our services. This year we will be running four of our therapy groups dealing with fear and uncertainty and we will be looking at ways to implement positive change in people’s lives. We are also continuing to run nine support groups for women who have breast cancer around the metropolitan area and one group in Mandurah. This includes groups for women with early breast cancer, an after-hours group for women who are working, a young women’s group and a group for women who are living with secondary breast cancer. Our groups are a great place to make new friends, support one another and get involved in our organisations events. Please let us know if you are interested in attending one of our support groups or therapy groups. Last year culminated in our client and support group Christmas party. What a wonderful day this was. It was so nice to see so many of our clients kick up their heels and have a great time. I hope the service staff didn’t shock them all too much with our rendition of The Time Warp, although having a good laugh whilst going through breast cancer is very important. A special thanks to our wonderful sponsor Kentz and several of our valued suppliers and volunteers who donated food and services.
Linda Garrett
Moira Waters
Artwork by Beverley Glissenaar (2013)
Counsellor
Art Therapy – Creative Interventions in Counselling “I just can’t explain how I’m feeling” is so often whispered by someone in the midst of surviving the multiple challenges of experiencing cancer. Counselling is most valuable at this time, having someone to speak with and provide support and guidance to cope and make sense of this new, changed environment. When thoughts and feelings become entangled and overwhelming, words may become too difficult or a person may just feel more comfortable with non-verbal expression. When incorporating Art Therapy into counselling, a person is able to express their thoughts, emotions and experiences in a creative way that’s guided by their needs and preferences at that time. Art Therapy provides a bridge to connect a person’s unique internal thoughts, feelings
“Art making, as an ancient form of healing, is shown to facilitate insight, personal growth and transformation and is considered by many as ‘medicine for the soul’ (McNiff, 1992) and perceptions with their external realities (Malchiodi, 2007; Hagood, 2000; McNiff, 1992) and is used in various ways within medical environments to help people experiencing physical illness, having surgery or drug interventions and experiencing psychological and emotional difficulties (Malchiodi, 2007). The artwork may include body drawings, symbols for health, drawing and writing journals, sand painting, clay work and more. Art Therapy is often accompanied by guided visualisations to connect one’s mind with their imagination in a relaxing, meditative way, assisting with spontaneous creativity from a deeper, unconscious level. As the artwork is viewed objectively by the artist, clarity and meaning in their story can become evident. Dialogue with the artwork often reveals profound insights resulting in further exploration, understanding and sensations of intense relief. The benefits of Art Therapy can continue to unfold after the creative expression and according to Malchiodi (2007), Hagood (2000) and McNiff (1992) research has shown that expressing traumatic or disturbing experiences in art contributes to overall health and wellbeing.
Current research on exercise and fatigue Fatigue is the most common side effect experienced as a result of breast cancer and its treatments. The rate of fatigue is higher in people with breast cancer than some of the other cancers and one third of breast cancer survivors are often still experiencing fatigue five years after finishing treatment (Berger et al., 2012). This is why researchers are busy looking at the causes of and ways to prevent and reduce fatigue. The chemicals produced by the immune system are thought to have key roles in the cause of fatigue. These are produced by the body in stressful situations and although are helpful in the short-term, if they carry on being produced they might act together to cause fatigue. These are often termed inflammatory markers. Current research studies are using inflammatory markers as a measure of the effectiveness of exercise programs. Researchers have found that exercise significantly reduces cancer-related fatigue, but that the effect differed over the course of treatment and recovery. During treatment, exercise is helpful in controlling symptoms and during the recovery phase (or at the end of surgery and/or chemotherapy and/ or radiotherapy) exercise programs were easier to follow with a greater delay between end of treatment and the start of the exercise program.
McGrath Breast Care Nurse
It has also been found to be safe to exercise as early as 6 to 8 weeks after surgery (please check with your physiotherapist/ surgeon particularly if having reconstructive surgery). Breast cancer survivors taking part in the research felt supervised programs run by experienced and motivated health professionals giving individualised, structured, graduated programs with short and long term goal setting would be the greatest facilitators to exercise. Five years later women who took part in these programs were more confident about engaging in different types of exercise, more knowledgeable about how to exercise safely, more aware of the importance of exercise and had integrated it into their lives. We are lucky in WA to have access to exercise programs such as Cancer Council’s Life Now program, Encore and the Vario Institute, which is amongst world leaders in research into cancer and exercise. For those who live in rural and remote areas or who are too busy to get to an exercise class, researchers are looking into the effectiveness of home-based exercise programs with telephone support. Please see our website for further information on exercise programs available.
Writing your way to better health Research has found that writing about your feelings and emotions relating to your breast cancer experience may have positive health benefits such as improved psychological wellbeing, for both the person with the illness and their supporters. (Butcher & Buckwalter, 2002) One way to do this is through online ‘blogs’, where you can write a personal account of your breast cancer journey. Research suggests that creating a blog and spending 15-20 minutes a few times in the first week expressing your feelings
about your past and current breast cancer experience is beneficial. This type of writing is referred to as Structured Written Emotional Expression (SWEE). In these blogs you can express your deeply felt emotions, reach out to family and friends, share clinical details with readers and receive support and understanding. (McNamara, 2007) Breast Cancer Click’s Blog option is a place for you to express your inner most thoughts and to read those of others. Your personal blog can be set to share
with others or as a private place for your eyes only. Either way, the health benefits of expressing yourself openly through writing are at your fingertips. Blogging is just one part of The Click, a free members’ site supporting people with breast cancer and those supporting them. For details on how to access our free online breast care nurse and other services, visit www.breastcancerclick.com.au Spirit Newsletter March 2014 l Page 3
If 10 people donated the cost of a coffee each week they would collectively contribute over $2,340 a year. This would help keep food on the table for a month for four families whose income has been affected through not being able to work during periods of intense treatment. That’s a pretty amazing alternative to a coffee.
News
A very big thank you
to the following organisations who give their staff the opportunity to take part in a workplace giving program for Breast Cancer Care WA.
She was just 34 years of age There are few more precious moments in a man’s life than when he holds his brand new baby daughter in his arms for the first time. It’s a wondrous moment remembered at every birthday, every Father and Mother’s Day and all the milestones to come. But for Mike, it’s a bitter sweet memory, because the day little Ashlee was born was also the day his beautiful wife Vanessa was diagnosed with breast cancer. Remembering his brave, wonderful wife and best friend for over 13 years Mike says, “Vanessa very much focussed on the fact that she’d just had a baby and I suppose I was a little bit the other way, obviously celebrating Ashlee’s birth, but at the same time being pretty scared about what was going to happen.” “Vanessa was always very active in terms of trying to find the best treatment, the best care and the best people to talk to, so almost as soon as she was diagnosed she got in touch with Breast Cancer Care WA,” Mike recalls. Following her diagnosis Vanessa underwent chemotherapy and surgery, firstly one breast and then the other – all this while caring for her new baby and their busy three year old, Casey. Vanessa’s breast cancer was a rare and very aggressive type. She fought desperately hard to stay with her loving husband and little children but tragically just three weeks before Ashlee’s first birthday, Vanessa lost her battle. She was just 34 years of age. Speaking at a recent Long Table Lunch event Mike said “Although Vanessa lost her battle with breast cancer, it is important to remember that of the 15,000 or so women that may be diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia this year, with changes in
Up to 50% off Breast Cancer Care WA merchandise “ The breast care nurses were sensational, not only for Vanessa but also for me.” modern treatments and early detection, the five year survival rate has increased significantly and currently stands at almost 88%.” When Breast Cancer Care WA becomes involved with amazing people like Mike and Vanessa, they literally become part of our family and we are there for them as long as they need us, even when treatment has finished. Counselling can provide a safe place in which to share their inner most fears or develop useful coping strategies and skills to improve their lives now and in the future. No matter what they need, we would like to be there to help. This year in WA, 1,500 women like Vanessa will be diagnosed with breast cancer. We would like to be there for them all, but without any government funding our resources are limited to the level of support we receive.
Can you help? Funding for our third counsellor is about to run out and we are in urgent need of support to sustain this key position. Can you help?
The cost of maintaining our third counsellor’s position adds over $60,000 to our budget. If you are able to assist us in achieving this goal by making a donation or nominating Breast Cancer Care WA as your charity of choice for the next fundraising activity, we would be very grateful. For more information or to find out how you can help, please contact Kathy on 9324 3703 or Kathy@breastcancer.org.au.
Check out our merchandise sale and make a purchase to not only spread the breast awareness message but also make a difference to someone’s life today. Every dollar will go towards helping Western Australians and their families going through breast cancer.
Workplace giving – what is it and how can you get involved? Workplace giving is a simple and tax effective way for employees to donate regularly to charity through their employers payroll system. It’s as easy as a direct deduction from your salary and all donations above $2 per pay period are completely tax free. The power to make a real difference in WA is in numbers. Even a small weekly amount donated by a number of
employees can go a long way towards helping Breast Cancer Care WA to provide its vital services and programs free of charge to those in need. So why not rally your office together and start giving as a team. After all, we all know someone, either close to us or close to someone we know, who has been affected by breast cancer.
• Adultshop.com • Halliburton • BHP Billiton • City of Joondalup • Department of the Premier and Cabinet • Peoplebank Australia Ltd • Shell Development Australia • Synergy (formerly known as Verve Energy) • United Way • Woodside Energy Ltd For more information on how to donate through your workplace, please contact Emma on 9324 3703 or Emma@breastcancer.org.au
www.breastcancer.org.au
Entertainment Books We are excited to announce that we are once again fundraising with the very popular Entertainment Books with $13 from every book or membership sold coming to us.
Purple Bra Day Friday June 20
It won’t be long before we will be calling out for superheroes once again to take up the challenge and wear the iconic purple bra on the outside of their clothes to raise money for people affected by breast cancer. With your help we raised over $420,000 in 2013, so make sure you put the date in your diary and dust off your cape, because you’ll be needed again very soon.
This year you have a choice. Choose from either the traditional Entertainment™ Book that comes with the Gold Card and vouchers, or the new Entertainment™ Digital that puts the value of the Entertainment™ Book into your iPhone or Android smartphone. Whichever you choose you will receive over $20,000 worth of valuable offers throughout Perth and the South West including hundreds of up to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers for the best restaurants, cafés, attractions, hotel accommodation, travel and much more! To order simply go online to www. entertainmentbook.com.au/ orderbooks/87306p or call Ruth on 9324 3703.
Corporates roll up their sleeves Towards the end of 2013, three of our clients received some much needed assistance from some well known WA businesses. Western Power, Volunteering WA and Woodside Energy got stuck in and assisted Deb, Claire and Caroline by providing garden makeovers for our clients just in time for Christmas. The groups’ tasks ranged from weeding and raking to the installation of a reticulation system and the laying of paving and turf in what resembled an episode of “Extreme Makeover-Garden Edition”. Over 35 employees provided approximately 245 hours assistance over the festive season, leaving big beautiful smiles on the faces of our clients. Breast Cancer Care WA would like to thank Western Power as well as Volunteering WA and Woodside Energy who worked so hard to make sure our clients were happy with their finished gardens. Spirit Newsletter March 2014 l Page 5
Upcoming Fundraisers
Fundraising Champions We are incredibly grateful to receive the support from the WA community who organise events of all different shapes and sizes. The continuous show of support is incredible and helps us to assist so many women, men and their families. We are pleased to share some of the results from recent community events below.
Jump for Jane tandem skydive –October 25 & 26 After an exciting 2013 Jump for Jane where 24 people undertook a tandem skydive over the Perth CBD and raised over $38,000, we are pleased to announce that Jump for Jane will run over 2 days this year.
Thank you to our amazing fundraisers • Paella Night – raised $17,062 • Carnarvon Goes Bare – raised $8,460 • Debi and Nic’s 100km Walk – raised $2,937
Who is Jane? Jane was a valued member of the Breast Cancer Care WA board who lost her battle in January 2013, but this event is about helping your Jane with her fight against breast cancer. Jane could be your Aunty, your sister, Jane could even be you. Have the jump of your life and raise money to support all of the Jane’s too. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today!
Breaststrokeathon
Colin’s Antarctic Ice Marathon Congratulations to Colin who completed the Antarctic Ice Marathon on November 20, 2013. That’s 42.2km of ice and snow, an average wind chill temperature of minus 20C and to top it off, the event takes place at an altitude of 700 metres. Colin found himself fighting against winds that blew from the Pole at a steady 1025 knots and had to rely upon his own willpower to push onward in the hushed and amazing surroundings. He said “my mum had breast cancer very young (late 30s) and my wife’s aunty has also suffered with it. Both have recovered now, but it’s something you never forget about.”
When a family like the Touzels rally together, they do a pretty amazing job. Not only in supporting wife and mum Ali in going through her breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, but also in coming together for a fundraiser to shave their heads and raise money to help others. When husband Trev announced that he was going to take up the challenge his four children, family and friends and Ali herself all wanted to be part of it too. A big thank you and congratulations on raising $3,027.
May 25
Registrations are now open for the 2014 HBF Run for a Reason. This fun event is suitable for everyone with a 4km or 12km race and you can enter as an individual or a team. The day has a fantastic atmosphere with everyone involved running, jogging or walking for a cause they believe in.
Movie Night fundraiser
Last year 26 participants raised $23,000 for Breast Cancer Care WA through online fundraising. If your New Year’s resolution was to get fit and to help others, then we can’t think of any better motivation than to take part and support women on their breast cancer journey.
Enjoy drinks, cupcakes and join in the raffle from 6:00pm with the movie screening at 7:00pm. A cash bar will be available in the cinema prior to and throughout the movie with $1 from every drink purchased being donated to Breast Cancer Care WA.
To find out how to run for Breast Cancer Care WA contact Jo Jo@breastcancer.org.au
Visit www.breastcancer.org.au to find out more or contact Gemma Gemma.hamilton@gmail.com
The Monument Men –March 19 Love a movie? Then grab your friends and come along to VMAX cinemas Innaloo on March 19 for a special screening of The Monuments Men.
On Sunday December 1, two young teams took on a six hour breaststroke relay challenge simultaneously at Arena Joondalup and Claremont Pool.
From the Library
review. “In every situation I look for the sunshine above the storm clouds and count the positives rather than wasting time on the negatives”.
The Cureageous Pinks, consisting of Ben, James, Ross and Luciano, completed 400+ laps and raised over $3,000 whilst the Strawberries and Cream girls, Sophie, Eryn, Kate and Olivia swam over 300 laps and raised a massive $4,000!
“Climbing mountains”
Australian and International websites and email addresses can be found at the back of this handy sized publication.
Taking on this challenge was of personal significance to Sophie.
Colin has raised $6,482 for Breast Cancer Care WA.
Touzel Family
To find out more and to register, visit www.breastcancer.org.au or contact Deida on 9324 3703 or Deida@breastcancer.org.au
HBF Run for a Reason
My mum inspired me to do the swim because at the start of the year she got diagnosed with breast cancer. When I saw this I thought it would be good fun, good for charity and a good swim.” We are so impressed to see such enthusiastic young people being involved in helping out their community.
- A young woman’s journey through breast cancer. By Stacey Charbachi Young author Stacey was twenty eight, married and a mother of two when she received a breast cancer diagnosis shortly after the birth of her second child. This heart-felt and honest account of Stacey’s breast cancer journey enables the reader to travel alongside this brave and inspirational young woman - and what a journey it proved to be! Throughout the book it is very clear that Stacey’s unshakeable spiritual belief not only gave her comfort, but the courage to climb those proverbial mountains that stood before her.
A myriad of physical issues are faced and addressed. To name a few; treatments, fears of early menopause, body image, loss of health, sexuality and being fit and well for her family. Stacey shares with the reader her insights of her most intimate emotions and fears, which will not only help, but give encouragement and inspiration to get through those dark days. I would like to share with you a sentence in this book, (page 106) that came to my notice on compiling this
In conclusion, Stacey you have climbed your highest mountain with dignity and courage. May your future life’s path be a hop, a skip and a jump with lots of laughter and sunshine along the way. Reviewed by Clarisse Jennings Librarian, Volunteer, Breast Cancer Survivor and Spiritual Healer
Clarisse Jennings Librarian, breast cancer survivor and volunteer
Spirit Newsletter March 2014 l Page 7
Are your affairs in order? Choosing your perfect volunteer role has never been easier Thanks to our new website, you can now see at a glance all of the current opportunities to get involved as a Breast Cancer Care WA volunteer. Whether you’re interested in client transport, hosting a stall at a community day, office based events preparation, fundraising and events, practical assistance or guest speaking, we have it all. Why not use your skills, learn some new ones, meet some new people and support families affected by breast cancer in WA in the process? When you visit www.breastcancer.org.au and head to “current opportunities” on the volunteer page, you will see all of the current roles, when and where they are taking place and how much of your time is needed. The best part is you can sign up to help with just the click of a button! You can also see photographs from past events, read volunteer testimonials and register to receive the exclusive volunteer newsletter, delivered to your door.
Wills can sometimes include some bizarre instructions, but all too often there isn’t a Will in place at all. If you fail to leave a Will, you may leave a mess for others to untangle, so it is better by far to be organised, write a Will and update it often. Having taken care of family and friends, think too about your other family, Breast Cancer Care WA. A bequest left in your Will is a gift that only starts doing its wonderful work after your passing. It will cost you nothing in your lifetime and will help women who are yet to be born. For more information on how you can include Breast Cancer Care WA please visit www.breastcancer.org.au for the correct clause to include in your Will or contact Kathy Kane our Community Relations Manager on 9324 3703 or Kathy@breastcancer.org.au, she would love to hear from you.
Our volunteers are vital as they provide essential help, support and their time to realise our vision. So if you can spare some time then please visit the volunteer page of our website and get involved.
Purple Boots Hit the Road The Purple BOOT Brigade will kick off 2014 by sharing the ‘be breast aware’ message at the IFAP’s Women in Mining Health & Safety Expo and Curtin University’s Staff Health and Wellness Expo. You can help us to get this message out and educate about the importance of breast awareness by ‘liking’ the Purple BOOT Brigade Facebook page where you can ‘share’ important breast cancer information to help stamp out breast cancer.
Give a home to Smokey One of our amazing volunteers Teresa has donated four copies of her children’s book “Smokey” and each comes with a cute, cuddly Smokey toy as well, all for just $15. Please contact us on info@breastcancer.org.au or 9324 3703 to purchase. Breast Cancer Care WA, 1034 Wellington Street, West Perth WA 6005 l (08) 9324 3703 info@breastcancer.org.au l www.breastcancer.org.au
Facebook Keep up to date with all the latest news at Breast Cancer Care WA by liking our Facebook page. Simply visit www.facebook.com/ BreastCancerCareWA
Save the trees! Help us save the trees and printing costs by signing up to receive our newsletter by email, update your details via our website at http://www.breastcancer.org.au/ get-involved/how-you-can-help/joinour-mailing-list.aspx.