Betty magazine October 2018. Issue 4

OCTOBER 2018 / ISSUE 4

summer’s HOTTEST TRENDS

In the spotlight:

TEEN MENTAL HEALTH

THE TRUTH ABOUT

s e l b a t injec GETTING YOUR KIDS TO DITCH THE SCREEN Pink Ribbon Brunch

FEATURE

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welcome I strongly believe that my journalism career began when I was 10 years old, when I was given my first padlocked diary — a private space where I could share my innermost thoughts as a young female.

Little did I know then that I would form a fulfilling career sharing the richly diverse stories of women through Betty magazine and my various other journalistic pursuits, creating little worlds for women to escape into where the dialogue was just for them.

As my emotions, ponderings and dreams began to trickle out onto the diary page through the end of my pen, my inquisitive mind was nurtured and I wondered if other girls had the same thoughts as me. I explored this notion through reading many different magazines, but the most profound experience through it all was this passion I developed for hearing women’s stories, and my desire to share them.

This edition of Betty magazine is all about sharing women’s stories, capturing their essence through words and photography.

Imagine the emotional and physical turmoil from having to go through a preventative double mastectomy due to having the BRCA2 gene. More than just an operation for Mardi Mandersloot, losing her breasts was also the loss of the ability to breastfeed — a bonding experience she treasured with her only child Jaxson — and the loss of an important part of her physical femininity. Read her story from page 79.

Look beyond the sleeve of impeccably designed tattoos to the even more fascinating story behind them. Shepparton tattoo artist Cristen Brunner has taken a lifelong love of art, where she has been seldom without a pencil in hand, and turned it into a flourishing and successful career. Read from page 15.

There is no greater anguish for a mother than witnessing their child suffer, and for some there are happy endings while for others there are not. Two local mothers share their stories of coping with their daughter’s demons, one with an eating disorder and one who tragically took her own life. Read from page 38.

As I embark on the next beautiful chapter in my own journey as a woman, as a soon-to-be mother, I have never felt more passionate about women and the need to share their stories. I look forward to the new insights into womanhood that I will gain, and the next stories ahead that I will be inspired to tell.

Happy reading and goodbye for the next little while!

Damita Lamont Editor

Cover shot Photographer: Isabella Pellegrino Photo

contact us Editor Damita Lamont 5820 3183 damita.lamont@sheppnews.com.au

Advertising Aaron Brown, Leesa Haeusler, Lisa Ryan Tae Jana Pollack, Leonie Limosani 5820 3188 advertise@sheppnews.com.au

Writers Jessica Ball, Alana Christensen

Sub-editors Sandy Lloyd, Wendy Russell

Design Alysha Bathman

Advertising Design Bella Considine, Alysha Bathman

Photography Megan Fisher, Samantha Coles, Alana Christensen, Liz Mellino Isabella Pellegrino Photo

Published by Shepparton News PO Box 204, Shepparton, Victoria, 3632 (03) 5820 3183

magazines@sheppnews.com.au betty magazine is published by Shepparton Newspapers Pty Ltd (ABN 044-406-946) at the registered office, Goulburn Valley Hwy, Kialla, 3631

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betty

October 2018

“

I am proudly independent and dedicated to championing the needs of our community.

Stand with me, together we can achieve even more.

“

FOR AN INDEPENDENT SHEPPARTON DISTRICT www.suzannasheed.com.au Authorised by Dr Peter Eastaugh, Shepparton.

Fashion photoshoot suppliers Photographer: Isabella Pellegrino Photo Hair: Lavish Hair, Shepparton Make-up: Lavish Beauty by Stacey, Shepparton Venue: Terminus Hotel, Shepparton Clothing and accessories: Arcade Fashions, Shepparton; Pampens Boutique, Mooroopna; Shop 221, Shepparton; Traffik Boutique, Shepparton.

Footwear: Evans Shoes, Shepparton.

Models: Jennifer Butler and Renae Looby.

Jennifer: Navy Jump dress, $164.95, Shop 221. Red suede Tony Bianco heels, $179.95, Evans Shoes.

15

24 contents

38

59

10

betty

October 2018

41

79

The art of tattoos

15

Far from frozen

19

Battling endometriosis

24

Endo facts and figures

28

Focus on fitness

34

Fallout with food

38

In suicide’s shadow

41

Teen mental health

45

Kids’ fitness

52

Fashion heats up

59

Beauty trends

70

Summer hair

75

Life with BRCA2

79

Pink Ribbon Brunch

83

summer

The taste of

entertaining

Whether they are alcoholic or virgin, entertaining family and friends in the sun is always better with a cocktail in hand.

Why not take a trip to Spain with jug of sangria or spend a moment in Mexico with margaritas or enjoy a nergroni or a whisky sour?

But there's nothing more refreshing than a mojito on a hot summer's day.

Follow this quick and easy recipe and you will be sipping on a mint and lime infused cocktail in no time.

Ingredients: 50 ml white rum half a lime

handful of fresh mint leaves 2 tsp sugar

ž cup of crushed ice

soda water, to fill glass mint sprig, to garnish

lime wedge, to garnish Method: 1. Cut the lime into wedges and squeeze them in the glass. Add the sugar and gently muddle together.

2. Bruise the mint leaves by clapping them between your palms and drop them in the glass.

3. Half fill the glass with crushed ice, add the rum and stir. Hold the rum and you have got yourself a mocktail. Then top with soda water.

4. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a wedge of lime.

Photographer: Isabella Pellegrino Photo.

Hair: Lavish Hair, Shepparton.

Make-up: Lavish Beauty by Stacey, Shepparton.

Venue: Terminus Hotel, Shepparton.

Renae: Dusty pink Bardot bodysuit, $49.99; Bardot culottes, $89.99, all Traffik Boutique.

betty October 2018

11

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entertaining

In Chinese culture eating is a communal experience and inspired by this, Mooroopna’s Yiche restaurant has an emphasis on sharing.

Presented on one-of-a-kind ceramics, handmade by chef and owner Brian Anderson, each meal is designed to be shared.

“Chinese restaurants are always really relaxed — you can let your hair down and enjoy yourself with friends and family,” Brian said.

Despite its distinct Asian flavour, the Yiche menu is not traditional by any means.

Instead Brian focuses on highlighting seasonal vegetables and fruits straight from the family farm, including mustard greens grown in his mum Evelyn’s garden.

“We don’t follow recipes,” he said.

“It’s about the best ingredients we have and working out how to best utilise them.

“We just try to make it taste good — we don’t spend too much time on presentation.”

Brian’s modern approach to his trade gives space for creativity — crafting a menu jam-packed with classics as well as a ‘surprise me’ banquet celebrating fresh produce.

“We’re doing something other Chinese places aren’t,” he said.

“We give people the option to try something different.”

Clockwise from top: Smoked salmon with gel soy balls and homemade mayonnaise. Marinated and seared venison strip, with crispy noodle seaweed, soy bean and pickled radish salad.

Red braised pork belly.

Banquet dining | $50 per person | 12 courses 77 McLennan Street, Mooroopna | 5825 1001 | yicherestaurant.com.au

betty October 2018

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CRICOS Provider 00115M DC35462 10/18

profile

Making her

mark

STORY: ALANA CHRISTENSEN PHOTOGRAPHY: SAMANTHA COLES

When you see Shepparton tattoo artist Cristen Brunner's work, you'd be forgiven for thinking you're looking at a photograph.

betty October 2018

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profile

Covered in tattoos herself, Cristen’s love for the body art stemmed from a passion for art that she developed as a child.

“Mum always said that from the moment I was old enough to hold a pencil, I never put it down,” the 32-year-old said.

Now having opened a tattoo shop with her sister Jenna, the Shepparton local said she had finally been able to fully throw herself into her art.

A fully female-staffed shop — by accident not design — Cristen agrees that although the women-only staff in the High St shop may be an anomaly in the industry, the art always speaks for itself.

With growing interest and acceptance of tattoos, the tattoos can not only be beautiful, but also deeply personal and meaningful.

“I did some portraits for a man whose dad and siblings had unfortunately passed, so that was quite an emotional one for him and he teared up when we finish, so it was a nice feeling that we could do that for him,” Cristen said.

“I think that’s probably why I lean more towards portraiture, because it’s a little bit more than just a tattoo. It can be stressful, but it’s also life changing,” With the interest in tattoos rising due to social media, it’s no longer just fresh-faced 18-year-olds that Cristen finds herself tattooing in the chair.

People from all walks of life are now getting permanent ink, which ranges from a delicate name on the inside of the wrist, to intricate pieces on arms, legs and backs.

Tattoo artist Cristen Brunner tattoos Shae Orlandi.

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October 2018

profile

“There’s a huge cross section of customers nowadays. We have people from 18 all the way to 72-year-olds,” she said.

“I actually had a few gentlemen around the 65-year-old mark getting their first tattoos and going for quite big pieces, so that’s been interesting to see. They get just as excited as the 18-year-olds do.

“You get really diverse and different people coming in.”

With anything that’s permanent, Cristen said the work can lend an extra degree of pressure to the job, but it’s something that she quickly learns to deal with.

“There’s not much room for error but you sort of can’t think about that side of it,” she said.

Through the hours of sketching, consultation and actual tattooing, there’s one moment that keeps Cristen going.

''

“It’s the person’s face when they’re rapt with the result that makes it so worthwhile.”

There’s not much room for error but you sort of can’t think about that side of it.”

– Cristen Brunner

betty October 2018

17

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Every customer who spends $499 or more also receives a $100 Stephens Jewellers store money voucher*.

Shepparton Marketplace. Shop 24, Benalla Road. Ph: (03) 5821 1059 | Shepparton. 52 Fryers Street. Ph: (03) 5821 3361 | Echuca. 133 Hare Street. Ph: (03) 5480 1696 *Terms & Conditions: To enter the draw, a customer must spend $199 or more in a single transaction during the promotional period at one of the Stephens Jewellers stores (Located in Shepparton or Echuca VIC). Promotional Period is 01.10.18 - 11.11.18. Multiple entries allowed with any future transactions. One entry will be selected at random as the winner. The winner will receive a pair of 9ct Yellow Gold 0.15ct TDW Argyle White Stud Earrings, valued at $499 RRP. Every customer who spends $499 or more in a single transaction will also receive a $100 Stephens Jewellers store money voucher to use on a future purchase. The store money voucher expires 5.30pm 24/12/18 and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

health

Look fabulous, not frozen STORY: JESSICA BALL

The duck lips and frozen faces flashing across the television screen are enough to swear anyone off cosmetic procedures, even when it comes to non-invasive and temporary injectables.

Betty magazine sat down with Dr Stephen Hook from Shepparton Skin Clinic to debunk some of the common myths in the world of anti-wrinkle injections and fillers.

betty October 2018

19

health

Myth

Fact

Myth Anti-wrinkle injections are not safe.

Fact Anti-wrinkle injections are actually very safe. Like any medical procedure there are risks and potential side effects but patients are always warned of the possible bleeding, bruising, an eyelid droop or double vision. While it depends where the injection is going, the risk of double vision or an eyelid droop is quite low.

Myth Anti-wrinkle injections give you a frozen expression.

Fact There are certain rules a doctor has to follow when administering anti-wrinkle injections and if done correctly should not result in an expressionless look.

Each patient is different and an experienced injector will see where the muscles are and work out the best spot to put the injections for the individual.

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October 2018

health

Myth

Myth

Anti-wrinkle injections are only done for cosmetic reasons.

It's best to start having anti-wrinkle injections early in life.

Fact They are also used for a lot of medical reasons. The Shepparton Skin Clinic often does anti-wrinkle injections for people suffering with neck spasms, muscle spasms, migraines, torticollis and clenching of the jaw, while they can also effectively combat sweaty armpits.

Myth Fillers are forever.

Fact Fillers are not permanent.

Dr Hook prefers to use a middle acting filler which usually lasts four to six months. After this time the fillers will wear off and the area will go back to the way it was before the procedure.

Fact It an individual choice.

Anti-wrinkle injections can be used as a preventative measure or when a few lines are starting to show.

However the longer a person has injections the more lines will diminish, while when a middle-aged person has deep lines the procedure will not make them go away completely.

Myth Fillers and anti-wrinkle injections cannot give you a normal, natural look.

Fact The important thing is not to overdo it. An experienced injector will help improve your area of concern but will not recommend anything over the top. Dr Hook said the rule was people should notice you look good but they should not realise you have had something done.

Myth Only vain people get anti-wrinkle injections or fillers.

Fact When a person's appearance is affecting their self-esteem to a point where they do not want to be in photographs or go out socialising, anti-wrinkle injections or fillers can have a hugely positive impact on their selfconfidence.

Myth Fillers are only used for lips.

Fact Fillers can be used almost anywhere on the face, including the cheeks and the sides of the eyes.

The most popular places are the tear troughs, the nasolabial folds and the marionettes, which are where the face experiences fat loss as it ages.

betty October 2018

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endometriosis

Speaking up against a

silent disease STORIES: ALANA CHRISTENSEN

Despite a history as an undiagnosed, hidden and often overlooked chronic disease, endometriosis sufferers are increasingly finding their voice.

Affecting one in 10 women across the country, the battle for recognition is continuing, yet awareness, access to treatment and empowerment among sufferers has never been greater.

betty October 2018

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endometriosis

Although taken by surprise when a mix-up revealed she has endometriosis, Ebony Tonks considers herself one of the lucky ones. Photo: Megan Fisher

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October 2018

endometriosis

Battle against pain continues When 23-year-old Ebony Tonks picked up her contraceptive pill from a pharmacy, she didn’t expect to discover she’d been living with the chronic disease endometriosis.

Having been on the pill for seven years, it was only a swap to the pharmacy’s generic brand that saw the disease’s symptoms revealed.

“Within a couple of weeks the pain was excruciating. I couldn’t sit, stand. I just went ‘that’s not right’,” she said.

“It was a gradual build-up. The pain was like being stabbed. It got to the point I was in constant pain.”

Although having presented with symptoms when she first got her period at 11, Ebony said she didn’t receive the diagnosis until years later.

“I’d have my period twice in a month and then not for three months,” she said.

“Once the pain was so bad I nearly fainted at school.”

When she was put on the pill at 15, she said her symptoms went away and her periods became more regular — until she went on a generic pill in August last year.

“After that, we couldn’t mask the symptoms,” she said.

What followed was a long round of referrals, laparoscopies and battling with insurers to ensure she received her surgery.

Just to deal with the pain Ebony was put on high-strength pain medication Tramadol.

Despite the hope that surgery would fix the problem, Ebony said that while it had eased the pain, it did not resolve her problems.

With stress causing flare-ups of her endometriosis and pain, Ebony said managing her workload and commitments had become increasingly important to keeping herself well.

“Sometimes I’m good, other times I’m up all night with pain,” she said.

“It’s not like a broken arm, you can’t see it.”

Now on the Mirena IUD and the pill to manage symptoms, Ebony said she was relieved to have some respite from the pain.

“It sucks your energy and you just get tired a lot quicker,” she said.

Although still facing challenges, Ebony recognises that she is luckier than most endometriosis sufferers.

And, with knowledge and research growing in recent years, her story is becoming an increasingly common one.

“I hope future women are all as lucky as me and can even be diagnosed quicker than me,” Ebony said.

“It’s a long time to be having pain and not knowing what it is.”

“It would knock me out, that’s how strong it was,” she said.

Even after receiving her surgery in February, managing the chronic disease is a continual battle.

betty October 2018

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endometriosis

It’s not normal “It’s just bad period pain.”

A sentence uttered to many an endometriosis sufferer, these words ring hollow to people living with the harsh and painful reality of the chronic disease.

Although the word endometriosis may be well recognised, there continues to be issues understanding this common disease in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the womb in other parts of the body.

Despite one in 10 women suffering with endometriosis at some point in their life, issues including varied symptoms, differing degrees of pain and not being believed mean that it takes the average woman between seven and 12 years to be diagnosed, making the battle to be recognised a long and draining one.

Yet, this is something that is changing.

While the stories of women who have been dealing with undiagnosed endometriosis for decades cast a dark shadow, they have helped to pave the way for a new generation of women who are experiencing more awareness and knowledge, along with lower waiting times and better accessibility to support and treatment services.

With symptoms ranging from severe pain to, at worst, difficulty falling pregnant, for many women the diagnosis is just the beginning.

For Jenny*, her journey with endometriosis has been marred by the fact that medical practitioners did not understand the severity of her symptoms.

Despite surgery discovering her

endometriosis more than 10 years ago, a treatment plan was not a simple next step.

“Even then I wasn’t believed by doctors that it was a problem,” she said.

“Between when I had that original surgery and when I was actually properly diagnosed was a long journey.”

Although having spent the past year carefully researching and doing what she could to manage her endometriosis, nothing has made the pain subside, making the need for more surgery increasingly likely.

“The pain is coming back and it doesn’t seem to matter too much what I do. I’m feeling a bit anxious that that’s getting to that point now,” she said.

For Lisa*, Jenny’s story is a familiar one.

She too experienced two decades without a diagnosis before her severe stage four endometriosis was diagnosed and she underwent a five-hour surgery.

As a teenager she was told by doctors that her excruciating experience was nothing unusual.

“It’s just bad period pain, try the pill,” she recalls being told.

“I just suffered … you just think that’s normal.

It’s defined my life.

“Everything I look back on — holidays, everything. I couldn’t do some things

because I was in pain.”

While for many older sufferers of endometriosis these stories are the norm, growing public and workplace understanding of the disease is seeing attitudes change.

The next generation of endometriosis sufferers have been able to be diagnosed faster, as GPs and specialists become better at spotting the signs.

*Names changed.

Support group Shepparton Women’s Health Clinic on Corio St runs a monthly support group for endometriosis sufferers.

The free session is held on the last Wednesday evening of each month and includes guest speakers who discuss a number of different topics.

Anyone who has proven endometriosis can attend.

Numbers are limited so phone Shepparton Women’s Health Centre on 5821 3555 to secure a place.

betty October 2018

27

endometriosis

No need to suffer

alone

After more than 20 years as a practising obstetrician and gynaecologist, Shepparton Women's Health Centre's Dr Margareet Stegeman has seen it all.

With a growing awareness surrounding endometriosis, Dr Stegeman said the “very diverse” disease was now better acknowledged and understood than ever before.

“Even in me it’s changed; as I’ve experienced more, I’d say the threshold for doing a laparoscopy has changed for the better,” she said.

Able to recognise the signs better, Dr Stegeman said she was more willing to conduct laparoscopies (a medical procedure used to examine the interior of the abdominal or pelvic cavity using a slender tube with a camera) to diagnose, or rule out, endometriosis.

“Twenty years ago I would have been more reluctant … but even being able to rule it out is very important.”

With one in 10 women suffering from the chronic disease, endometriosis affects a large portion of the population.

Despite this, Dr Stegeman said in the past it had rarely received the acknowledgement patients deserved.

1 in 10 women suffers from endometriosis

“I think women still have trouble attracting attention for issues … they’ve never been able to pull as hard and get the same attention as men because they’re still underrepresented where decisions are being made,” she said.

“But women are getting more health literate and pushing harder … none of this mucking about for 10 years.”

While it can be difficult to determine whether symptoms are simply period pain or something more serious, Dr Stegeman said a general rule is that if a heat pack or Panadol doesn’t ease pain, or if your period makes it difficult for you or someone in

WHAT IS ENDOMETRIOSIS? Endometriosis is a common disease in which the tissue that is similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside the womb in other parts of the body.

Ten per cent of women suffer with endometriosis at some point in their life but

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October 2018

it often starts in the teenage years.

Symptoms vary between women, which contributes to the current seven to 10-year delay in diagnosis.

Common symptoms include pelvic pain

that puts life on hold around or during your period and can damage your fertility.

Endometriosis most often affects reproductive organs. It can also affect the bowel, bladder and other organs near the pelvic cavity.

endometriosis

your life to function, it’s possible that you’re experiencing endometriosis.

For teens suffering from severe period pain — on average 15 to 20 per cent — Dr Stegeman said if the pill was unable to resolve their symptoms, as many as half will usually have endometriosis.

For those with a first-degree family member — a child, sibling or parent — who has been diagnosed with endometriosis, the likelihood jumps to 70 or 80 per cent.

With research ongoing, more time and investment is being put into determining factors and markers, with the ultimate intention of developing a test to detect endometriosis without having to conduct a laparoscopy.

An international study by the World Endometriosis Research Foundation estimates significant savings for sufferers, with the financial cost of endometriosis estimated at more than $12 000 on average every year for each woman with endometriosis.

A large portion of that cost is attributed to ongoing medical care, with treatment an ever-changing mix of approaches.

getting pregnant slightly more challenging, Dr Stegeman said women could absolutely still get pregnant naturally.

“If you have endometriosis you can still get pregnant, it might just be that it’s reduced your chances ever so slightly or will take you a little bit longer (to conceive naturally),” she said.

“Sometimes it’s a little bit less successful, but there’s certainly an element of ‘this doesn’t work, this is the next step’.”

As awareness grows, Dr Stegeman said being able to discuss experiences, challenges and just everyday problems with fellow sufferers was a valuable experience.

“It’s very good to know you’re not alone.”

From counselling and mindfulness, to treating with pain medication and hormone treatments, the approach is multi-disciplined.

Progesterone pills, a hormone that helps to prevent the overgrowth in the lining of the uterus, are also used to help ease symptoms, as well as other hormone treatments including IUDs and contraceptive implants as needed.

Ultimately, surgery will help to end the pain experienced by some patients, but it is often just a brief respite for others.

Despite endometriosis sometimes making

Photo: Liz Mellino

HOW IS THE DIAGNOSIS MADE? The only way that the diagnosis of endometriosis can be made is to undergo a laparoscopy and have a biopsy (tissue sample) taken. A laparoscopy is a surgical procedure, performed under a general anaesthetic, during which a thin telescope

is placed into the belly button. This allows your doctor to see inside the abdomen and assess the organs of the pelvis and abdomen.

A laparoscopy can magnify the tissues and even small amounts of disease can be seen. Tissue that is thought to contain

endometriosis is removed at the time of the laparoscopy and sent to a pathologist to be viewed under a microscope to confirm the diagnosis.

Source: Endometriosis Australia

betty October 2018

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As a large health service provider, GV Health offers exciting careers in a variety of areas such as medical, nursing and allied health fields. We also employ professionals from diverse backgrounds for our shared services departments such as finance, information services, information technology, communications, human resources, kitchen and support services and facilitates management.

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Our team prides itself on delivering patient-centred care.

If you would like to work with us, take a look at our vacancies or register to receive job alerts by visiting www.gvhealth.org.au/ careers/current-vacancies/

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ort and training to ensure they have the ills to enter the workplace. We understand s staffing and business needs and work to deliver the right person every time.

to achieve them and link them to acti the local community. endometriosis

Transition to Work

Taking action against Initiative to support young people age e to employment through practical supp endometriosis to build skills, confidence and readine able recruitment service tailored to suit the

employers and job pride ourselves The seekers. increasingWe awareness of endometriosis has seen the announcement of the country’s fi rst national action plan for the chronic disease. k ready candidates, so our expert staff makes Second Chance eekers have the right skills and strengths.

We The National Endometriosis Steering understanding of the condition, both The $4.7 million five-year plan is aimed at amongstand the public and the medical improving treatment and and understanding, ur employers staffing business needs Group will oversee the implementation of an alt Specifically designed to provide community,” Federal Health Minister Greg developing better diagnostic and treatment the National Action Plan during the next atively tooptions deliver the right person every time.

Hunt said at the announcement of theprogram plan forsupported job seekers and speeding up diagnosis. five years, by an initialbefore $1 million the co in August. investment.

Endometriosis often causes debilitating with legal representatives, emp “For the first time, patients will be ableclosely to pain and can lead to mental health An additional $1 million has been take part in a co-ordinated national research support services to identify job and e raining complications, social and economic stress committed to supporting GPs and other platform for endometriosis to develop and infertility. frontline health professionals through better diagnostic options, better treatments and prepare candidates for these role better access to educational resources about “Patients have historically experienced and work towards the development of a xible alternative to due employing cure.” endometriosis. poor clinical care, to a low level ofan apprentice rough Group Training we employ the apprentice they are then hosted out to employers who are teaching them the skills required to complete ion. We look after all the paperwork and let on their business.

SYMPTOMS 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

Fatigue.

Pain that stops you on or around your period.

Pain on or around ovulation.

Pain during or after sex.

Pain with bowel movements.

Pain when you urinate.

Pain in your pelvic region, lower back or legs.

Having trouble holding on when you have a full bladder, or having to urinate frequently.

9. Heavy menstrual bleeding or irregular bleeding.

Remember: Being uncomfortable when you have a period is normal, pain that stops life is not normal.

TEN ENDOMETRIOSIS FACTS 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

There is no cure.

Teenagers are not too young to have endometriosis.

Endometriosis cannot be prevented.

Endometriosis does not always cause infertility.

Period pain is not normal.

Hysterectomy does not cure endometriosis.

Becoming pregnant does not cure endometriosis.

Endometriosis can only be correctly diagnosed via surgical intervention.

9. Pain levels are not related to the extent of damage caused by the disease.

10. Endometriosis is not a sexually transmitted infection. You cannot catch it.

As a parent, each day you actively manage your time, solve problems and negotiate.

With the help of CVGTs ParentsNext Shepparton team, you can learn how these skills can be transferred into your next job.

ParentsNext is a program for parents with young children under the age of six years aimed at helping you prepare for your future employment, by the time your youngest child reaches school age.

To find out more about ParentsNext call 13 CVGT or visit cvgt.com.au Conditions apply

13 CVGT or visit cvgt.com.au/our-programs

Source: Endometriosis Australia betty October 2018

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GOOD PEOPLE GREAT RESULTS

CELEBRATING TWO YEARS AS THE LEADING TEAM OUTSTANDING SALES RESULTS

GERALD’S 10 YEAR MILESTONE

DARREN’S HUGE RURAL SUCCESS

According to Domain and REA statistics, the GSRE sales team have secured the leading team in the local area, with strong growth and consistent great results; far exceeding the previous year.

Director Gerald Sabri hit 10 years in Real Estate in June!

His diligent, passionate & efficient approach as well as his likable personality, has seen him excel as one the youngest, proven Licensed Real Estate agents in the local area!

Despite difficult dairy times, 2018 has been a success for Director Darren Scott.

Securing HUGE rural results for our Numurkah branch, including the iconic Ulupna Island Station has ensured he continues to be the local leader.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT What do you look for in a Property Management team?

An agency with proven Property Managers.

An agency with a reputation that precedes them.

An agency that knows The Goulburn Valley better than anyone.

We offer all three.

Our objective, always, is to lease your property promptly, to high calibre tenants, and maximise your rental return.

Property management is about people; those who manage your valuable investment, and those who live in it.

We get that.

www.gagliardiscott.com.au

182 High St, Shepparton | 0358 31 1800

COMMERCIAL The Goulburn Valley is the heart of a thriving agricultural district and it has attracted significant infrastructure spending.

Shepparton has emerged booming in recent years, to possibly lead the way of regional centres outside of Melbourne.

Huge infrastructure spending from the government in the GV has certainly injected unprecedented confidence in the area including; $2 billion into GV Connections, $170 million + GV Health, $70 million + new Court House, $50 million new SAM Art Museum and a future $43 million railway being the main contributions.

OUR NUMURKAH TRIO Lead by Chief Darren Scott, our leading Numurkah office located at 70 Melville Street is home to our dairy, rural lifestyle and Numurkah residential listings.

Sales Executive Brett McKeown has made a huge name for himself in his first 2 years of real estate, continuing his ongoing fantastic relationships with the local community and exceeding sales goals!

Finally, Sarah is our lovely Numurkah receptionist, who will be your first port of call by phone or face to face!

Proven results, local people and exceptional local knowledge.

The Commercial Industrial Real Estate has really benefited from this with sales in both sectors, well and truly exceeding set expectations, with industrial building and land in short supply.

Commercial investment properties have achieved extraordinary results with out of area purchasers from Asia, Melbourne and Perth all looking at strong Blue Chip Investment. With Super Amart and Australia Post achieving huge results, and recently the FIX building on Corio Street has certainly reinforced confidence in the GV.

www.gagliardiscott.com.au

70 Melville St, Numurkah | 0358 31 1800

fitness

Make an exercise appointment When it comes to keeping in shape, getting started can be the hardest thing.

Whether your desire to get moving is about maintaining your fitness level or just trying to incorporate some more exercise into your life, Aquamoves health and wellbeing work group officer Carien Hesselberg said the most important thing was to start.

With so many people living fast-paced and hectic lives, Carien said the best way to approach exercise was to treat it exactly the same as the doctor or dentist — just make an appointment.

“Just schedule in some time for you. Just find 30 minutes and find something you enjoy.

“Have a go at group fitness, try something different that you like because if you enjoy it, then it becomes easier.

“The health benefits, the mental benefits that come from just getting moving are incredible.”

Carien said whether it was a walk or a high-intensity workout, each and every form of exercise could deliver benefits and improve your lifestyle.

Aquamoves health and wellbeing work group officer Carien Hesselberg says taking time to focus on yourself is an important part of improving your overall health.

GET MOVING SQUATS

PUSH-UPS

Keeping your knees in line with your toes and your chest out, slowly bend your knees until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Squeezing through your glutes, push through the heels of your feet and return to your original position.

Squeezing your glutes and engaging your core, keeping your back and hips level, bend your elbows and lower your chest down, keeping your body straight. Slowly straighten your elbows and return to the original position.

Make easier: Use a chair and squat until you hit the edge of the chair.

Make easier: Do push-ups on your knees or against a wall.

Make harder: Jump squats.

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Make harder: Add a clap or alternating shoulder taps after each push-up.

fitness

Get the basics right Weight loss is 80 per cent nutrition and 20 per cent exercise.

It's a popular saying, and for good reason, says Aquamoves health and wellbeing work group officer Carien Hesselberg.

Putting good nutrition in place is a great first step towards improving your overall health, Carien explains.

recommended daily intake of five servings a day can be daunting, but starting your day with a vegetable serving can make it more achievable.

“The number one thing I find is either Whether it’s a handful of spinach in an people don’t eat enough so their body enters omelette or a frittata packed full of vegies, starvation mode, or they eat too much of Carien said there was a number of simple the really good stuff. Even too much healthy ways to add vegetables into your morning stuff is bad, it’s all about everything in moderation and increasing your vegie count,” routine. she said.

“If you can do that then you’ve already got one serving before you’re out the door!”

Even with a great mindset, reaching the

FRESH START Perfect for a healthy start to the morning and something that can easily be taken on the go, Carien said her go-to morning smoothie was the ideal way to start the morning with a serving of vegies.

Combine a handful each of spinach and mango, half a banana and your choice of milk, water or ice to help blend. For an added boost you can also add some protein powder before simply blending in a blender.

CHEST STRETCH

GLUTE BRIDGES Lie on the floor with your feet slightly apart. Focusing on squeezing through your glutes, raise your hips off the ground until your knees, hips and shoulders form a straight line. Keeping your abs and glutes activated, slowly lower your hips back to the starting position.

Make harder: Raise a single leg in the air. Do 10 reps and then swap legs.

Place your arm against a wall with your elbow shoulder height and step forward. The stretch should be felt through your chest and shoulder and is particularly beneficial for office workers who spend a lot of time behind a desk.

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CREATIVE, INNOVATIVE — and —

AUTHENTIC

WIN

For your chance to win an Elm outfit, simply shop in one of the Boutique on Binney stores or online and purchase an Elm garment to go in the draw.

Competition closes 30/11/18 6pm. Drawn 03/12/18.

Terms and conditions apply.

To our generous community we thankyou The GV Health Foundation is committed to raising funds to enhance the clinical and community services for everyone who live in our Goulburn Valley.

With the ever increasing demand for Hospital and Health care services, and the rapid advancement of modern medical technology, realising this goal is a never ending task.

Each year many individuals, organisations and patients give generously to the Foundation with donations, dedicated bequests and grants. One hundred percent of donations received by the Foundation are allocated to the particular areas nominated by our generous donors.

If you would like to support the Foundation please contact:

51 Fryers Street, Shepparton • (03) 5821 5827 Monday – Friday: 9.30 am – 5.30 pm Saturday: 9.30 am – 3.00 pm www.boutiqueonbinney.com.au

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GV Health, Graham Street, Shepparton Phone (03) 5832 2192 Email carmel.johnson@gvhealth.org.au

mental health

Turning the spotlight on teen trauma

BULLIES

BODY IMAGE

ANXIETY

ANOREXIA

SUICIDE STORIES: JESSICA BALL

Betty magazine is taking a no-filter look into the realities of teen mental health issues in a regional community.

We start the conversation with a candid look into the mind of a teenage eating disorder survivor and hear about the journey from her mum’s perspective.

A mother and aunt also share their gut-wrenching experience with teen suicide in the hope of helping others find the courage to speak up.

While a mental health professional provides advice for parents and lays down the facts.

This section contains information about eating disorders, suicide and other mental health conditions which may be confronting for readers.

If you or someone you know needs crisis support, phone Lifeline on 131 114 or the Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.

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mental health

Fighting back against her demons There was always another kilometre to run, a smaller portion of food or another lie, but deep down Teagan Menhenett knew she was sick.

After a fallout with friends, the then 14-year-old was grappling to regain control.

“I wanted to lose weight, I wanted to eat less because I thought that would help me lose weight and I wanted to exercise more,” Teagan said.

“I felt very out of control but I could control my food, I could try and control my weight and my exercise and that became the focus for me.”

She restricted her food intake, gradually cutting out options and obsessed over exercise. Teagan pushed her body to the limit.

“It got worse the following year and for about eight months I was quite bad,” she said.

“I lost my period; I was cold a lot of the time. I didn’t have as good concentration and I felt like I kind of zoned out a lot

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of the time, I was tired and run-down — it was so hard to do everything but I just kept pushing myself.”

“All the way though I was like ‘I don’t want to get better if getting better means getting to a healthy weight’,” she said.

She had an eating disorder, but the Arcadia teen was in denial.

“Eventually I just accepted it, I got my period back and I was starting to have better concentration and I just feel better about myself, I just felt stronger and I didn’t feel so exhausted all the time.”

Teagan’s mum Lisa realised this was not normal teenage behaviour, and after appointments with a GP and a nutritionist she was referred to headspace where Teagan was diagnosed.

“I was having the conversation with them and I was thinking ‘I don’t really need to see anyone, I’m fine’,” she said.

“I guess everyone else knew that something was going on but I couldn’t accept that.

“Eventually I thought, ‘am I just going to keep going like this, is this just going to be my life now?’,” she said.

It was hard but with the support of her family Teagan got back to a healthy weight.

“I did recognise that I did need to eat more, I just couldn’t accept that getting to a healthy weight and eating more could come together, I didn’t see that connection.

Today, Teagan is 17 and said the counselling she received had made her mentally strong to fight her demons.

“I feel a lot stronger and a lot healthier and I think I am able to look back on the journey with a lot more clarity and I can say I wasn’t in a good place then but now look how far I’ve come,” she said.

“Whilst I’ve been eating normally and

mental health

Navigating the rocky road of a child’s illness As a mum, Lisa Menhenett had always made a conscious effort not to emphasise physical beauty or label foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’. But mental health issues do not discriminate.

“All that stuff they tell you not to do, I never did that. It was never a focus in our lives,” Lisa said.

“Then all of a sudden here you are, I just thought ‘how did this happen?’,” she said.

At the age of 14, Lisa’s daughter Teagan started struggling with an eating disorder.

Lisa wishes she had realised something was wrong long before she did, but her daughter’s desire to eat a healthy diet and exercise more were not by themselves problematic.

“By its nature people who have a eating disorder are quite sneaky and they do hide things so it is easy to miss the symptoms until it is too late,” she said.

“They were not obvious, overt things but little incremental things — but they became more pronounced.

exercising normally, you still have those eating disorder thoughts.

“Counselling has been able to help me recognise when those thoughts do come, I can challenge them.”

She does not want to be defined by the eating disorder she once had, but Teagan wants to start the conversation and in the future use her experience to help others.

“I’d like to work with people who are struggling with mental health,” she said.

“I’m not someone generally to go out in the spotlight but I think it’s important to share my story because hopefully that will prompt others to do the same.

“Often people don’t feel comfortable seeking help and I think if someone is already saying ‘look I was there and I have sought help and it worked for me’, I’m hoping that other people will be able to do that.”

“She was not eating different things and was cutting stuff out of her diet and the exercising was becoming more than it needed to be.

“Her whole demeanour changed — it was consuming her, her behaviour wasn’t right for her.”

When Teagan announced she wanted to become a vegetarian, Lisa knew her behaviour was out of character.

“That was probably the point when I started to think we’re in a bit of trouble,” she said.

“I started to look more seriously at what was happening and identified that there probably was an eating disorder happening.”

It was not easy to get help, but Lisa was determined.

Under the guise of needing advice preparing nutritional food for a vegetarian teenager, the pair visited a

dietitian and, after speaking to a GP and youth mental health service headspace, Teagan was diagnosed.

For Lisa the diagnosis came as a relief — they had uncovered the problem and they could be targeted in its treatment.

In the midst of Teagan’s recovery, Lisa wanted to shut out the world and focus on preserving normal family relationships.

Lisa struggled not knowing what was happening in Teagan’s counselling sessions but with the help of family therapy she was able to differentiate between her daughter and “the foreign thing that had taken over her body”.

She said many like her would benefit from a local support group for parents whose children are fighting mental health battles.

At 17, Teagan is a survivor — but for Lisa there will always be worry.

“It’s always whispering at the back of your mind, ‘is this going to rear its head again, or is it going to manifest in a different way’— you just become that much more heightened,” Lisa said.

“I am now better equipped at recognising the things that might trigger a bit of stress or some behaviour that isn’t constructive.”

It has been a hard road, but Lisa is proud of not only how far Teagan has come with her health but her desire to not brush her experience under the carpet.

“She has worked very hard, she has persevered and she’s been amazing — it really just blows me away because at the end of the day we’re all there to support her but ultimately she has to choose to be well,” she said.

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Your Library – a place for people Activities for all ages: book club, code club, story time, community events and author visits. Come along and get crafty, or get tech smart. Become a Friend of the Library.

Use your FREE membership card at home to: • Stream stories for kids • Download eBooks, eAudiobooks and eMagazines • Stream videos Exhibition Let me be myself: the story of Ann Frank coming to Shepparton Library, December 2018 – March 2019 Read watch listen learn enjoy – we have it all!

gvlibraries.com.au 1300 374 765 Your libraries are located in: • Mooroopna • Shepparton • Tatura • Cobram • Numurkah • Nathalia • Yarrawonga • Euroa • Nagambie • Violet Town and a Mobile Library service.

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mental health

Behind the shadow of suicide The latest Justin Bieber track was usually blaring as Madi Shelton dressed up her beloved dogs Tilly and Buddy, often carrying them around in a handbag or testing them with a backyard obstacle course.

Tara McGowan (left) and Danielle Shelton remember Madi Shelton (in photoframe). Photo: Samantha Coles betty October 2018

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mental health

''

“It's just like a tidal wave — you're up, you're down.”

– Danielle Shelton

Madi was a typical teenager, always smiling and attached at the hip to best friend Lori.

She was smart, she loved animals and fashion.

But on January 8, 2012 the music stopped.

The 15-year-old took her own life.

It was the summer holidays and Madi had just finished Year 9 when her mum Danielle Shelton and aunt Tara McGowan found her lifeless.

In tragic circumstances Danielle lost her only child, a child she remembers as an animal lover with a passion for music.

“She would have had animals everywhere if she could have,” Danielle said.

“Over the years she had a horse, a turtle, cats, rabbits and they started having babies, fish, birds, hermit crabs, you name it.

“I remember after she passed away I was looking at something on the computer and she had somehow written to the council asking them for a permit so we could have more animals.”

Aunt Tara remembers a cheeky teenager who conned her Nan into walking all over Melbourne in a search for the latest Vans.

“She was always up with the latest trends,” Tara said.

“She was always stealing my clothes, I’d see her in photos and Madeline would be in one of my tops and I would think ‘ahh that’s where that is’.”

Losing someone to suicide who they wanted to protect, watch grow and chase their dreams left Danielle, Tara and grandmother Viv in shock. They expected the teenager to walk in the door at any moment.

But in the aftermath of Madi’s death, Tara knew she had to keep it together to support her sister.

Madi Shelton.

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More than six years on, the pain remains raw as the sisters sit side-by-side sharing Madi’s story.

mental health

Madi Shelton.

Each year family and friends rally to remember Madi at Lifeline's Out of the Shadows walk. Her name is read on a roll call of those who have lost their lives to suicide — a list that continues to grow each year.

“People say time heals but it doesn’t, sometimes it gets harder because people move on,” Danielle said.

“You can be down the street doing something or at work and something comes up or her favourite song comes on or something like that and every time it knocks the wind out of you.

“A couple of months ago I just couldn’t function, it was just really hard and I didn’t go to work for nearly a month, I couldn’t bear to leave the house.

“It’s just like a tidal wave — you’re up, you’re down.”

For Madi’s family, it’s the milestones she would have had, and what should be happy occasions, that are the hardest.

“Instead of looking forward to Christmas and birthdays, I dread it,” Danielle said.

“Last year Madi would have turned 21 and it’s difficult for people to understand that it doesn’t get any easier.

“I often wonder what she would look like now and what she would be doing, if she would be at uni or working.

“We always talk about what type of car she’d have and all that type of stuff.”

scenario, it really does play a massive part of your day-to-day life,” she said.

“You think if I didn’t do this, if I didn’t do that, if I hadn’t …

“You can come to terms with (other deaths), you get to say goodbye to someone if they’re sick but never ever did we expect to walk in to what we did.

“We’ll never get over it, she’ll never be replaced.”

Madi’s suicide has had a devastating impact on those her short life touched.

Danielle said without her support network — friends, family, her workplace, Father Rob from Notre Dame College and counsellor Rachel Willis — she would not be where she is today.

For Danielle, Madi’s best friend Lori is one of the few people who truly understands her heartbreak.

So inseparable, the pair often wore matching outfits and convinced people they were twins.

“Last year she asked me if I’d go away with her for her 21st because her and Madi had always said they were going to have their 21st together and they were going to go on holidays,” Danielle said.

They will never know why Madi ended her “It’s nice for us to be able to reflect and life and Danielle still struggles with the guilt. talk about Madi and have some nice time “Every day you come up with a different together.”

While society is beginning to break down the social taboo about suicide, Danielle wants to help others gain the courage to speak up about suicide and mental health.

“There’s still a long way to go and there’s a lot of stigma,” she said.

“There just seems that there is so much pressure on the kids at school and social media.

“They just don’t get away from it; it’s horrible to think the suicide rate of people is just growing so much.”

For her family, speaking Madi’s name is important and they want others to not buy into the stigma in an attempt to not upset them.

“It’s almost like music to your ears when someone mentions her,” Danielle said.

Each year on the 8th of January people drop off flowers, Danielle’s favourite slice and send cards, and the family is forever grateful for those who help them remember Madi.

“It is important for us because we never want Madi’s spirit to die,” Tara said.

“We want to talk about Madi. We miss her.

We’re just lucky we had her as long as we did.”

If you or someone you know needs crisis support, phone Lifeline on 131 114 or the Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800.

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You can depend on us 24/7!

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They can provide you with the knowledge of years of experience and support covering all aspects of animal care, including native wildlife care.

Committed to caring and excellence, SheppVets offers appointments 7 days per week including emergency after-hours service, with a fantastic nursing and reception team.

For all enquiries, please contact the team on 5821 3188

Offering two great locations: 2 Wanganui Road, Shepparton | 5821 3188 7966 Goulburn Valley Hwy, Kialla | 5823 1202

mental health

Being there for your kids When it comes to teen mental health there are times that you need to call in the experts. But headspace Shepparton general manager Caroline French says there is a lot parents can do at home.

Photo: Megan Fisher.

Betty: How should parents talk about mental health with their teenage children?

Caroline: Adolescence is a pretty tough time and a time where potential mental health issues start to evolve. Parents have a fantastic potential role to help build young people to learn to cope with difficult situations, how to self-care, how to identify emotions and how to regulate them. To do this, parents need to maintain a strong relationship with their teen so that the door is always open. A lot of young people start to withdraw at this age, which is part of adolescence development and a normal step towards independence. So it is about trying to find those opportunities to connect and maximising them as opportunities to help young people build emotional resilience.

Betty: What are the most prevalent mental health issues in teenagers?

Caroline: There are a lot of changes in adolescence regarding how young people think and feel. The parts of the brain that process emotions develop earlier than the parts of the brain that regulate emotions.

This means that young people have a lot of emotional reactivity and intense emotional response. They also spend more time in their their heads going over and over things. Both these factors contribute to depression and anxiety symptoms in young people. Also at this age young people start comparing themselves to their peers. When fitting in becomes more important than being our own person and doing what we enjoy, we make ourselves super-sensitive to differences, causing us to see them as flaws and dangers.

This is where body image issues can come in. It’s relentless — it’s not only that they are comparing themselves to their peers but they’re comparing themselves to media images and also with social media as well.

This doesn’t mean you should limit their

social media use but help them learn when to have a break. A great way to think about it is: are these images triggering thoughts of self-loathing or making me feel empowered?

Parents need to be mindful of their own body shaming — avoid fad diets and rigid exercise regimes, and instead embrace body acceptance and adopt healthy ways to look after your body. If we want young people to feel good about their bodies we need to set an example.

Betty: How do you tell the difference between typical teenage behaviour and a problem?

Caroline: Parents need to observe. When we start noticing that young people aren’t functioning as they would normally do, they’re not coping with the things they would normally cope with and/or they don’t seem to be enjoying things they used to enjoy, we need to explore further. You need to tune in and have those conversations, to develop an understanding with the young person about what is happening.

Betty: How do you approach a teenager if there is an issue?

Caroline: It’s about how you go about having those conversations. Being too direct sometimes makes them withdraw more.

You’ve got to be in a place where you are calm, available and non-judgmental. It’s about putting out those little observations that could lead to something and giving them the opportunity to respond. It’s very important not to dismiss their experiences, and for a lot of parents they might see things as an overreaction but for that young person at that time this is really important.

I think as soon as you start dismissing young peoples’ experiences you create a wall.

Ideally we want to help them develop some perspective but we’re not going to do that by dismissing what is real for them. Learn to make the most of those opportunities when

young people put out bids for connection, they usually do so in their time and not our time.

Betty: What resources can parents access if their child does need help?

Caroline: At headspace young people can have a chat about what is going on for them. Parents can ring the centre to refer their young person or get some support about how to go about those conversations.

The headspace website has some great information for family and friends to assist them. Getting the young person’s GP involved is also an important step when mental health issues are involved.

Betty: Should a parent be open about their own mental health battles?

Caroline: There’s no shame in talking these things through. I think it’s important when sharing those experiences for parents to talk about their recovery and what things were helpful, maybe what things weren’t helpful. We need to be positive — mental health issues can be treated and people can learn to manage symptoms. The goal is to always instil hope that things will get better.

Betty: Is there anything else parents need to know about teen mental health?

Caroline: Being the parents of a young person is challenging. We don’t want to rush in and fix things for young people because it undermines their problem solving — when your kids were little you were like their manager, but when they’re older you’re more like their consultant. You want to be able to help them work things out themselves, not rushing in and saving them all the time.

Mind you, the exception is when they are unwell or in danger you do need to step in.

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mental health

Arm yourself with the facts One in seven young Australians experiences a mental health condition.

These hundreds of thousands of teenagers are more than statistics — they are your children, your grandchildren or even the kid next door.

DEPRESSION

ANXIETY

About one in 35 Australians aged four to 17 have experienced a depressive disorder.

One in 14 young Australians experience an anxiety disorder.

While girls are more likely to experience depression, boys often find it harder to talk about their feelings and ask for help.

What is depression?

Depression is more than just a low mood; it is a serious condition which makes coping with day-to-day life difficult.

Someone experiencing depression may feel irritable, sad and stressed for long periods of time — weeks, months or even years.

The condition affects how they think, how they feel and what they do.

It is not uncommon for a person to worry about their depression and anxiety affecting the people they care about.

Symptoms of depression • Feelings: Being overwhelmed, guilty, irate, frustrated, lacking in confidence, unhappy, indecisive and/or sad.

• Negative thoughts: Thinking they are a failure, worthless, life is not worth living, people would be better off without them.

• Behaviours: Not wanting to socialise, not getting things done at school, withdrawing from family and friends, relying on alcohol, not doing usually enjoyable activities, unable to concentrate.

• Physical: Being tired all the time, sick and run down, headaches and muscle pains, churning gut, sleep problems, loss or change of appetite, significant weight loss or gain.

Types of depression There are a number of types of depression.

In some cases the symptoms may be less severe but longer lasting. Sometimes people with a depressive condition can lose touch with reality and experience psychosis, this is known as psychotic depression and can involve hallucinations, delusions or paranoia. While a person with bipolar disorder experiences periods of depression and periods of mania — the opposite of depression — with periods of normal mood in between.

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What is anxiety?

There are many things that can trigger anxiety, such as environment, stressful situations like school exams and trauma.

Genetics can also cause anxiety, including a family history or disturbance of brain activity.

Symptoms of anxiety The symptoms of anxiety are sometimes not all that obvious as they often develop gradually and, given everyone experiences some anxiety at some point in time, it can be hard to know how much is too much.

• Feelings: Constantly tense, nervous or on edge; worried; frightened. particularly when having to face certain objects, situations or events; dread that something bad is going to happen; uncontrollable or overwhelming panic.

• Thoughts: Having upsetting dreams or flashbacks of a traumatic event, finding it hard to stop worrying and unwanted or intrusive thoughts.

• Behaviours: Withdrawing from, avoiding or enduring with fear objects or situations, urges to perform certain rituals, not being assertive, difficulty making decisions and being startled easily.

• Physical: Increased heart rate, shortness of breath, nausea, muscle tension and pain, feeling detached from your physical self or surroundings, having trouble sleeping, sweating, shaking, dizziness, numbness or tingling, hot or cold flushes, difficulty concentrating.

Types of anxiety • Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD): Unwanted and intrusive thoughts and fears which leave the person feeling very anxious.

• Panic disorder: Panic attacks are periods of intense fear or extreme anxiety which happen suddenly or when there is no sign of danger. Physical symptoms are common in panic attacks.

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): A

person may experience difficulty relaxing, upsetting dreams or flashbacks, and avoidance of anything which reminds them of a traumatic event such as assault or accident.

• Social phobia: A person has an intense fear of being criticised, embarrassed or humiliated, even in everyday situations, such as public speaking, eating in public or making small talk.

SUICIDE More Australians aged 15 to 24 die by suicide than in car accidents.

There are many reasons that might contribute to a young person considering suicide.

Those who think about taking their life often believe nobody cares about them, they do not belong and things are hopeless. They are often exhausted by their distress and unable to think clearly through any other options.

Feelings of hopelessness and thoughts of suicide can be much worse following stressful experiences. People with conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, eating disorders and substance abuse are more likely to think about suicide.

Warning signs Sometimes people say or do things that can help you understand how they are feeling. It may be the things they say, a change in how they act around you, or a dramatic change in mood.

Support If a person tells you about their thoughts of suicide, it is important to talk with them about it.

It can be a challenging, unfamiliar and uncomfortable conversation to start but it might be life-saving. Let them know you are there if they need to talk, sometimes listening is what the person really needs as it helps to let it out. Ask them directly about suicide.

Talking about suicide gives young people a chance to share how they feel and explore what they might need to feel better. You do not need to have all the answers but you can help them to stay safe while they get other support.

mental health

EATING DISORDERS Eating disorders usually begin in the late teenage years, but can start at any age and continue into adulthood.

What is an eating disorder?

Eating disorders are usually related to emotional issues such as control and selfesteem. They are often a way of avoiding thinking about the real problems and a number of factors that contribute to them.

It is not clear which comes first, but most people who have eating disorders will also experience anxiety or depression at some stage in their illness.

Symptoms of an eating disorder • Feelings: Irritable, guilty, anxious, depressed or suicidal.

• Thoughts: Being sensitive to comments about food, exercise, weight or body shape, being sensitive to criticism, thinking a lot about body image, body weight and food.

• Behaviours: Talking a lot about body image, body weight and food, withdrawing from family and friends, dieting or overeating excessively, eating very quickly or very slowly, eating only

certain types and amounts of food, avoiding social situations that involve food, ‘playing’ with food rather than eating it, wearing loose-fitting clothes to hide weight loss.

• Physical: Difficulty concentrating, exercising excessively, obsessively and repetitively weighing, going to the bathroom straight after meals.

Types of eating disorders

• Anorexia nervosa: Extreme concerns about weight, fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, and deliberately keeping a very low body weight by deliberately limiting the amount of food eaten or by over-exercising. Although they are usually underweight, people with this condition believe they are ‘fat’.

• Bulimia nervosa: A compulsive cycle of eating large amounts of food and then trying to avoid weight gain, for example by vomiting, using laxatives or exercising excessively.

• Binge eating disorder: Frequently eating large amounts of food, often when not hungry.

Source: www.youthbeyondblue.com

ISSUES THAT IMPACT MENTAL HEALTH Loss and grief The feelings of loss and grief can be strong when a young person loses something or someone. It may be the death of a loved one, the end of a relationship or friendship or moving away from friends and family.

Bullying Bullying can happen at school, work or on the sporting field. There are many types of bullying including verbal, physical, social, psychological and cyber.

It can leave a person feeling alone, worthless, sad and angry and over a long period can lower a person’s self-esteem.

Life events Those who have been through a traumatic event such as a car accident or sexual assault, or disasters like bushfires and flood, can have trouble coping in the days, weeks and months afterwards.

Physical health problems Living with a chronic illness such as diabetes, arthritis, asthma and less common illnesses puts a person at greater risk of developing anxiety or depression.

Family break-up Separation and divorce are common and how it affects each family varies, but it can be a challenging time for young people.

Loneliness The lack of a close, confiding relationship with someone can contribute to a person feeling isolated and alone.

Alcohol and drug use The use of alcohol and drugs can leave a person feeling anxious, agitated, panicked and unmotivated while affecting their sense of reality. This can affect relationships causing potential problems at home, school or work.

PET THERAPY Whether it is a furry, feathered or even scaly friend, pets have a positive impact on a person’s mental health.

Dr Riana Fitzpatrick, a vet from the Shepparton Veterinary Clinic, said evidence showed just patting an animal could lower your heart rate.

As well as offering companionship, pets can teach empathy, reduce stress and encourage people to get active and socialise.

“Pets require routine — you need to feed

them, you need to be there for them, you need to take them for walks — so it’s encouraging people to get out and about and build routines that aren’t focused around themselves,” Dr Fitzpatrick said.

“It also improves fitness; if you’re walking your dog, you’re improving your fitness — which helps with your state of mind.

“They promote social interactions as well — it’s easier to talk about your dog than it is to talk about yourself.”

Discrimination Experiencing discrimination based on race, sex, religion or sexuality can affect a person’s mental health.

Dr Fitzpatrick said there was a pet for everyone.

“Some people are cat people and some people are dog people,” she said.

“Dogs provide people unconditional love whereas other people are quite happy just to be able to pat the cat at the end of the day.”

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SPECIAL OFFER! $17 A WEEK Full Centre Membership at Aquamoves

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www.aquamoves.com.au Aquamoves is proudly provided by Greater Shepparton City Council.

headspace headspace is the National Youth Mental Health Foundation providing early intervention mental health services to 12–25-year-olds, along with assistance in promoting young peoples’ wellbeing. This covers four core areas: mental health, physical health, work and study support and alcohol and other drug services.

Information and services for young people, their families and friends as well as health professionals can be accessed through our website, headspace centres, online counselling service eheadspace, the Digital Work and Study Service and postvention suicide support program headspace School Support.

Your nearest headspace centre is headspace Shepparton.

To learn more about the centre visit: www.headspace.org.au/Shepparton 48

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Shepparto

Make skin checks part of your annual routine Skin cancer is five times more common than all other cancers put together.

But with early detection and treatment, a diagnosis is not a death sentence.

Dr Vanessa Huang from Shepparton Skin Clinic is a GP with a special interest in dermatology and skin cancer, and she said women must make a skin check part of their annual health routine.

“It’s the same as women doing mammograms, pap smears and bowel screening — skin is a big part of the health,” Dr Huang said.

While self-surveillance at home can help pick up any new or changing spots, with her trained eyes and experience Dr Huang is an expert in diagnosis.

“People don’t have too much knowledge about what to look for and there are areas that you can’t see yourself,” she said.

“Of course the face, back and legs are common areas of having skin cancer but

skin cancer can happen anywhere, even in covered areas.”

It is not only body parts exposed to the sun that are at risk of developing skin cancer but anywhere, including the armpits, underneath the bra, behind the ears, even between the toes and in the nail bed.

sunburn, solarium use and immunity suppression medication.

If you have a spot that has changed colour, changed size, is bleeding or is a wound that just has not healed, book in and get it checked as soon as possible.

Dr Huang said as a female doctor she had made it her mission to make women comfortable having these private areas examined.

While most women should undergo a full skin check or body mapping annually, Dr Huang said those at higher risk should get more regular check-ups.

These risk factors include a past history or family history of skin cancer, recurring

One in 24 Australian women will be diagnosed with melanoma before the age of 86.

Look how you feel We know that skin conditions can arise at any age.

We have a team of medical professionals offering a range of medical and cosmetic solutions to help your skin be the best it can be.

Offering specialized doctors and nurses, you can be assured that we adhere to the highest medical standards and offer a discreet and holistic approach for all skin treatments.

A doctors referral is not necessary to attend our clinic, so please call us for a confidential discussion today.

(03) 5822 2393 43–45 Benalla Road, Shepparton VIC 3631 sheppartonskinclinic.com.au betty October 2018

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Visit Aquamoves to activate your Youth Membership today.

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Aquamoves is proudly provided by Greater Shepparton City Council.

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kids’ fitness

Tipping the scales STORIES: JESSICA BALL

One-quarter of children and adolescents are overweight or obese.

Twenty per cent of two- to four-year-olds fit into this category, with rates rising to 27 per cent for children and adolescents aged five to 17, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

It is more than just a little bit of extra weight, with these children more likely to grow up to be obese adults with a higher chance of developing chronic conditions like cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes at a younger age.

But with a healthy diet, incorporating physical activities into everyday life and limiting screen time, children can tip the scales in the right direction.

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kids’ fitness

More is better when it comes to physical activity, and less is best when it comes to screen time.

Here is a quick guide to raising an active child from Australia's Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines.

Babies: Under one-year-old

Children: 5–12 years

Physical activity: Babies need to be physically active several times a day in a variety of ways, including supervised interactive floor-based play and crawling. For those not yet mobile, this includes at least 30 minutes of tummy time with reaching, grasping, pushing and pulling throughout the day.

Physical activity: Children should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity including aerobic activities every day. On at least three days per week, they should engage in activities that strengthen muscle and bone.

Sedentary behaviour: They should not be restrained for more than one hour at a time in a stroller for example and screen time is not recommended. When sedentary, engaging in pursuits such as reading, singing, puzzles and storytelling is encouraged.

Toddlers: 1–2 years Physical activity: Toddlers need at least 180 minutes of physical activities, including energetic play throughout each day.

Sedentary behaviour: They should not be restrained for more than one hour at a time in a stroller or sitting, for example. Screen time is not recommend for toddlers under two years old, while for those who have celebrated their second birthday it should be no more than one hour.

Sedentary behaviour: Limit use of electronic media for entertainment to no more than two hours a day and break up long periods of sitting as often as possible.

Adolescents: 13–17 Physical activity: Young people should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity including aerobic activities every day. On at least three days per week, young people should engage in activities that strengthen muscle and bone.

Sedentary behaviour: Limit use of electronic media for entertainment to no more than two hours a day.

Pre-schoolers: 3–5 years Physical activity: Children aged three to five need to spend at least 180 minutes a day doing physical activities, including least 60 minutes of energetic play.

Sedentary behaviour: They should not be restrained for more than one hour at a time in a stroller or sitting for extended periods.

Sedentary screen time should be no more than one hour.

PROUDLY KEEPING KIDS ACTIVE! OVER 2000 MEMBERS

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kids’ fitness

SAY NO TO SCREEN TIME

GET ACTIVE

Even if children are physically active, they will still benefit from limiting the amount of time they spend sitting or lying down.

There are many ways to incorporate physical active into everyday life, particularly when it comes to travel.

The key is to find a healthy balance and limit time spent in front of a screen for entertainment.

2. For longer trips, park the car some distance away and walk with children for the rest of the trip.

Of course there are plenty of beneficial activities, like reading and doing school work, that needs to be done while sitting.

Here are Betty magazine’s top tips for getting your child to put down the tablet.

1. Give gifts like skipping ropes, balls or kites to encourage active play.

2. Make your child’s bedroom a TV and computer-free zone.

1. For short trips, walk, ride or skateboard safely.

3. When using public transport, walk or ride to and from the bus stop or train station.

4. When out shopping, use the stairs instead of the lift or escalator.

3. Set a ‘no screen time’ rule at dinner time and before school.

4. Reward the kids with a trip to the park, instead of TV or computer time.

5. Store portable electronic devices out of sight.

6. Plan specific, limited time periods for watching TV and using electronic media.

7. Ensure teens avoid using electronic media just before going to sleep.

FLEX THOSE MUSCLES Once a child turns five it is important to include muscle and bone strengthening activities as part of their daily 60 minutes of physical activity, at least three days of the week.

Help children to grow strong bones and muscles by encouraging them to: • Skip, run, hop and jump.

• Climb or swing on monkey bars and climbing frames.

• Play games like tug-o-war and hopscotch.

• Do structured activities like dance, gymnastics and martial arts.

• Body weight exercises, like sit-ups, pushups, lunges and squats.

DEFINITIONS Moderate intensity activities: Require some effort, but children can still speak easily while doing them. Try fast walking, riding a bike or scooter and active play.

Vigorous intensity activities: Require more effort and make children huff and puff. Try running, chasing and playing tag, and many organised sports like tennis or basketball.

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Shepparton is home to many organisations that can help children get active while having fun.

Aquamoves — Swim School Age: Six months and above

The Swim and Survive program ensures that each individual develops strong and effective swimming technique as well as learning essential components of personal survival and water safety.

With clearly defined pathways with set competencies for each level it provides a basis for children to continue aquatic activities either recreationally, competitively or through life-saving.

Aquamoves — Active Kids Age: 5–12 years

This after school program allows kids to be active, improve social skills, learn healthy habits and most of all, have fun. With Active Kids coaches running games, fitness circuits and introducing a variety of sporting activities targeting different development areas, children will develop balance, co-ordination, agility, flexibility and gross and fine motor skills.

Jets Gymnastics Age: 1.5 years and above

Gymnastics is a great way to improve kids’ physical, mental and personal development all while they are having fun. Children as young as one-and-a-half years old can get started with the Mini Jets program designed to build the foundations to launch in to gymnastics skills, other sports and life, right up to the Tumbling and Trampolining program where older students learn aerial and acrobatic skills.

Shepparton Little Athletics Age: Five years and above.

Athletics teaches the fundamental movement skills that many other sports require including running, jumping and throwing. During the summer season the centre offers running including sprints, hurdles, endurance, walk races, plus long jump, triple jump, high jump, vortex, discus, shot put and javelin. While in the winter months they train for cross country.

Activities in the Park Age: All age groups

Developed by Greater Shepparton City Council’s Active Living Department, the Activities in the Park program provides a range of free and low-cost activities encouraging people to be outdoors, physically active and engaging with their community. The program runs throughout Greater Shepparton annually from September through to April and includes mums and bubs’ boxing and circus skills.

Greater Shepparton Basketball Association Age: Nine years and above

With hundreds of juniors hitting the court each week in both a winter and summer season, basketball is one of Shepparton’s favourite sports. Teams play throughout each school term, with some senior competitions running over school holidays. Whether a youngster is just learning the ropes or is the next Michael Jordan, there’s something on offer for everyone at the GSBA. Shepparton Junior Tennis Association Age: Under nines to 18 and above.

From learning the basics to perfecting your forehand, backhand and serve to take on the local competition, the next generation of tennis stars will experience plenty of time on the court. With tournaments running throughout spring and summer, the association offers plenty of fun for players and families alike.

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Don’t sit, get fit From improving posture to just getting children away from their screens and into physical activity, the benefits of exercise are endless and can lay the foundation for a healthier life.

Attending the gym several tim es a week ensu 15-year-old Tyler res Jamieson stays active.

For Aquamoves personal trainer and fitness instructor Joe Gilberto, encouraging young people to exercise is an important job.

With a focus on structure and balanced body development, young people such as 15-year-old Tyler Jamieson receive tailor-made programs to deliver the best results.

“A lot of how you present yourself comes from confidence, so if you can get kids — who are under so much pressure at those developing ages — feeling awesome about themselves, then you’ll really see some great results,” Mr Gilberto said.

With each new member of the youth fitness membership receiving a tailormade program, Mr Gilberto said the emphasis was always on ensuring balanced body development and improved posture.

“It’s all about learning to handle your own body weight and implementing safe resistance or light free weights.”

It is a program that’s delivered dividends for 15-year-old Tyler Jamieson, who found himself with a lot of time on his hands after giving up a number of sports.

Wanting to maintain fitness and keep himself active, Tyler started going to the gym with his parents several time a week and ultimately saw an improvement in his life.

“I’m fitter and I get outside a lot more.

It just really helps me get stronger and be more active,” he said.

“We generally focus on structure and the exercises are all around functional movement and things you do every day,” Mr Gilberto.

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Do you have a child with lots of energy?

Gymnastics creates a great physical foundation for kids through...

MOVEMENT BASICS jumping, hopping, skipping, rolling, swinging, running and balancing create the basis for movement in all sports.

SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT FOR SCHOOL by learning to play and share with others, listening and following instructions.

COORDINATION such as hand eye, is built through activities that allow children to challenge both hemispheres of the brain.

BRAIN DEVELOPMENT occurs when children learn movement, enhancing a child’s capacity to read, spell, write, count and more.

SENSORY DEVELOPMENT is stimulated through tactile, auditory and visual learning.

Gymnastics creates a great physical foundation for your child

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FREE TRIAL CLASS jetsgym.com.au

shopping

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9 1. Festina watch, $239, Purdeys Jewellers 2. Macela earrings, $49.95, Traffik 3. Elsa dress, $299, Pampens Boutique 4. Black bag, $24.95, Sabac on High 5. Mauve dress, $99.95, Arcade Fashions 6. Nude heels $189.95, Evans Shoes 7. Zephyr top, $245, Pampens Boutique 8. Lumier by Bariano jumpsuit, $159.95, Traffik 9. NAJO La Isla collection assorted pieces, from $129, Purdeys Jewellers betty October 2018

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RACES

ready

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Stunning collections in store now Your award-winning fashion store Cnr Maude & Fryers St, Shepparton • (03) 5821 4980

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October 2018

Fashion for all ages. Womens sizes 8-24

185 Maude St Mall, Shepparton. Ph: (03) 5821 2161

Proudly supporting Shepparton News Pink Ribbon Brunch

Here comes the

sun

From a casual brunch with friends to the work Christmas party, our local fashion stores can take you from day to night throughout the festive season and beyond.

Photographer: Isabella Pellegrino Photo Hair: Lavish Hair, Shepparton Makeup: Lavish Beauty by Stacey, Shepparton Venue: Terminus Hotel, Shepparton Clothing and accessories: Arcade Fashions, Shepparton, Pampens Boutique, Mooroopna, Shop 221, Shepparton, Traffik Boutique, Shepparton Footwear: Evans Shoes, Shepparton Models: Jennifer Butler and Renae Looby

WEEKEND WEAR (THIS PAGE) Renae: Dusty pink Bardot bodysuit, $49.99; Bardot culottes, $89.99; denim Riders by Lee jacket, $99.95, all Traffik Boutique.

Honey leather Urge slides, $129.95, Evans Shoes.

SUMMER BARBECUE (PREVIOUS PAGE) Jennifer: Floral Cue dress, $360; Jendi hat, $69.95, both Traffik Boutique.

Nude Mollini sides, $149.95, Evans Shoes.

Renae: White Caroline Morgan jumpsuit, $59.95; Angels Whisper bag, $49.95, both Arcade Fashions. Mint FRANKiE4 sneakers $229.95, Evans Shoes.

CHRISTMAS DAY Jennifer: Floral COOP dress, $260, Pampens Boutique. Caramel leather Hael & Jax slides, $169.95, Evans Shoes.

Renae: White Jump top, $119.95; navy Jump culottes, $139.95, both Shop 221.

Honey leather Urge slides, $129.95, Evans Shoes.

SATURDAY NIGHT DRINKS Jennifer: Navy Jump dress, $239.95; rose gold Jendi clutch, $79.95, both Shop 221. Black nubuck Alias Mae heels, $169.95, Evans Shoes.

COCKTAIL PARTY Jennifer: Black Pasucha dress, $269; Angels Whisper earrings, $29.95; gunmetal Olga Berg clutch, $79.95, all Arcade Fashions. Red suede Tony Bianco heels, $179.95, Evans Shoes.

Renae: Water colour print Joseph Ribkoff dress, $335, Pampens Boutique. Neutral Tony Bianco heels, $159.95, Evans Shoes.

SUNDAY BRUNCH Jennifer: Floral Elwood dress, $89.99, Arcade Fashions. Nude Mollini sides, $149.95, Evans Shoes.

SUNDAY BRUNCH Renae: Striped Sacha Drake shirt, $189; white Pingpong pants, $109; both Pampens Boutique. Tan Mollini wedges, $149.95, Evans Shoes.

CHRISTMAS PARTY Renae: Teal Boo Radley dress, $169.95, white Morgan + Taylor bag, $79.95, both Shop 221.

Neutral Tony Bianco heels, $159.95, Evans Shoes.

Jennifer: Floral Curate dress, $225, Pampens Boutique. Orange leather Mollini heels, $189.95, Evans Shoes.

WEDDING SEASON Jennifer: Green Veronika Maine dress, $249, Traffik Boutique.

Tan Mollini wedges, $149.95, Evans Shoes.

Renae: One-shoulder Wish dress, $169.95; clutch, $69.95; both Traffik Boutique. Neutral Tony Bianco heels, $159.95, Evans Shoes.

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THE DYSON DIFFERENCE

SHEPPARTON Riverside Plaza 8025 Goulburn Valley Highway, Kialla CALL 5820 2900 OR VISIT HARVEYNORMAN.COM.AU Ends 28/10/18

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1. Scarf, $29.95, Arcade Fashions 2. Gucci sunglasses, $396, Graham Hill Eyecare 3. Black top, $49.95, Arcade Fashions 4. Threads Collection dress, $89.95, Shop 221 5. White pants, $129.95, Arcade Fashions 6. Necklace, $19.95, Sabac on High 7. NAJO bracelet, $149, Purdeys Jewellers 8. Khaki Culottes, $69.95, Arcade Fashions 9. Festina watch, $239, Purdeys Jewellers 10. Axel slides $149.95, Evans Shoes 11. Soyaconcept dress, $109, Pampens Boutique 12. Morgan & Taylor hat, $129.95, Traffik betty October 2018

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S O P H I S T I C AT E D

elegance

Face time Stacey Petts of Lavish Beauty

by Stacey sat down with Betty magazine to talk all things beauty.

Shine on Matte lipsticks have had their moment in the sun, now gloss finishes are making a resurgence.

This summer you will see shiny statement lips of plums, maroon, dark nudes, coral and pink-browns.

Lift you lash game A desire for long, thick lashes every day has prompted the rise of eyelash extensions.

“Whether it be a light, lovely classic set just for length with a little bit of thickness or going the full volume where we really fan them out and build them up, they really open up the eye,” Stacey said.

“If you have to pop out of the house for two seconds you don’t feel like you have to put on make-up.”

This fluttery trend does require a little bit of maintenance, but follow Stacey’s tip for long-lasting, full lashes.

• Avoid getting your eyelashes wet for 24 hours after application.

• Use an eyelash wand to brush them.

• Use a specialised cleanser and avoid oil around the eye.

• Eyelash extensions need to be refilled around the three-week mark.

215 Maude St Mall Shepparton

5821 0037

Shop online now www.arcadefashions.com.au 70

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beauty

Peachy keen Get that nice natural glow without looking like you have put too much effort into it with dewy make-up.

“That really glowy skin is what everyone is really after,” Stacey said.

Highlights pair perfectly with peached-toned pink pouts and a pink smoky eye for an easy summer look.

Pictured left Photographer: Isabella Pellegrino Photo.

Hair: Lavish Hair, Shepparton.

Make-up: Lavish Beauty by Stacey, Shepparton.

Venue: Terminus Hotel, Shepparton.

Jennifer: Black Pasucha dress, $269; Angels Whisper earrings, $29.95 both Arcade Fashions.

Keira Knightley. Photo: AAP.

Instagram brows Thin ’90s eyebrows are not making a comeback anytime soon.

To achieve that sought-after, full natural brow, try tinting with henna for bold, long-lasting results.

And if you were a victim of pencil thin brows, Stacey can help grow in those bald patches and create a brow that suits your shape face.

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SUNGLASSES SALE THURSDAY 1 NOVEMBER | 11 am – 7 pm

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(03) 5821 4588 @VABHAIR 133 MAUDE ST, SHEPPARTON 72

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1. VS Sassoon Curl Secret Multi Curl (VSP1300A), $129, Harvey Norman Shepparton 2. Philips SatinShave Advanced Wet & Dry electric shaver (BRL140/00), $69, Harvey Norman Shepparton 3. Eleven volume powder, $24.95, VAB Hairdressingˆ4. Kevin Murphy treatment oil, $49.95, VAB Hairdressing 5. Remington Proluxe Hair Straightener (S9100AU) $149, Harvey Norman Sheppartonˆ6. Kevin Murphy shampoo $37.95 and treatment, $42.95, VAB Hairdressing 7. Remington Air3D hair dryer (D7777AU), $199, Harvey Norman Shepparton

SHEPPARTON Riverside Plaza 8025 Goulburn Valley Highway, Kialla CALL 5820 2900 OR VISIT HARVEYNORMAN.COM.AU Ends 28/10/18

hair

Summer hair survival guide When summer kicks in, it can be easy to forget to give your hair the TLC it deserves. Brittney Thomas from VAB Hairdressing shares her simple style and hair care tips to keep your locks both healthy and on trend.

Balayage bombshell

Summer hair care 101

When it comes to colour a soft blonde balayage is the perfect carefree summer style.

The elements can leave your hair feeling less than pretty. Follow Brittney’s top tips for healthy hair all summer long:

“It’s a blend from a darker to a light colour, it doesn’t have to be black to blonde, it could be from a dark blonde or a light brown to lighter ends,” Brittney said.

“It’s not a style you have to upkeep, if you have your natural colour and you put a bit of blonde through it you can grow it out as long as you want — it’s a stylish regrowth.”

1. Always use professional products rather than the cheaper supermarket alternative.

2. To combat the effects of chlorine, sea salt and the summer heat, treat your locks to a leave-in treatment. Choose a product that detangles and moisturises to regain your natural oils like Revlon Uniq One Coconut Hair Treatment.

3. High exposure to chlorine can leave beached hair with a green tinge; use a bicarb soda and shampoo wash to regain your blonde.

Perfect your wash routine

Jessica Alba. Photo: AAP

Brittney suggests washing fine hair a maximum of every three days while those with thick, dry hair can go longer between washes.

“You have to train your hair to not be oily,” she said.

“People who wash their hair every day strip the natural oils out, which means the oils are coming back through twice as fast and it will come back greasier.”

Jennifer Lawrence.

Photo: AAP

Dry shampoo is a life-saver and can make hair look clean, even if it does not feel it.

Beach babe waves Structured styles are out and soft, messy, beachy waves are in.

Brittney said there were plenty of products to help achieve that ‘I didn’t even try’ texture, but swears by Kevin Murphy Bedroom Hair and Eleven Sea Salt Texture Spray.

“They give that beach effect as if you’ve gotten out of the water and your hair has dried and it’s got that texture in it,” she said.

Gisele Bundchen.

Photo: AAP

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Audi Centre Shepparton Audi Centre Shepparton

We We think think the the world world of of you. you.

The world of Audi comes alive with exciting The world of Audi comes alive with exciting offers this month. offers this month.

• Complimentary scheduled service package 3 years, 45,000 kms^^ • Complimentary scheduled service packagecar 3 years, 45,000 kms • Premium detailing quarterly • Premium car detailing quarterly • Go into the draw for our Audi Experience – dine at Vue De Monde† • Go into the draw for our Audi Experience – dine at Vue De Monde† *Vehicles must be ordered by 31 October 2018 *Vehicles must be ordered by 31 October 2018

Visit Audi Centre Shepparton to book a test drive.

Visit Audi Centre Shepparton to book a test drive.

325-329 Midland Hwy, Shepparton | Tel. 5822 5811 | audicentreshepparton.com.au 325-329 Midland Hwy, Shepparton | Tel. 5822 5811 | audicentreshepparton.com.au ^More information: https://www.audi.com.au/au/web/en/owners/service/audi_genuine_care_service_plan.html †Audi Experience at https://www.audi.com.au/au/web/en/owners/service/audi_genuine_care_service_plan.html Vue De Monde – all Audi purchasers at Audi Centre Shepparton through 31 October 2018 will be drawn 1 November 2018 at Audi Centre Shepparton – ^More information: redemption date to be confirmed. †Audi Experience at Vue De Monde LMCT9883 – all Audi purchasers at Audi Centre Shepparton through 31 October 2018 will be drawn 1 November 2018 at Audi Centre Shepparton – redemption date to be confirmed. LMCT9883

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Easy to wear separates for your summer break

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1. Wish jumpsuit, $159.95, Traffik 2. Scarf, $29.95, Shop 221 3. Yarra Trail top, $119, Pampens Boutique 4. Blush necklace, $19.95, Sabac on High 5. Evas Sunday pants, $230, Pampens Boutique 6. Oroton sunglasses, $215, Graham Hill Eyecare 7. Jump top, $139.95, Shop 221 8. Active flats, $229.95, Evans Shoes 9. Ted Baker watch, $229, Purdeys Jewellers 10. Tan handbag, $24.95, Sabac on High 11. Jendi hat, $39.95, Traffik 12. Ping Pong dress, $159.95, Shop 221 betty October 2018

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Female and over 40?

Is it time for a breast screen?

Goulburn Valley Imaging would like to remind all women over 40 of the importance of having regular breast screen.

Breast screening is free and takes about 10 minutes. You do not need a doctor’s referral for a standard screening and it is performed by a female radiographer.

You can book in for a screen at Goulburn Valley Imaging. As the only clinic in the region that performs this service, we’re staffed by specialist doctors, breast care nurses and fully accredited female radiographers.

Diagnostic screenings are also available. If you have found a lump or had a suspicious clinical finding, check in with your GP first as these scans require a referral.

Women aged over 40 who would like a free breast screen with Goulburn Valley Imaging should book at breastscreen.org.au or call 13 20 50.

Appointments for diagnostic breast imaging referred by your GP can be made with Goulburn Valley Imaging on 03 5821 6566.

Goulburn Valley Imaging 104 Nixon Street, Shepparton Ph: 5821 6566

pink ribbon day 2018

Prevention is better than cure

A family history of breast cancer led Mardi Mandersloot to undertake testing for the BRCA2 gene. After losing her aunt to breast cancer and finding out her mother, niece and another aunt had breast cancer, Mardi received her own diagnosis that she carried the BRCA2 gene. This meant she chose to undergo a double mastectomy as preventative treatment — heralding the beginning of another difficult journey, one that not only caused physical pain but emotional pain as well.

Mardi will share her story as the guest speaker at the Shepparton News Pink Ribbon Brunch.

Pink Ribbon Brunch Mardi Mandersloot and son Jaxson, aged 3.

Photo: Samantha Coles.

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pink ribbon day 2018 Mardi Mandersloot and her mother Lynn have shared their BRCA2 gene journey together.

Photo: Prue Peters Photography.

Knowledge is power STORY: JESSICA BALL

Taking ownership of her body was a simple decision for Mardi Mandersloot, but the emotional impact of a life-altering surgery remains raw.

When the Mooroopna woman’s aunt Heather lost her battle with breast cancer in 2012 a family secret began to be revealed.

Heather’s daughter, Hayley, tested positive for the BRAC gene mutation — a hereditary gene increasing the risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

This discovery compelled Mardi’s mum Lynn to undertake genetic testing.

“Mum went and she tested positive with BRCA2,” Mardi said.

“That’s when they picked up that she had active breast cancer in her nipple and everything moved fairly quickly from there.

“They booked Mum in for a double mastectomy which was done in August last year and then in September she commenced chemo.

“It was an emotional roller-coaster watching someone you love be so sick and watching Dad try to care for her and be strong for the family.”

As she watched on from her mum’s bedside, Mardi was waiting to find out if she too carried the BRCA2 gene.

“I expected to have a positive result,” she said.

“I’d already spoken to my husband and I said 80

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to him, ‘if it’s positive I want them gone, I don’t want to put you guys through what we’re going through at the moment with mum’.”

For the mum-of-one a double mastectomy was the only option.

“It’s not a bad thing, having the gene, and it’s not great either; but I’m aware — I can do this before anything happens,” she said.

“I know it was a strong decision and it was the right decision and at the end of the day if I hadn’t of made this decision and I got breast cancer I wouldn’t be able to live with the guilt of being able to prevent it.”

Empowered by the ability to make a choice, inspired by Hayley’s strength through her double mastectomy and with the support of husband Stephen and three-year old son Jaxson, less than six months later Mardi had both breasts and nipples removed.

It was not until she put on her gown to go into theatre at Melbourne’s Austin Hospital that the reality sunk in.

While it was simple in her head, parting with a body part so intrinsically linked with Mardi’s identity as a mother was mentally tough.

“If I’m going to have another child I don’t get an opportunity to breastfeed — that decision is made for me, I have no milk ducts, I have no nerves, there’s no feeling in there,” she said.

“When I think about that, because I breastfed Jax for two-and-a-half years —and I know you can still bond with your child if you don’t breastfeed — but that was my thing, that probably upsets me the most.

“Little things like when I had Jaxson we had the skin-to-skin time, and I think now, how do you even do that when you have no nipples, that’s their whole purpose.

“That’s something I’d really need to work through before trying for another baby because otherwise I think I would really struggle.”

Five days post-surgery, Mardi was discharged but before long an infection landed her back in hospital.

Her body was rejecting the mesh used in the operation and the surgeon was forced to remove it.

“That was probably the only time that I thought, ‘why did I do this? I was perfectly healthy before, I didn’t have cancer, I

pink ribbon day 2018

shouldn’t have done it’,” she said.

“But now that I’m past that, I have no regrets.

I would do it all again if I had to.

“It’s worth the pain and the recovery, the hard days on and off that you have.

“If I look at my recovery compared with what we went through with Mum, my recovery was a walk in the park.”

Today, the personal trainer is back lifting weights as she rebuilds her strength ahead of reconstruction surgery in which she will receive small B-cup breast implants and new nipples.

“I didn’t want fake-looking boobs and I wanted to feel like me; it’s hard enough to feel like yourself when your nipples are gone,” she said.

Jaxson sees his mum Mardi Mandersloot for the first time after her double mastectomy.

Photos: Prue Peters Photography.

“Because my body rejected the mesh, with this size I have more options available to me in regards to implants if my body rejects them.

“Fingers crossed, when it goes in its going to stay in; however I need to keep my mind open so if something does happen we do have something to fall back on.”

There are moments Mardi feels uncomfortable in her temporary body, days where she wants to cover up, but she is working through the mental barriers.

“I’m halfway through, I still have to have exchange surgery so this isn’t the finished product,” she said.

“I knew that they weren’t going to be nicely shaped, they were probably going to be uneven, there were going to be bits not right until I have exchange.

“Those days that I feel really shit, I read my ‘why’ and remember why I chose to do it and that makes me feel better.”

While the double mastectomy reduced Mardi’s risk of breast cancer, her odds of developing ovarian cancer remain high.

“I am keeping my ovaries at this stage,” she said.

“I’m not ready for that, I can’t prepare myself for that but if I’m concerned about something I’ll just go straight down to the guys at the Austin.”

Now, Mardi will share her journey at the Shepparton News Pink Ribbon Brunch in the hope of raising awareness and creating a support network for those living with the BCRA2 gene; with her mum watching on in the crowd.

“If you have history of breast cancer in your family, go to your GP, get a referral and get the genetic testing done,” she said.

Mardi and Stephen Mandersloot with their son Jaxson.

Photo: Fleur Baldi.

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Shepparton’s family friendly shopping centre

Free undercover parking and shopping with ease

GREAT INDOOR FACILITIES INCLUDING: Children’s Soft Fall Playground and Food Court

Open 7 days

Visit us online

Like us on Facebook

8025 Goulburn Valley Highway, Kialla

www.riversideplazashepparton.com.au

@RiversidePlazaShepparton

SCREENING IS THE BEST FORM OF PREVENTION Proudly supporting

Pink Ribbon Day Treatment for breast cancer is available locally at GV Health. However, early detection is key to help ensure a better outcome.

Remember to have a free screening mammogram every two years, if you are 50 or over. Contact your GP or Breastscreen Victoria on Ph: 13 20 50 to make an appointment today.

For more information about Breast Care Services at GV Health, contact:

GV Health has a dedicated team of surgeons, medical oncologists, visiting radiation oncologists, breast care nurses and allied health professionals to care for patients affected by breast cancer.

Graham Street, Shepparton P (03) 5832 3777 E breastcareservices@gvhealth.org.au Like us on Facebook 82

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October 2018

Michelle Parish, GV Health McGrath Breast Care Nurse, 0400 569 828 Melissa Gilmour, GV Health Breast Care Nurse, 0408 322 455

A serious reason to have lots of fun In one exciting morning, local women come together to laugh, bond, cry, be informed, be entertained and raise money for a worthy cause.

The 12th annual Shepparton News Pink Ribbon Brunch will be held on Sunday, October 28, having grown over time from a 60-strong gathering at a local café to a huge event with more than 700 local women.

“I am looking forward to 730-plus women coming together to raise money and awareness for breast cancer research and enjoy each other’s company,” event organiser Apryl Smith said.

“The event is so much fun; last year I laughed, I smiled, it was just a truly great time.”

For the second year in a row, all the funds

raised will be donated to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, and in particular to research undertaken by Dr Paul Beavis — who is also one of several guest speakers at the brunch.

“It has been excellent that this year and last year we have been able to specifically target a research project to receive the funds raised from the event, as opposed to supporting a more general cause,” Apryl said.

pink ribbon day 2018

For the third year in a row, the event will include the draw of the pre-brunch raffle, which features six jewellery items donated

by Stephens Jewellers, including the first prize of a 9¢t white gold, created ruby and diamond pendant and earring set, valued at $1 195.

The event’s patrons include Shepparton News, Stephens Jewellers, Shepparton Food Producers, Peter Copulos and Family, Pental Products, Goulburn Valley Imaging Group, Coles Riverside, Wellsprings and GV Dental.

Another guest speaker is Mardi Mandersloot, a local woman who tested positive to the BRCA2 gene, and will share her fascinating story.

“Without the support of the patrons, sponsors, supporters and guests the event While focusing on a serious cause, the wouldn’t happen and we wouldn’t be able to morning will provide plenty of fun as raise as much money and awareness in our attendees enjoy a delicious breakfast and help to fight for a cure,” Apryl said. glass of bubbly.

Talented performer to host brunch Australian singing darling Clare Bowditch will lend her beautiful voice to a good cause as the MC and live entertainment act for the Shepparton News Pink Ribbon Brunch.

The talented performer has won an ARIA award for best female musician, was nominated for a Logie award for her acting in television show Offspring and is an experienced speaker, MC and broadcaster.

Clare is currently working on her first book and her eighth album for release through Universal Music, along with hosting Qantas Radio's Australian Music Show.

As a musician, Clare has toured extensively with Leonard Cohen, Paul Kelly, John Butler, Cat Power and Gotye, among others.

As the beloved host of the Afternoons

radio show on ABC Melbourne, she spoke and made friends with more than 250 000 listeners daily.

Clare has researched and presented thousands of interviews with luminaries such as musician Linda Ronstadt; authors Jeanette Winterson, Liane Moriarty and Zoe Foster-Blake; spiritual gurus Marianne Williamson and Danielle LaPorte; business billionaires like Lawrence Levy (Pixar); human rights activists such as Dr Kumi Naidoo and Moira Kelly; and comedians Jenny Éclair, Tim Minchin and Ronny Chieng; as well as world-famous sportspeople, politicians and neuroscientists.

She is also an Ambassador for Smiling Mind, APRA and The Stella Prize.

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GENERAL & COSMETIC DENTISTRY • Crowns • Veneers • Dentures • Extractions • White Fillings • Root Canal Therapy • Tooth Whitening • Toothaches • Implants • Bridges • Mouthguards

Dr Sath Saranathan Dr Geoff Woodhouse Dr Raathika Raj Dr Brodie Garth Dr Kevin Lai Dr Simra Azher Dr Isha Pandher Dr Neeshah Dahya Ms Amy Johnson

VETERANS’ AFFAIRS & NEW PATIENTS WELCOME

Mr K Spencer (Oral Surgeon) Dr A Locke (Periodontist) Dr K Morris (Periodontist)

Shepparton 5821 4287 167 Nixon Street

www.gvdental.com.au info@gvdental.com.au

Numurkah 5862 3995 2 Katamatite Road

Proudly supporting The Shepparton News Pink Ribbon Brunch

Find your local Shepparton Coles store: • Riverside Plaza, Cnr Goulburn Valley Hwy & Riverview Dve, Kialla • Cnr Maude & Corio Sts • 107-123 Echuca Rd, Mooroopna 84

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October 2018

pink ribbon day 2018

every cent

s p l e h

As the fight to cure cancer continues, guest speaker and senior immunotherapy research fellow Dr Paul Beavis will be at the Shepparton News Pink Ribbon Brunch to share his own progress towards creating more effective breast cancer treatments.

The Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre research fellow is currently focusing on immunotherapy, which has proven promising in fighting other cancers.

He is now working on genetically engineering the immune system to recognise breast cancer cells.

Ultimately this could lead to breast cancer becoming more treatable, with fewer side effects than standard radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments.

The National Breast Cancer Foundation-funded research will be the beneficiary of this year’s Pink Ribbon brunch for the second year in a row, with proceeds going directly to the research.

“It’s really crucial to helping these projects go forward where they might not happen,” Dr Beavis said.

Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre research fellow Dr Paul Beavis will share the progress of his research at the Shepparton News Pink Ribbon Brunch.

“We in the research community are very grateful for the efforts of those who help to raise money. We can’t do what we do without them.”

Dr Beavis said events such as the Pink Ribbon brunch helped show him who was benefiting from his and other researchers’ hard work.

“You’re able to get a sense of what it means to everyone and it just refocuses your mind. I want to say thank you to everyone who donates not only their money but also their time as well.”

Wendy is proud to support Pink Ribbon Day

Pink Ribbon Day is dedicated to fighting this disease, by raising awareness of the importance of breast health checks as well as the need for continued funding and research into breast cancer.

“

“

Every week at least one woman in the Goulburn Valley area is diagnosed with breast cancer.

Wendy Lovell MP Member for Northern Victoria Region

222 Wyndham Street, Shepparton (03) 5821 6668 wendy.lovell@parliament.vic.gov.au Authorised by Wendy Lovell MP, 222 Wyndham Street Shepparton 3630.

Funded from Parliamentary Budget. betty October 2018

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pink ribbon day 2018

Awareness saves lives Having seen first-hand the devastating result of breast cancer, Goulburn Valley Imaging Group has long dedicated itself to being a committed patron and supporter of the Shepparton News Pink Ribbon Brunch.

Driven by a desire to raise awareness and ultimately find a cure, mammographer Kim Happs said the organisation embraced the brunch each and every year.

“We just want to be a part of contributing to the community and raising awareness,” Kim said.

“It’s important that women have a greater

awareness about breast cancer and ensure they are having breast exams and are making sure they know how to check themselves, because if you know these things, then you’re more likely to catch these things very early on and that certainly makes things a bit easier.”

With one in eight women diagnosed with breast cancer in their lifetime, Kim said services such as those offered at Goulburn Valley Imaging Group, which administers breast-screens and mammograms, were the key to beating the odds.

“The access to the services that we do have

is pretty unusual for a remote area. We have women from quite a broad range (coming to visit us). A lot of ladies drive over an hour to us.”

If you’re aged between 50 and 74 and do not currently have breast cancer symptoms, you can contact BreastScreen Victoria to schedule a free screening mammogram.

Phone BreastScreen Victoria on 132 050 or visit www.breastscreen.org.au/ onlinebookings to make an appointment.

If you have any current symptoms such as a lump, nipple discharge or skin changes, visit your GP for a referral.

Well-established support When Peter Copulos and Family heard about the Shepparton News Pink Ribbon Brunch 12 years ago, they immediately provided support to the brunch and have continued to do so every year since.

Peter Copulos said the brunch was an ideal opportunity to support a fundraising initiative which would have a broad impact on those living in the Goulburn Valley now and into the future.

“The brunch sounded like it was going to be a great way to not only bring people together to support patients, families and the many people who have been touched by cancer, but most importantly to me it was to raise much-needed funds to help these people in our local community,” Peter said.

He said Peter Copulos and Family was fortunate enough to be in a position to give back to the community and assist with further research into a cure for breast cancer.

“I wholeheartedly support fundraising initiatives that assist our local community,” he said.

“I strongly believe we shouldn’t be missing out on the best treatment and care because we live in a regional centre.”

Peter aims to support initiatives in which the funds raised will benefit local residents.

“It is my hope that one day residents of Greater Shepparton have access to all the services they need for treatment without having to travel to metropolitan areas.”

Passionate about cause With 11 years of involvement, the Shepparton News Pink Ribbon Brunch is a key event for Stephens Jewellers.

Stephens Jewellers general manager Stephen Schneider said the business had been a proud contributor to the event in this time.

“As I became more familiar with the Shepparton event, it was a more natural fit to give support and help guarantee the brunch into the future,” Stephen said.

Stephens Jewellers general manager Stephen Schneider.

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“It’s a cause I feel passionate about supporting because our clients are

predominantly women, our staff is predominantly women and, of course, we all have families and women in our lives.

“If I can contribute in a small way to reducing the pain and suffering for friends and family (dealing with breast cancer), it’s something we’re well and truly committed to doing.”

Stephen said his business had been supported by the local community for 24 years and being a major patron of the brunch was one way he was able to give back.

CA R E

ARJ Catering is proud to provide exclusive catering services to Riverlinks Venues

Corporate Catering

Weddings and Functions

Specialised Event Catering

We can provide a range of corporate catering options to organisations in the Shepparton area. Corporate lunches, board room meetings, business events, launches and conferences.

We can cater weddings, engagement parties, birthdays, religious occasions, baby showers and much more.

Variety of options available for all dietary requirements.

No matter the event, we can handle all catering requirements.

We can cater for major charity fund raising events as well as school Debutante Balls at Riverlinks Eastbank.

Proud sponsors of the Pink Rib bon Brunch

70 Welsford Street Shepparton VIC 3630 p : 0400 123 451 e caterers@arjfood.com.au

www.arjcatering.com.au

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pink ribbon day 2018

In the name of brunch As the crowd attending the Shepparton News Pink Ribbon Brunch grows every year, so too does the brunch itself.

With a delicious breakfast, fruit and pastries on offer for the more than 700 women attending the brunch, it takes an army to put on the event.

Once again, Coles Shepparton’s Riverside Plaza store is donating the goods that ARJ Catering will transform into delectable treats to be enjoyed by the women in attendance.

ARJ Catering owner Vijay Ambani said catering for the Shepparton News Pink Ribbon Brunch and Shepparton’s Biggest Ever Blokes’ Lunch were two of the business’ biggest catering events and took a lot of hard work and organisation.

Vijay said both functions were wonderful events to be a part

of, and he was looking forward to again participating in the Pink Ribbon brunch.

“It’s an institution in Shepparton and we’re really keen to be a part of such a fabulous initiative that is for such a good cause,” he said.

“Shepparton really seems to get behind the event and fundraisers, which is wonderful to see.”

Vijay and his staff will be on hand to make the day special, with each person donating their time to make the event possible.

It is something Vijay cherishes being involved with.

Supporting local women Getting involved in the Shepparton News Pink Ribbon Brunch was important for Pental Products Shepparton.

Customer service and warehouse manager Beth Smith had gone through her own cancer battle just over a decade ago, prompting the company to become a sponsor of the brunch several years ago.

“They wanted to become part of the good work, so for the last several years we’ve offered a cash donation and donated soaps and liquids for the gift packs and raffle packs,” Beth said.

Mark Gepp MP

MEMBER FOR NORTHERN VICTORIA

3/80 High Street Woodend P: 5427 2444 E: mark.gepp@parliament.vic.gov.au Authorised by M Gepp, Tenancy 3/80 High St, Woodend. Funded from Parliamentary budget.

October 2018

“It’s been 10 years since I was diagnosed and they’re still supporting their employees and going strong,” she said.

“It’s such an awesome event and so much fun for such a great cause.”

“It’s really nice to be a part of that.”

Wellbeing is vital

SHEPPARTON NEWS PINK RIBBON BRUNCH

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From a personal viewpoint, Beth said it was wonderful to see the company support her and other women in the area who faced a battle with breast cancer.

“Everyone gets together to do their part, from all the boys and girls who set the tables to the team that helps organise and promote the event,” he said.

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“The first year we went to the brunch we had a couple of the employees and now we’re up to a table of about 14 people and friends and family.”

For Wellsprings Day Spa owner and founder Kylie Trevaskis, nothing is more rewarding that helping women look after their own wellbeing.

As a first-time supporter of the Shepparton News Pink Ribbon Brunch, Kylie said the business was thrilled to continue to raise awareness of breast cancer, something they have supported a number of clients through.

“Getting behind good local causes is something we want to continue to support simply because we have such a unique, specialised facility here in Shepparton that can provide people with relief from whatever challenges they are faced with throughout life,” she said.

“There are many causes of stress, and we have the ability to help

balance that and to support every individual in their time of need.”

With a number of specifically designed treatment packages to assist those diagnosed with cancer or suffering from stress-related illnesses, Kylie said Wellsprings Day Spa also prided itself on sourcing treatments that were naturally derived and free of parabens or other ingredients of concern.

As well as supporting the brunch, the business has donated gift certificates to those attending plus a four-hour Journey to Wellbeing Package.

pink ribbon day 2018

Spreading the message For first-time Shepparton News Pink Ribbon Brunch patron Goulburn Valley Dental Group, being able to raise awareness of breast cancer is an exciting prospect.

As a long-time attendee of the Biggest Blokes’ lunch, which raises funds and awareness for prostate cancer, Goulburn Valley Dental Group director Dr Sath Saranathan said it inspired the business to get more involved.

With the brunch being well attended by the group’s employees in the past, getting involved in supporting the event seemed like a natural next step, according to Dr Saranathan.

Given the important message shared at the brunch, it’s an initiative and awareness that has been driven by the women in the business.

“We just thought ‘how good is that message?’,” Dr Saranathan said.

The team at Goulburn Valley Dental Group is getting behind this year's Pink Ribbon Brunch.

“A lot of the women in the office go each year, help raise additional funds. or try to get tickets each year, so it’s great “It’s really good to be able to support and exciting to be on board and helping to the cause and just raise awareness of support the event this year.” breast cancer, because that’s what it’s all about,” Dr Saranathan said.

The group will also donate cosmetic procedures to the event’s raffle to

Follow Wellsprings Day Spa on Instagram & Facebook Be inspired by the latest industry trends, offers and promotions ENTER TO

WIN

One lucky person will win an Aveda experience • A Vitamin C Complex Facial • Hair Colour, Cut and Blow Dry • Make-Up Application How to enter: Follow Wellsprings Day Spa and Kylie Trevaskis Makeup Stylist on Instagram @wellspringsdayspa

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Competition closes 11.59pm 29/11/2018 and announced on Instagram 30/11/2018

T. 5831 4606 | wellspringsdayspa.com.au betty October 2018

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Purdeys, your local NAJO stockists.

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