Mates on a Mission

[Doxiamonev]

Thanks Ann,
I will go through my things and post the scalfs/hats etc to you in the next few days Postage is not a problem.

[Ann]

Thanks Sparkles and Doxia,
I'll take your suggestions to the meeting Sparkles and yes Doxia any donations of hats/scarves would be very welcome. Our postal address is PO Box 6764, Shepparton 3632. If it is easier to have them delivered to a private address, please PM me. If postage or courier costs are a problem, our group will refund them to you.
Thanks again and all the best to you both,
Ann

[sparkles3001]

Hi Ann,
One thing I am passionate about is the lack of funding for breast screening MRI's for younger women. The federal govt did alter the guidlines marginally for who is eligible, but unfortunately I am one of those who is not funded... Don't know if this is what you are looking for info on? Or even to help fund some women who have paid full costs of this, mine was $600 with zero rebate from medicare or my health insurer and showed it all clear as day while mammogrzm and u/s showed nothing... I can only imagine how much worse it would have been for me without the MRi - more surgeries and biospsies than what I had anyway.
Thanks for your hard work, when I am up to it this is something I want to become active about.
Love
Sparkles

[Doxiamonev]

[Ann]

Hi Girls,

Our Mates on a Mission group is trying to gauge whether there are any drugs out there that people are still having to pay enormous amounts for. We had great success during the Herceptin debate and we are now looking for another project. We have been in recess for a while due to lack of numbers, but we are now back on track. We've given up the idea of a drop in centre for the time being, as there are several avenues for people to find information already. At our AGM members voted to use our money to support our local oncology unit. We have done this and have helped them to fund Avastin treatments. I'm going to contact them to see how long it will be before Avastin is on the PBS and whether there is any other expensive drug to campaign for. We fundraise mainly through sausage sizzles at local sporting events, but we feel that to run big money events we need a definite cause. Of course, it will be a while before we try anything, because people have been so generous with the bushfire appeal and we can't expect anyone to support another cause so soon.
So if anyone has any ideas of something that we should campaign for, please let us know.

Ann

[Ann]

Dear Sashiko,

Thanks for your words of encouragement. We've been in a bit of a lull for a while, mainly due to lack of numbers, but we are determined to push on. I'll let you know when we're up and running.

All the best for your own journey and for your move to Mt. Martha.

Keep in touch,
Ann

[Sashiko]

Dear Ann,

When I was first diagnosed, with no support at all, I read everything I could get my hands on, inc.Petrea King's book, Spirited Women.

Inspirational, because she was given no hope at all, and without treatment, other than meditating in a Buddhist temple in Italy, came home after 3 months, virtually cured!!! She now runs workshops up in the highlands, for other cancer sufferers.

And of course the other would have to be Ian or Grace Gawler. Another incredible story, to inspire us all. We do after all, need something to hang on to. Especially those of us who no longer have our "faith".

I love the idea of your mission and hope it is incredibly successful. We started one here in Milton, but due to a lack of funding the door is constantly closed, except for chemo treatment.

Just as soon as I sell my house, I intend to move to Mount Martha as the support group down there as so pro active. Here it is almost non existent. 8 little old, white haired Nannas who have been going for 20 years!! Bless them.

Good luck,

Sashiko

[Ann]

[Ann]

[yowyow]

Ann, I recently posted about what to do with my scarfs and wigs as I am
scared to tempt fate and give them away etc.

But also want to feel like their gone and I won't be needing them again.

Would donations like that be useful to you. As I am 36 and think that what you
are doing with your centre is fantastic,amazing effort, very important etc etc etc
and very needed.

I feel I would be happy donating to such an important centre.

Nav

[jayem]

Ann I think you are doing a wonderful thing here. I craved information and couldn't seem to get enough of it. The BC nurse gave me the orange covered book on early breast cancer and I devoured that. The 'my journey' kit was ok as well but not really as helpful. I wanted internet sites as well. At first I was frightened of statistics and didn't want to read anything about possible recurrences or mortality rates but later on I was okay about that.

Some days I would love to have been able to talk to people while I was having chemo and know that people do actually come out the other side of treatment and live fulfilling lives but other days I was so caught up in my own misery I really didn't want to talk to anyone. I guess it will just be a matter of playing it by ear when you are talking to people. You will soon get the message that they do or don't want to talk and having been there yourself you will understand those times.

I do wish you the very best in recruiting your volunteers. The volunteers at Port Macquarie were quite lovely and one lady in particular was a gem - she would give you a foot massage which was just heaven.

Well done on your determination to turn your experience into a positive one.

[Ann]

Just letting you all know that we should have our resource centre open in about 4 months. With that we intend to establish a cancer support group for young people. We have been asked to do this by the head of oncology at GV Health. Apparently the numbers of young people being treated are increasing. Villa Maria have taken us under their wing and are going to find a room for us in one of their buildings. They have been very supportive of us from the start and have recently offered the room as well as some training. I have just completed a course with them on facilitating support groups. We just need training for our volunteers and that will be done soon. We now have our policy and procedures statement drawn up and we are waiting for our police checks. Once we have those, we'll be going into the oncology ward to talk to people, make them a cuppa etc - anything we can do to brighten their day. We also need to expand our resource library, so I'd be interested to hear from you as to any books or CDs that you found helpful. Also, if you have any ideas as to other things we should offer through the centre we'd like to hear from you.

Ann