'Opening Doors' - Our 2010 Inaugural conference
What a success!
We can't thank you all enough for turning up and supporting the first ever New Zealand Conference for High Risk Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer. Our sincere thanks also extends to our wonderful speakers and our very generous sponsor - Pacific Radiology Group. Over the two days we had 85 people come along to learn more about this emotive and emerging issue.
Below is a sample of what people had to say......
"Beryl and Sheryl - helped me soooo much!! invaluable!! the women who shared are my idols!!"
"Peter Sykes session really helped me to understand further how bad ovarian cancer is. No specialist has talked to me about it, apart from the stats. So there was so much info to take away - again invaluable - I wish every woman could hear this one".
"Being able to have open and honest discussions about what this all really means was just amazing I got so much from it".
"There is so much about the conference that was so incredible. Being in a room of people who all "get BRCA", both attendees and presenters, was the best thing for me".
"Feeling the support from like minded people. Having access to the experts and all that information in one place at one time was amazing; like getting second opinions without having to go to lots of different appointments and gaining that knowledge with other people going through it too. The willingness of "the experts" to stick around to speak to us was fantastic".
"Hearing the personal stories which, no matter how much research you do - reading, on the internet, meeting with specialists - you just can't get the same detail/information/emotional support from your own research as you can from actually speaking to people who are living with BRCA. Having the opportunity to do this was absolutely invaluable.
"The Beryl & Sheryl evening was just amazing; I was so impressed by & appreciative of those woman's bravery and their willingness to allow us to see/feel/hear about the different options".
"Jeremy Simcock has totally inspired me to take control of my situation. His communication skills were second to none, you Christchurch people are very lucky. I turned up to the conference aware of only one sort of reconstruction, now I no about them all. I'm going home to educate my surgeon! But most importantly I'm going home, informed and empowered. What an incredible experience I have just had".
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Conference 2012 - save the date
We are currently planning our next conference and look foward to sharing these details with you very soon. What we can tell you is.......it will be held at Auckland's Sky City on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th October 2012. Registrations will open in April 2012.
Wellington Workshop
Workshop for people who carry a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation and their families.
Saturday 15 October 2011 9.30am-4pm
Cancer Society Wellington Office, 52 Riddiford St , Newtown
This is an open invitation for those who carry a BRCA 1 or BRCA 2 gene mutation and their families. This workshop is being run by Central Regional Genetic Service and the Wellington branch of the Cancer Society.
The workshop will include information about surveillance, risk-reducing surgery and the psychological impact of living with an increased risk of cancer along with the opportunity to meet and socialise with others who are in a similar situation.
Confirmed speakers include Dr Chris Mouat, who will talk about risk management options for breast cancer, and Dr Beverley Lawton who will discuss options for managing menopausal symptoms. There will also be time for small group discussion.
Tea and coffee will be available at 9.30am and the first speaker will start at 10am .
The meeting will be held at the Cancer Society in Newtown, Wellington and is free of charge. If you would like to attend, please r.s.v.p to Alice Christian or Alison McEwen toll-free on 0508-364-436 or by email Alison.McEwen@ccdhb.org.nz
Support Group
Sometimes you might just want to 'look', talk about your options, your recovery or the decisions you are trying to make. Our support group is an opportunity for you to do just this with others who know what you are going through. We also talk about how we can contribute to raising awareness about BRCA, so that others can make informed decisions.
Christchurch
Our next meeting is Sunday October 16th, The Coffee House, Montreal St, 9.30am - 11.30am. Please rsvp to info@giftofknowledge.co.nz
Auckland
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the wonderfully kind Denise Flett who has facilitated our Auckland support meetings. Denise is embarking on a new journey with her family in the UK and we wish her all the best and will miss her support terribly. Thanks Denise!!!
New dates will be advised for our Auckland meeting very soon.
Nelson and Wellington
Dates to be confirmed.
Are you interested in facilitating a support group in your local area? Great! Let us know and we’ll advertise it for you and put you in contact with others. We currently have people in Hamilton wanting to start a group. If you are interested in attending please email info@giftofknowledge.co.nz
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