Head and neck cancer patients, carers and their families know time can seem to stand still, and sometimes it can seem to speed up. It’s only been three months since we last met face to face, but it feels like three years to me. And it must have felt like that for everyone else too with 24 members joining this month – a record for us – and most of them face to face in the Peter Mac Wellbeing Centre. It was so nice to be back together – just incredible.
This month we were joined by Kate Torney the CEO of the Peter Mac Cancer Foundation. Kate provided the group with some very interesting insights into the Foundation, the amazing work it does in raising funds to support research at Peter Mac, and the impacts the funding can make. Since its establishment in 2002, some 663,130 people have helped the Foundation distribute an amazing $283.128m to Peter Mac to help accelerate ground-breaking cancer research. Those people include our very own Maxine who is participating in the Foundation’s current My Walk to Fight Cancer campaign. You can show your support for Maxine here. Go Maxine!

In the second part of the meeting, the members shared their experiences and welcomed five new members. The conversation this month focused on the loss of taste and the time it takes for taste to return after treatment. What might seem like a small issue to some can be very distressing for head and neck patients. Food plays such a central part of our lives – we come together over food to celebrate many events in our lives. Losing the enjoyment of eating, or worse the ability to eat at all, can take time to accept and negatively impact the enjoyment of these events.
As a final note, it was great to be joined by Barbara and her husband David at the meeting today. Barbara has recently reached the magic milestone of 5-year post treatment…just don’t ask her about the Swans! (Sorry Barb – I couldn’t help myself. At least your team made it).
We look forward to seeing you all on the 4th November. Don’t forget to register here.
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