It was great to meet again in the Peter Mac Wellbeing Centre for our July meeting, with equal numbers on line and face to face. After hearing from our new members, our discussions started with Bronwyn’s recently completed bucket-list trip on the Ghan from Adelaide to Darwin. It is so inspiring to hear about everything Bronwyn is squeezing in before she starts another round of chemo. Her trips, her zoo sleepovers and her dancing lessons – especially belly dancing lessons.
Positivity turned out to be the main theme for discussions this month. We know side effects can change over time and some side effects are easier to manage than others. What all side effects respond to is positivity. As Andy pointed out, maybe we have to change how we do things but we don’t have to stop doing them entirely. The group talked about the multiple benefits of peer support and sharing information. We know cancer can make patients and carers feel lonely, but through connections with people with shared experience we can maintain the positivity.
Wrapping up the meeting we shared what we were all up to outside of our shared cancer experience – work, study, family and upcoming holidays. We all have a lot to be positive about and look forward to. And speaking about having things to look forward to, you can register now for our August meeting here.