Head & Neck Cancer Support Network

Our first Tui Talk will take place on 1 May, 2018 at 8pm. You can attend a Tui Talk by clicking this link https://zoom.us/j/725517148 and following the instructions. 

To talk to and hear us online you will need. A camera attached to your computer, speakers, and a…

We have updated our forum. Because 99% of our discussion is in our closed Facebook group, the forum has never really taken off apart from with a very small number of people, mainly committee members. Some of us are experienced users of online cancer forums like the Oral Cancer Foundation and Mayo Clinic Connect but we have reluctantly* conceded…

Along with `quit alcohol and smoking and lose weight’ the line `exercise more’ is pretty much standard medical advice. However, the lead story notes that there may be more to the`exercise more’ than simply to make everyone feel guilty.

Second story re-emphasises the need for good dental hygiene.

Meanwhile
#…

Kia ora whanau,

Our Network - update
In May we are holding our Annual General Meeting to report on the activity of the Network over the last year, and to elect officers for the 2018/9 year. We will send out through our usual channels our Annual Report, and an invitation to attend our AGM. This year we intend to broadcast our meeting using Zoom. You can access our AGM meeting from here.  …

After intense treatment for head and neck cancer Sean Woods packed up his old life and went on the road in a gypsy caravan selling his tie dyed products, mostly t-shirts. This means he can meet up with other members in clinics and meetings and gyspy fairs around the country. 

Here he is in Palmerston North with Gypzee Kerry.…

As part of our commitment to continuous improvement for our Head and Neck Cancer Survivors' Support Network, we want to know how you think we are doing. We have a survey available here to capture your thoughts and ideas.

Your needs, and aspirations for the…

New Zealand nurses are currently agitating for a pay rise with many maintaining the general public is only partly aware of how important their role is.  Lead story this week then is about how nurses can help head and neck survivors post-surgery.

Second story is a bit more technical – about identifying types of cancer in order to…

Around the corner on May 7th is our AGM. We hold it in Auckland where we started, but it is an annual general meeting for all our members throughout New Zealand. 

We'll do our best to live stream it but we need non-Auckland members to vote by proxy. We'll send you a form. 

As we are an incorporated society, we have certain rules to adhere to. One is that every old member has to enrol again. And you have to be registered…

Meetings are taking place all around New Zealand. We will update you on the Palmerston North, Nelson and Invercargill meetings in due course. Meanwhile, here is a summary of two recent NZ meetings. 

Christchurch Head and Neck Living Well Group 5th April Meeting

Swallowing and Voice Issues

Last Thursday Christchurch held its 6 weekly meeting with a large gathering of 15 patients and caregivers in attendance. An interesting and informative…

Latest from Geoffrey Reid, our UK friend. Great newsletter with a compelling patient story inside. 

Plymouth newsletter.pdf

Want to get your children or grandchildren away from their screens and out into the parks and bush tracks? The painted rock craze is for you.…

One of the first thoughts that ran through my head when I got cancer was that it was my fault. I’d been too stressed for too long and now my body had failed me. I’d let my immune system get too weak.

I now think that is wrong, wrong, wrong. Cancer is caused by random cell mutations that take place over decades. There are risk factors, yes, but there’s also a lot of plain bad luck. The immune system can’t protect you from most cancers because cancer evades the normal defences of the…

With the increasing number and variations of cancer treatments (and the number of identifiable cancers)  finding the right one can be a challenge, but more work is now underway to help ensure a correct fit – as the lead story explains.

And while head and neck cancers are often blamed on smoking, alcohol or HPV infection some…

Kia ora whanau,

We are one quarter of the way through the year. We hope you have had an enjoyable break over the holiday period. The summer seems to be never ending, and we hope you are enjoying the good weather. 

Recently, a number of our members have shared their stories of head and neck cancer. Three of those stories are highlighted in our most populare posts. Links are below. I highly recommend each of the stories for their unique perspectives of head and neck cancer…

Someone gave me a tip a few years ago. She was talking to a group of caregivers whose partners had dementia. Get outside each day and look at the horizon, she said. 

I think it's good advice because the horizon lifts you up above the troubles or petty issues of the moment and makes you…

Assume people will crash at some point and provide support. That’s what I think health care workers should do for newly diagnosed head and neck cancer patients. For a lot of the patients who end up at the multidisciplinary meeting, their lives will be changed forever. At the very least they are…

Today's story comes from South Island member, Heather Anderson, who like another three of our members has a rarer form of HNC, adenoid cystic carcinoma. 

ACC (Adenoid…

Cancer diagnosis and treatment can be a pretty bleak time and any help will be appreciated. That help can come in the form of a pet - and the (usually) relentless positivity and enthusiasm of a dog is one of the best – as this week’s lead story suggests.

The second story outlines some of the areas that a…

"Inviting patients to read and review their health information, especially the notes written after a medical visit, is an important way to improve communication between patients and health professionals…