Greetings to everyone
Diana is still in Europe so today's news will be brief.
We welcome Tamara, Nick, Marlene and Mary to our network. These are our new June members so far.
Most of our discussion is on our closed Facebook group,
https://www.facebook.com/groups/HNCSupport.Aotearoa/?ref=bookmarks but you can contact us via the…
I have been both a carer and a patient. I was more than a carer - I was a caregiver for my husband when he had dementia over several years. I’ve been a cancer patient on and off since 1996 with big healthy gaps in between.
What we…
Three stories, two from NZ and one from overseas.
What are we going to do about affordable access to dental care? …
Always thought this poem captured some of the essences of the "the full catastophe" of life as Zorba the Greek says. Catastophe in a good way - the gamut of ups and downs and emotions and conflicts, pains and joys ... Written at a time when a man was the default option but of course applies to us girls too.
If—
BY RUDYARD KIPLING
(‘Brother…
You know the feeling. You forgot your water bottle so you dash into the dairy to get a new one. You’re annoyed because bottled water is expensive and you have five empty bottles stashed at home.
When you approach the shopkeeper, you can barely talk because your tongue is stuck to the top of your mouth.
You kick yourself for coming out…
Wouldn't it be great if everyone could work together nicely? If hierachies were kept to a minimum and everyone had a say and a stake in the running of organisations? it's not going to happen, is it? However, we can strive for cultures of mutual respect and support - especially in hospitals where all citizens should have a stake and health care…
There's a lot going on in the health world, in New Zealand not all of it good with nurses about to strike unless the latest offer is accepted, Middlemore problems continuing and dental care too expensive for many citizens to afford. We promise we will share good news when it hits the headlines but for today ...
Proposed nurses strike (we…
Dear member,
On 12th June, speech languages therapists from across the northern region are meeting with consumer representatives to discuss & draft a care pathway that ensures people with head & neck cancer across Auckland & northland can access the best speech therapy support we can offer, particularly after cancer treatment is finished. We would love to hear from you…
Kia ora whanau,
Auckland/Northland Service Improvement
Five members of our Auckland/Northland group are taking part in workshops looking at aspects of head and neck cancer care like pathway co-design, models of care, the role of dietitians, psychologists and speech langauge therapists. There have been some lively discussions and a sense that the patient's voice is being heard.
Auckland June…
Two nervous, tui clad committee members delivered a 15 minute presentation at the inaugural Health Literacy Symposium at North Shore Hospital on 24 May.
Tammy and I spoke about our inspiration, the power of visual images to inform people, the benefits of online support groups like our closed Facebook group, our website and our desire…
Thyroid cancer comes loosely under the heading of head and neck cancer or is at least treated by the same ENT/ORL surgeons who treat us. I believe that most thyroid cancers are very curable. I think this is an interesting story of how one person coped with it.
Many thanks to Mary for sharing her story with us.
About…
Now is time to have another look at the newsletter Olwen and I made last year to mark World Head and Neck Cancer Day on 27 July.
It was our first WHNCD and we held a stall at North Shore Hospital as well as linking with private providers throughout the city and with people all over the world.
This year there will be more events throughout New Zealand and for Aucklanders a stall on Level 5 of Auckland City Hospital on 25 July. We will make that whole week a dedicated…
Two New Zealand stories about last week's budget and a story from the UK.
How healthy is the government's Budget boost?
A $3.2 billion dollar investment in health…
Patient Voice Aotearoa is a new organisation formed to lobby the government for equal access to world class medical care across New Zealand. They are beginning to write their vision and mission statements and have set up a steering committee to move the organisation forward.
Because they want a…
I'm a real sucker for pics of roads disappearing into the distance, all the better if there's an avenue of trees. Not only do they draw the viewer's eye into the picture and give a 3D effect but there is a sense of mystery too. What lies in the far off distance? It's a very pleasing aesthetic and we need that when we are coping with cancer. Anything that feeds the soul.
…
I've heard mention of the "What matters to you" question in health care but have never been able to figure out what it meant. It sounded hopeful, a way of establishing the patient's concerns and even values. Sounds like an awkward question to ask, though, and what do you do with the information once it is gathered? A bit of digging and…
A familar face in the first story. Dr David Grayson is one of our members and a keen innovator in the health field. …
Kia ora whanau,
We win!
I am delighted to share with you that the Head and Neck Cancer Support Network won the 2018 Excellence in Health Literacy Award from the Waitemata Health Excellence Awards. Thank you to Maureen Jansen, Jarrod O'Brien and David…
Dr Giuseppe ‘Peppe’ Sasso is currently the Clinical Director of the Radiation Oncology Department at the Northern Regional Cancer and Blood Services, Auckland City Hospital and Auckland District Health Board (ADHB), having moved to New Zealand, from Italy with his family in 2010.
Peppe’s Talk
Auckland is very…
It went well! We had 19 attendees, two via Zoom. It was our 2018 AGM with a successful outcome. Diana was relected Chair, Cosette is the new Secretary and I am on the committee with the old crew plus Toni Davis (Auckland) and Heather Anderson (Timaru). We established Dr Andrew Miller as a well integrated part of the committee in the role of advisory…
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