All done... for now

Pancreatic Cancer Awareness month has drawn to a close and I have raised $400 to help Bedside to Bench create a Nurse Network Program for pancreatic cancer patients and their families.

Thank you to all those who have donated to this worthy cause!

It has been a pleasure to learn about Bedside to Bench - a organisation focused on changing the way people think about, conduct and translate research. 

Participating in their 30 day TLC Challenge helped me to share my story, change a few bad habits and focus on my well-being. I have had many conversations about pancreatic cancer, it's signs and symptoms and continuing low survival rates. And I have learnt about some of the challenges faced by health and medical researchers and what is being done here in Australia and overseas to find a cure and raise awareness about pancreas disease.

One thing I know is that there could be a lot more done... but until this time next year, it's goodbye from me for now.

If you'd like to help Bedside to Bench continue their great work, you can donate directly to them at any time.

Week 3 Check-ups

The focus for week 3 is all about check-ups and screenings that we need to have to prevent illness and disease.

Eating a healthy diet and getting regular exercise is just one way to reduce risk, but wait, there's more! Check-ups are important too.... when was the last time you had a check-up?

This week, I have been asked to think about about my family medical history and identify what risk factors I have in my life.

Some questions I was sent to consider include:

• Where there any people in my family that are diagnosed with a specific disease earlier than normal?
• Does more than one relative have the same disease or disorder?
• Does a certain type of disease affect certain genders in my family?
• Are there any trends where there are groups of diseases that are common in my family?

So I'm off to the doc to make sure I'm up-to-date with my check-ups.

It's also a timely reminder that I need to be more mindful when it comes to aches and pains and not to dismiss these if they continue.

Have a think about your risk factors.... 

Why pancreatic cancer?

As the world continues to recognise our first World Pancreatic Cancer Day #WPCD2014, I am reminded why this cause is so very important.

I'm not a survivor, but rather an avoider. The neoplastic cyst that was in my pancreas didn't metastasise before I found it. I got it out in time and avoided pancreatic cancer... for now.

WAGE HOPE #WageHope tells the story well. It highlights that our past is still our present. Survival rates haven't changed in years - only 6 out of every 100 survive in the US.

Giant purple strides are needed!

That's why I'm fundraising for the Bedside to Bench Pancreatic Cancer Nurse Network. This program is a giant purple stride so please donate if you can.

Let's take this stride now... and then work out how we can take the next one, together.

All over the world

Thursday, November 13 is the first World Pancreatic Cancer Day and I am pleased to be flying a purple flag here in Australia.

This month I have been participating in a 30 Day TLC Challenge which has been organised by Bedside to Bench. Bedside to Bench are working to create a Pancreatic Cancer Nurse Network - please donate if you can.

Raising awareness about pancreatic cancer is important. Survival rates have not moved in 40 years and it's time we change that. It's time we make a difference to the lives of those living with this disease.

Research is happening around the world and here in Australia, a dedicated group of scientists and healthcare professionals at the Australian Pancreatic Genome Institute are working hard. Presentations are available online from the annual APGI Clinical & Scientific Symposium which was held in Sydney earlier this year.

Let's make a difference today. Let's do what we can to support pancreatic cancer patients and the scientists and healthcare workers who are working hard to find answers.

Recommitting to my week 2 challenge

My 30 Day TLC Challenge for week 2 has been to slow down and be present while I eat.

Not off to a good start. I skipped lunch on Monday and then rushed from work to the train to make school pick-up in time while shovelling down a couple of pieces of sushi... with mayonnaise.

Ok, I can do this... why is this important?

Bedside to Bench tell me that the process of digestion is so much more than just what goes on inside your stomach and your intestines. In their support material for this week they said

'There is great benefit in paying attention to the process of eating as you are more likely to make healthier choices and if you do indulge, you are less likely to consume large portions'.

As the week progresses, I find myself having to recommit to this challenge... slow down while I eat. Ok, got it. Going to try again.

So... for the rest of my challenge I'm going to:

• commit to eating foods that give me energy and make me feel good
• eat foods that taste good
• eat foods that are nourishing and that I enjoy
• reduce packaged and processed foods and drink more water!

Why Bedside to Bench?

Bedside to Bench's approach to health and medical research is strategic, thoughtful and focused on facilitating meaningful connections. Working with patients helps researchers ask the right questions. 

This got me thinking... what else would help researchers?

I went along to an ANDS workshop called Uncovering the Impact Story of Open Research and Data to learn more about the challenges faced by researchers. There are many. Not only might researchers be asking the wrong questions, but it's very hard to publish your research and data too! 

Dr Heather Piwowar, cofounder of Impact Story was inspirational. She talked about how there are many ways to share the full impact of research and data. Impact Story helps researchers do just that - publish their research and data openly. 

I'm not a researcher but I think they are on the right track. I hope more and more scientists embrace open research and data. Surely this can make a difference. 

Just between me and you, I think this thing about just doing something is the way to go and I think I'll look into this research and data thing a little bit more...

My 30 day TLC Challenge is going well! I'm eating more fruit, relaxing more, walking a little bit more and doing a few other things too.

If you'd like to donate, please do so. Then you too will be doing something to help pancreatic cancer patients and their families.

At home and work

As the first few days of my challenge ticked over I found myself thinking more about what it really means to look after myself... at home and at work.

I'm a human resources practitioner so helping people to look after themselves at work is important. 

Last week I went to a session about managing the risks of psychosocial safety. What’s psychosocial safety? It was defined at the session as ‘health and safety risks that arise from an individual’s interaction with their social environment’.

I learnt a bit about hazards which included bullying, violence and aggression, fatigue, remote and isolated work, and work-related mental stress. Then we were shown some of the impacts... not good. They included a range of psychological and physical illnesses, and listed some social problems such as relationship breakdown.

Now, back to home…

Yes, I have added to the list of things I'm concentrating on this month as part of my 30 day TLC Challenge. They are just some little things that I’d like to change in my habits, or do more or less of. Things that will make a difference to me – no one else, just me.

This challenge is about doing something. It doesn't need to be a big something. Chances are that if you just do something, you'll think about it more and perhaps do something else too.

Have you been thinking about what you can do to look after yourself a little better?

Choose something and start now.

If you want to know more about psychosocial safety at work… take a look at WorkSafe.

If you're still thinking about what you can do, please support me as I start to make a difference. 

Wow, it's been a very busy week!

My story was published in our local paper and I received some pre-challenge homework...

It was great to see my story in the Northside Chronicle. I hope that by sharing something about myself, someone else will be encouraged to think more about their health and what they can do to look after themselves a little better.

And yes. I received some pre-challenge homework for my 30 Day TLC Challenge. My task was to answer these questions:

1. If there was one thing that I could do to improve my health, it would be….
2. If there was one thing that I could stop doing to improve my health, it would be…
3. This November, I will take time just for me to…
4. The three things that I am most grateful for are…

Easy? Well, I will say this – it required some thought.

What would you say? Not easy to think of answers on the spot hey. So here goes…

No. 1 Get over hating exercise and just do it - yes, I don’t like exercising much. I am certainly not one of the people heading out the door at 5am in exercise gear and headphones.

No. 2 Drink less coffee and wine - just to be clear, I don't actually drink too much of either of these... just sayin' that I could probably drink less of these and more of something else... I do love my coffee though.

No. 3 Enjoy more of things I do like doing - not quite sure what these are yet but I think it will involve going to the opera and listening to cello music. This question kind of contradicts my No. 2 response.. more thought required.

No. 4 Easy... my husband and our gorgeous boys. Sure, there's a lot more that I'm grateful for, but these three people came to mind first.

Well, November is here. It's pancreatic cancer awareness month and I've officially started my 30 day TLC Challenge.

Look after yourself this month too :)

Please donate if you can...

What does it mean to look after yourself?

My challenge in November is about eating a little healthier, getting a little more exercise, making sure I get my medical check-ups and enjoying life.

Seems easy... doesn't it?

I don't know about you, but I find it quite hard to look after myself. I spend half of my time at work and the other half at home - looking after everyone else.

At the moment, looking after myself usually involves a short walk (mostly to the coffee shop and back), stopping in for a 15 minute massage and when I have at least 30 minutes, aimlessly walking in and out of dress shops looking at all the things I want but really shouldn't buy. That's about it... bit sad hey.

I'm looking forward to starting my 30 day TLC Challenge. I don't know what to expect or what I will or won't like doing, but I do hope to find something that I like and something that I can keep doing.

Recently, I learnt a very important lesson... that one shouldn't stop oneself from doing something, even if one doesn't know where that something will lead. Think about it for a moment. I did. I asked myself what was stopping me from doing something and found an answer.

I realised that doing something opens doors. It opens up potential for something else to happen or for someone else to do something.

Raising awareness about pancreatic cancer and diseases is a BIG something to those who live with it now.

Thank you to those who have supported me by donating on my fundraising page. These donations go directly to Bedside to Bench and their Pancreatic Cancer Nurse Network. This program is doing something.

Do you know where your pancreas is? I didn't...

Ever since I found the cyst in my pancreas by accident, I have been absolutely astounded at how silent and dangerous pancreatic cancer really is.

My surgeon once said that ‘it is a nasty aggressive cancer that unfortunately has an extremely high chance of death once it’s been diagnosed’.

Why is this? Well, mostly because people don’t know it’s there until it’s too late – silent. But also, because the pancreas is right smack-bang in the middle of your body – dangerous!

It’s deep in the abdomen and surrounded by the body’s major arteries and veins. And I thought recognising skin cancer was a problem…

The Pancare Foundation has a great diagram. Any wonder surgery is so complex and other areas of your body so easily compromised. By the time I had surgery, my cyst (which was in the body part of the pancreas) had doubled in size and latched itself on to the blood vessel going into my liver.

Cancer Australia and Cancer CouncilAustralia have information about pancreatic cancer symptoms, diagnosis, staging, causes and prevention but as you will see, the prognosis is not good.

That’s why I'm supporting Bedside to Bench. They are developing a Nurse Network Program for pancreatic cancer patients and their families to help them navigate this silent and dangerous disease.

We need to know more.

We need to change the way we think about health and medical research.

That’s what Bedside to Bench are doing. Watch their video... it's beautifully touching and you too will see why patient, clinicians and researchers working together, is critical to the success of health and medical research.

Thank you to those who have contributed. I really appreciate your support and hope that pancreatic cancer never touches your life or the lives of those you love.

Show your support by donating now.

Making a difference

November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month and this year I'm making a difference.

I'm participating in a 30 day TLC Challenge to support an organisation called Bedside to Bench as they work to develop a pancreatic cancer nurse network.

Although I admire the people that do, I'm not going to climb Mount Everest or run around Australia or swim to New Zealand. My challenge is a simply a healthy living challenge... in other words, I'm going to concentrate on looking after myself for a whole month.

Phew! I know... a whole month. It's already sounding too hard... but no, I've decided that I don't need to do anything huge, but just something - even if it is a little something.

Raising awareness about pancreatic cancer is something that I've been thinking about for a while now.

In late 2010 I found a cyst by accident. I had a chest x-ray for pneumonia and the technician noticed a shadow. Of course, I didn't know what that could have meant at the time. I had no pain or discomfort so I wasn't too worried.

The shadow turned out to be a neoplastic cyst in my pancreas that had calcified. Further scans suggested the cyst was stable so I decided to wait a while before having surgery.

But luckily, I didn't wait too long.... in the 6 months between my last ultrasound and when I had surgery in late 2011, the cyst had almost doubled in size and had latched itself on to the blood vessel going into my liver. I ended up loosing 70% of my pancreas and my spleen.

Pancreatic cancer is a silent disease... it sneaks up on you. Survival rates are low and research is not well funded.

It may be some time until some of the bigger issues are sorted out and a breakthrough in pancreatic cancer research is made that helps increase survival rates.

As a working mum of two energetic boys, I don't find enough time to look after myself. Perhaps after this challenge it won't seem so hard... fingers crossed xx

So, off we go... my challenge starts on 3 November... anxiety about it starts now :)

Help me to help pancreatic cancer patients and their families now. Donate through GoFundraise. Just follow this link http://makingadifference.gofundraise.com.au/page/SellinP