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.
Thursday 23 October 2014
Saturday 11 October 2014
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.
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.
Friday 3 October 2014
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
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
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