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Let’s Connect...
... with the Cancer Society and its services
3rd Quarter 2018
Our mission: Improving community well-being by reducing
the incidence and impact of cancer.
This year I will celebrate 2 significant milestones-
I’m turning 40 and I will be 5 years cancer free!
In January 2013, I developed a UTI was left of my urinary system.
(urinary tract infection). I had been
I woke up breathing just 3 breathes
getting them on and off for about a
a minute with a bowel that refused
year and I felt that the multiple courses
to work and felt like I was truly going
of antibiotics my GP had been putting
to die. I spent a month and a half in
me on weren’t working. I sought the
hospital and with my ovaries gone I
advice of a specialist, who prescribed a
was thrown into instant menopause-
3-month course of stronger antibiotics,
the combination of hot flushes, tears the way we look externally, certainly
in a hope to destroy any residual bugs.
and learning how to pee again was a doesn’t define us.
This was done after I had a bladder
nightmare.
scan, which came back clear of anything Cancer in so many ways has been a
suspicious. A month later, my neobladder still blessing...It has motivated me to take
wasn’t working. I was readmitted into care of my body, and never take it for
About 2 months into that course I
hospital several times requiring blood granted. My sister and I started our
noticed a tiny blood clot in my urine.
transfusions and antibiotics. I endured 6 business, ‘Show Pony’ and I have a blog-
I was sent directly to hospital and
months of complete incontinence and carriewarrie.wordpress.com through
cutting a very long and emotional story
rocked adult nappies for that time. which I hope to be able to reach out to
short- our lives were flipped and I was
anyone else having to face a change in
diagnosed with aggressive, muscle Finally, feeling like I was at rock bottom
the body they walk round in.
invasive bladder cancer. I went back to see one of my amazing
specialists. My body has developed I see cancer now as my guru, it reminds
Bladder cancer is known as being
a ‘vesico/vaginal’ fistula (in layman’s me daily how fragile our wee worlds are
the cancer of overweight, smoking,
terms- my amazing body had created a and how precious our time here is.
60years+ males and at 34 years old and
tunnel from my stomach cavity to the
healthy- I just didn’t fit the bill. My Right from the get go, The Cancer
outside world to drain the urine that
cancer (or Mr. Stinky cancer as he is not Society were there to support us. They
would otherwise have pooled inside me
so fondly known as round here) just checked in with us weekly to see if we
and made me septic!)
didn’t seem to get that memo. needed anything- information, food,
So, back to the operating theatre for transport, help of any kind, nothing was
Two tumours were found growing
me… It was discovered, to the horror ever a problem. Their generosity made
into the muscle wall of my bladder.
of my surgeons that my naughty our journey so much more bearable.
They were aggressive, so an aggressive
neobladder had magically ‘disappeared’.
approach was necessary. I underwent Being diagnosed with cancer is a very
Bladder transplants aren’t yet viable and
3 months of chemotherapy to try isolating, horrific thing and dealing with
so I woke up in recovery to a permanent
to stabilize the cancer and to attack the wonderful people at the Cancer
medical device (‘urostomy’) adhered to
any microscopic cells that may have Society helped us to make sense of that
the outside of my stomach.
metastasized. crazy scary time of our lives.
The thought of this outcome, at the
After the chemo with my hair falling The statistics are real - 60 people every
beginning of it all was my biggest
out in clumps, school drop offs and day in New Zealand will be diagnosed
nightmare but it turns out that death
midnight searches on the internet with cancer and none of us are immune.
definitely beats that hands down!
for any new options out there, I had a Please, please, please, give generously
massive ‘radical cystectomy surgery’ I am grateful every day for my bag. on Daffodil Day.
and ‘radical hysterectomy’ to remove Don’t get me wrong- I HATE it but the
by entire diseased bladder, my ovaries, alternative was never an option for me.
uterus, cervix, the top of my vagina, We have three young, impressionable
parts of my bowel and lymph nodes to children, so I WILL rock a bikini despite
my heart. A small part of my bowel was the new body I have been left with and
then turned into a new urinary reservoir hopefully that will instil in them the
(called a neobladder), which the
amazing surgeons re-plumbed to what
value of a healthy body confidence- that FRIDAY 31 AUGUST
INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
During the year, the Cancer Society in New Zealand, and contributes
was delighted to learn that Helen internationally as the Vice Chair
Morrin, Curator of the Cancer Society of a Science Policy Committee
Tissue Bank, had received international focused on emerging global policies
recognition with the ISBER Special and regulations that affect tissue
Services Award 2018. banking and human
Cancer Society The Cancer Society
specimen research.
Selwyn Centre Tissue Bank at
Christchurch Hospital is
This committee
is part of the
The Division’s Strategic Plan clearly our very own initiative
International Society
acknowledges the need to expand for the Biological
for supporting cancer
our regional presence so that we and Environmental
research and has been
are visible, reliable and located in Repositories (ISBER)
the leading cancer
the community where we are most with members from
needed. The Selwyn District has bank in New Zealand.
43 countries. ISBER
been identified as a key growth area More than 11,000
recently presented
requiring a Cancer Society presence patients have donated
Helen with its Special
and, after a comprehensive search their samples since
Service Award for
of the district, our new centre has it opened (1996) and
members who
opened in Rolleston. over 9,700 samples of
have demonstrated
blood and tissue have
The new centre will complement the been used in numerous studies. Studies
exceptional leadership to further the
work already undertaken by Cancer can range from skin, kidney, prostate,
mission and goals of the society and
Society volunteers throughout the significant, long-standing contributions
gynaecological and breast cancers to
area. to the society.
rare pancreatic tumours. They range
The Selwyn Centre is on the corner from looking at what bacteria and Helen considers this recognition to be
of Tennyson and Kidman Streets, other microbes are present in bowel a joint award with the Canterbury West
Rolleston. The centre is open Monday cancers, to sample collection for the first Coast Division of the Cancer Society,
to Friday between 9am and 4pm and clinical trial to assess whether high dose due to their ongoing financial support,
visitors are welcome anytime. vitamin C administered to patients with which has allowed her to participate in
Cancer Society Selwyn Centre bowel cancer produces changes in the this international society and serve on
6B Kidman Street tumour tissue. their committees.
Rolleston 7614 Helen Morrin has curated the Cancer
Ph 03 925 9708 Society Tissue Bank for more than
selwyn.centre@cancercwc.org.nz 18 years and shares her experience
and knowledge with other banks
Tranz Alpine Scooter Safari
Not for the faint hearted, The Scooter of 250 scooters take part with this years’
Safari is an endurance ride, coast to coast, ride raising a staggering $330,000. In the 6
Christchurch to Hokitika, a journey of over biennial rides since it’s inception, the Scooter
250kms to raise funds for the New Zealand Safari has raised over $1.1 Million for the
Cancer Society’s Canterbury/West Coast Cancer Society. These funds help to to ensure
Division. that the Cancer Society’s free services are
available and accessible in our community.
Created in 2009, the event has snowballed
in popularity and has fast become a bucket The success of the Scooter Safari is due to
list event for young and old. A capped total the commitment and superb organisational are dotted and the t’s crossed to ensure that
skills of Jayne and Mike Rattray, who we can’t the riders and participants have received all
thank enough. They make sure that all the i’s the information and instructions in the lead-
up to the event, are motivated to fundraise
and have an enjoyable and memorable
experience on the day.
Our special thanks are extended to the
everyone who is involved with the event
including the riders and all their supporters,
the sponsors and volunteers. This event could
not have happened without your support.
If you are keen to know more about the
Scooter Safari, please visit
www.scootersafari.co.nz
Photo credit: Lloyd Greenfield, Katipo Media
Harcourts Cancer Society Ball
The 29th annual Cancer Society ball people come for the right reasons.
Bags produced was held on a cold wintery night in
Our special thanks goes to
with love
June. The fundraising on the evening
Harcourts, and all of our sponsors
from the silent auction, the live
whose support ensures the event
Children from ten Selwyn schools auction and golden ticket collectively
can take place, the businesses and
have been busy decorating bags raised $167,000.00.
people who generously donate
for the Oncology Department Chief Executive, Elizabeth auction items, the people who
at Christchurch Hospital. The Chesterman, says the ball offers purchase tickets and generously
bags are used by patients to store a wonderful and glamorous bid in the auction. This wonderful
their belongings whilst having opportunity for our caring community support ensures the event is
treatment and we know that to come together and contribute for successful and continues to be a
they will simply love the bright the greater good of people in need. special occasion on Canterbury’s
designs that the children have It’s lovely to be at an event where social calendar.
created. At times treatment can
be very hard but we hope that the
bags and the children’s messages HEAD AND N
will bring a smile to all those in
the Oncology Department. HEAD AND NECK C ANCERS
KNOW THE SI
ECK
GNS:
• A lump in yo
World Head and Neck Cancer Day these groups ur neck
• A change in
takes place every year on the 27th that support • A growth in
your voice
Garden Tour
your mouth
of July. The Cancer Society alongside our journey • Difficulty sw
allowing
the Head and Neck Service at the through Cancer • A sore that
do
on your lip, ea es not heal
CDHB, have been working together to Treatment and r or face
Cancer Society volunteers in the promote awareness of the early signs recovery.”
If any of these
signs pe
3 or more weekrsist for
Selwyn District are busy organising of head and neck cancer. As part of the Dave Please see yo
s.
ur G.
a fundraising garden tour in immediately. P
awareness campaign the Cancer Society
conjunction with the Lincoln Rotary I want to thank Call the Canc
Amberley volunteers have painstakingly Helpline on 08er Society
Club. Ten gardens will be open to you for another 00 226 237
sewn hundreds of head and neck
visit in Broadfields and Prebbleton wonderful
cancer ribbons.
on Sunday 21 October. Refreshments meeting, we are incredibly lucky
will also be available for purchase Pene Clifford, coordinator of the Cancer to have the Cancer Society organising
during the day. Society Christchurch head and neck and promoting our Head and Neck
cancer support group says people find wellness group, as well as the support from
Tickets are $25.00 per person and great benefit in the group. Christchurch Hospital ENT department.
are available for purchase from Many patients in New Zealand are isolated
the Cancer Society Selwyn Centre “Julie and I would like to express our
and on their own with some centres
in Rolleston, the Cancer Society gratitude for the head and neck cancer
having no or limited meetings. Other Head
Centre in Christchurch, or Harcourts group meetings that the Cancer Society
and Neck groups are in awe of the topics
Four Seasons Reality Ltd. Hornby, run. We have found them extremely
and speakers organised for us. I think
helpful on my journey in recovering from
Rolleston and Lincoln it’s important for me to pass on the high
tonsil cancer. The Cooking class run each
For further information please email regard Christchurch is held within with our
year has been especially helpful, as I have
selwyn.centre@cancercwc.org.nz Head and Neck cancer community.
swallowing issues due to my Radiation
or phone 03 925 9708 Cosette
Treatment. All the different subjects and
people that have been involved in these If you would like more information
Sunday 21 October 2018
meetings have been inspirational and about this group, please contact the
Time: 10 – 4pm
really informative making my recovery all Cancer Society Christchurch Centre or
Tickets $25.00
that better. We feel very fortunate to have email groups@cancercwc.org.nz
With special We were saddened to hear this week of the passing of a
longstanding and respected Cancer Society Greymouth
volunteer, Joy McGirr. Up until her death at the age of
thanks to ... 96, Joy was an active Cancer Society volunteer giving
more than 30 years’ service to the Cancer Society
• Z’s Good in Hood promotion with supporting local patients and families with a cancer
donations from Z Geraldine - $1480.00; diagnosis.
Z Curletts Rd Christchurch - $1360.00
and Z Tinwald - $1100.00 West Coast Centre Manager, Jenny Kenning says,
• Cust School for their mufti day One of the activities Joy never missed was Daffodil Day.
donation of $251.70 Most recently she has been in charge of the Birch when we
• The people who have recently shaved bunched the corporate flowers at the Centre – she kept a very close
their hair, raising donations for the eye on how much Birch went into each bunch!! We’ll miss her this year.
Cancer Society; Nigel Doake $848.45;
Brody Pinnell $267.75, Fran Cowie
$424.51 and Meg Jones $1500.00
• The Christchurch Home Brewers
GOLFING SUCCESS
Association for their donation of The Cancer Society Malvern Group were delighted to
$405.00 which was raised at their be the recipients of the fundraising from the Annual
JaseComp event Malvern Lions Golf Tournament. Elaine Guy, Chairperson
• The Drury Theatre Organ Charitable Cancer Society Malvern Group was delighted to receive
Trust for their fundraising donation of a cheque for $19,000.00 which she said will go a long
$1000.00 raised from 2 concerts earlier way in supporting people in their growing community.
this year
Cancer Society volunteers had the task of providing
• The team at Statistics New Zealand
morning and afternoon tea for the 160 players and
for their donation of $516.90 Elaine Guy, Cancer Society supporters, along with sourcing 120 prizes for the raffles.
• Krystie Woodyear-Smith who organised Malvern Group and Tony Mitchell, Elaine acknowledged the hard work and efforts of all the
a “Turn May Grey” event, raising $220.00 President Malvern Lions
volunteers and the incredible success of the event.
• The team at Code Blue who raised
$1500.00 at their recent national
conference
• The volunteers at Mike Pero’s Heartfelt thanks
Motorcycle Gallery for their fundraising We recently received a special thank Sandy has recently returned to Scotland
of $1000.00 which was raised at a bbq at you all the way from Scotland! and has sent back his special thanks and
the gallery along with a donation from immense gratitude for all the Cancer
the Mike Pero Foundation Sandy a lovely Scotsman recently spent
Society did for him when he was in New
• The Student Event Team at ARA who a prolonged period in the Oncology
Zealand. He especially wanted to say
raised donations of $630.00 from a Ward at Christchurch Hospital unable
thank you to the special volunteers who
bake sale in memory of a student to return home to Scotland. Social
came into his life, and added that he was
• The Christchurch Greyhound Racing workers at Christchurch Hospital
so touched that one of the volunteers
Club who auctioned a Crusaders Rugby contacted the Cancer Society to ask if a
went to the airport to wave him off when
Jersey, the proceeds of $650.00 were volunteer could pop in and visit Sandy
he left for Scotland.
donated to the Cancer Society and if possible take him out for a drive.
•
A Recycled Success DIARY DATES
An extremely successful Recycled
11 August Quiz Night – Greymouth phone 03 768 9557
Runway event was held in the
Christchurch Centre in June, raising 31 August Daffodil Day www.daffodilday.org.nz
$6100.00. The centre was transformed 14 September Art Auction – Regent Theatre, Greymouth 03 768 9557
into a pop-up shop where pre-loved 21 October Ellesmere Garden Tour for further information
treasures were available for purchase. phone 03 925 9708
Our thanks to our special models, 24 November Jump for Cancer
everyone who donated items and the 9 March 2019 Relay For Life Timaru
enthusiastic shoppers! Plans are now 16 March 2019 Relay For Life Selwyn
underway for a 2019 event.
16 March 2019 Relay For Life Greymouth
Cancer Information Service Freephone 0800 CANCER 0800 226 237 www.cancernz.org.nz
Cancer Society Centre South Canterbury Centre West Coast Centre Mid Canterbury Centre Selwyn Centre
97 Fitzgerald Avenue 32 Memorial Avenue 98 High Street 122 Kermode Street 6B Kidman Street
PO Box 13450 PO Box 682 PO Box 81 PO Box 296 PO Box 25
Christchurch 8141 Timaru 7940 Greymouth 7840 Ashburton 7740 Rolleston 7643
T: 03 379 5835 T: 03 688 0124 T: 03 768 9557 T: 03 307 7691 T: 03 925 9708
F: 03 377 2804 F: 03 684 6314 F: 03 768 9587 E: midcanty@cancercwc.org.nz E: selwyn.centre@cancercwc.org.nz
E: contact@cancercwc.org.nz E: timaru@cancercwc.org.nz E:westcoast@cancercwc.org.nz
Charities Commission: CC 10981
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