Home of the Kidney Support Network Head Office Mackay

Newsletter Contents:2. Presidents & Operation Manager news

2/3/4 part Mackay Branch news

5/6. Are sugar Substitutes ok for your Kidney

6/7 Redcliffe & Northern District Support Group News

8. Childhood Kidney Support Group

9/10/11 part Sunshine Coast Branch News.

11 Funnies

12. Andy Bull

13.Acknowledgements

President’s Report

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N E W S L E T T E R

SUMMER EDITIONJANUARY 2018

Supporting Kidney Patients for over 37 years

Presidents report Welcome to our summer newsletter. We hope that the year has started well for everyone.

Following the AGM last November I was re-elected to the position of President for a further year. I thank you for your confidence in me. I would like to thank the past committee for their tireless efforts throughout the year. In particular a big thank you to Liz Hancock, our past Secretary and Lisa Harvey, our Kidney Kids representative who both gave a great dedication to KSN through their participation at management level.

We are therefore starting this year with a new secretary, Andy Bull, whose profile can be found later in the newsletter. We welcome him to the committee and feel confident that his experience will be very beneficial to our cause.

Our committee at present is only three people and we would like to expand this to five to give us a wider perspective on matters with which we are dealing. If you are interested please contact the Freecall number 1800 358 797 and let us know. There are four face to face meetings held in Redcliffe and monthly skype meetings each of the other month. All costs are covered by KSN.

The last financial year saw an improvement in our financial position, which has continued into this financial year. This followed some tough decisions taken by the committee around staffing. Our new structure of an Operations Manager and Branch Co-ordinators has settled in well and is functioning well.

Transport continues to grow in both Mackay and the Sunshine Coast areas and Federal funding is allowing us to purchase new vehicles to satisfy this need.

Remember you could be just the person we need for the Management Committee so please consider it as an option. You could therefore have a greater say in running our great organisation. Give us a call.

Trevor Waldron President

Operations Managers ReportCan you believe it its February 2018 already, it is completely amazing how time has flown by and I would like to start this year off with welcoming in our new Committee Members Andy Bull (Secretary) Adriana Hewett (Treasurer) Trevor Waldron (President) and thank you for your involvement in the running of KSN. Also, we have a very new accountant this year who is doing an amazing job and her name is Sascha Hewett and I hope she will enjoy working with the rest of KSN Team. Our Head office has been developing new daily structures on the day to day running on KSN and we are urgently in need of more volunteers in the following areas – Administration, Transport assistant (to help Trevor Porter in the day to day administration and process of learning his job roles whilst Trevor goes on holidays - for Mackay) op shop volunteers and hospital visiting. Sarina, Keperra and Sunshine Coast and Redcliffe are also on the lookout for more volunteers so let’s get the word out there. Recently due to ill health Lisa Harvey (CKSN) has had to step down from our committee and this now means we need few more Board/Committee members. We are now desperately in need of volunteer for Childhood Kidney Support Network who can donate their time in visiting the children at Lady Cilento hospital and help look after the Teddies and Children’s Xmas party. Sadly, we saw Liz Hancock retire from the secretary roll of KSN however all is not lost Liz is back full time on Redcliffe Support Group where she is much needed. All in all, in order to keep KSN running as whole we need everyone to step up and help volunteer so we can keep helping those in need of our assistance.

Liza Williams

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Mackay Branch NewsWell, it has been a busy few months in Mackay.

BREAK-INJust before 6am on the 31st October I received a phone call from Trevor Porter, our Transport Coordinator to say one of our Driver Volunteers had just discovered our Mackay premises had been broken into. Trevor and I were there within minutes to find a door smashed in, one car moved out of the garage into the courtyard and the other car gone. The thieves also took a mobile phone from each car, the keys for the car they left behind, and two Xmas hampers that we had put together as raffle prizes.

The police came quickly and took fingerprints, photos and statements. That night we made the local Channel 7 news, showing an interview with Trevor Waldron. The response from the public was really touching, with many people bringing in donations for the Op Shop as well as cash to help us recover.

To acknowledge this, I wrote a thank you letter to the Mackay Mercury. Several weeks later (after our insurance company had paid us for the stolen car) the police contacted us to say the thief had been apprehended and the vehicle recovered. We haven’t had any news on the other items taken.

MACKAY SENIOR CITIZENS DONATION

In early December I was invited to attend a lunch hosted by the Mackay Senior Citizens. When I arrived found it was actually their Xmas lunch and during the lovely meal they presented KSN and a Mackay Base Hospital with a wheelchair each. This will be invaluable for us as our volunteer drivers delivering patients with early appointments often find all of the hospital’s wheelchairs locked up to prevent theft. Now we have our own dedicated wheelchair that is kept in the Renal Unit and our patients can be better taken care of.

MACROSSAN & AMIET CHARITABLE FOUNDATIONThis local foundation, once again this year, donated funds to Mackay KSN to enable us to purchase a lap-top, projector and screen to enhance our marketing profile. We are very grateful to the MACF for their support.

GOVERNMENT GRANTS We have been very fortunate to receive Federal funding via the LNP’s ‘Stronger Communities Program’ from both George Christensen (MP for Dawson) and Michelle Landry (MP for Capricornia) that has enabled us (together with the insurance money from the stolen car) to purchase two new cars.

RELIEF TRANSPORT COORDINATOR In early December Trevor Porter, our ‘Transport Coordinator Extraordinaire’ took a few days off work and one of our Volunteer Drivers, Geoff Gargett, kindly agreed to fill in for him. We had the usual dramas of short-notice problems with drivers, clients and hospital appointments but Geoff soldiered on, managing everything efficiently. He even left his just-served meal (meant to be a quiet Saturday lunch with his wife at Mackay Marina) to fill in for a driver who couldn’t work at the last minute. We can’t thank you enough Geoff, for the great job you did.

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Liza Williams, Trevor Waldron, Bobbie Barker, George Christensen

Mr Christensen visited KSN Mackay in November to make the announcement about his grant and Michelle Landry will make her formal presentation in early 2018.

MACKAY CHRISTMAS PARTY In December we held our KSN Xmas party at the Rice Buffet in Mackay and had over 40 people attend, including several of our clients. It was a lovely night and a fantastic opportunity to catch up with others we may not see too often. Thank you to everyone who helped make the night a success.

Thank you to all the Mackay and Sarina Volunteers. We hope you have a prosperous 2018 MACKAY FUNDRAISING We had a very successful raffle this year (after we replaced the two hampers stolen during the break-in). Carmel Sherry, one of our volunteers, sold an impressive number of tickets. Thank you for your help Carmel.

The winners were: Hamper 1 Ms Soona – Ball Bay, Hamper 2 Ms Scanbury - Farleigh………………

FINALLY, Sadly, our services are still in demand with a number of new clients joining KSN this year. Luckily, we have the most amazing team of volunteers working as drivers and in the Mackay and Sarina Op Shops. The welfare of our clients is at the heart of everything they do and it seems sadly inadequate to only say THANK YOU.

My job would be so much harder without the amazing support of the members of KSN’s advisory committee, who always manage to answer their phones (even when they aren’t at work) and always have the information I need.

I look forward to working with everyone associated with KSN in 2018 and hope that we can continue to build on the great reputation KSN has in the local community. Also, Mackay would like to put out a challenge through KSN who can find most beautiful or funny pictures of their volunteers, patients (with their consent) and pictures of their district so we can collect and distribute in our quarterly newsletters.

Bobbie Barker Mackay Branch Co-ordinator.

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Are Sugar Substitutes Okay for Your KIDNEYS

By Sara Fenton, RDSatellite Healthcare San Francisco Humans crave sweets. We evolved to enjoy sweetness because it meant lots of calories in times of famine. Unfortunately, in an age of plenty, our prehistoric cravings are backfiring on us Excessive sugar intake could be contributing to many health conditions including obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and kidney disease. The difficult search for the perfect sugar substitute continues. However, despite all the products on the market today, there still does not seem to be an easy answer to the sugar dilemma.

Artificial sweetenersArtificial sweeteners, such as Saccharin (Sweet’N Low), Aspartame (NutraSweet and Equal) and Sucralose (Splenda) are some of the most well-known sugar substitutes. The advantages of these is that they are zero-calorie, do not raise blood sugar levels, and do not contribute to tooth decay. Based upon animal studies, artificial sweeteners have been criticized for the potential to cause various health problems including cancer. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has established an acceptable maximum daily intake considered safe to consume.  

Sugar alcoholsSugar alcohols such as xylitol, sorbitol and maltitol are not usually used in home cooking, but commonly found in processed foods to add sweetness. The biggest drawback of sugar alcohols is that they can cause bloating, intestinal gas and diarrhea, especially when eaten in large amounts. They also do contain calories, and can raise blood sugars, even if to a lesser degree than regular sugar. Products claiming to be “sugar free” may contain these sweeteners. But be aware: These foods do still have calories and can contribute to weight gain and increased blood sugars. Always read your food labels to determine the carbohydrate content.

New sweetenersNewer sweeteners, such as stevia (Truvia, Pure Via) have been approved as “generally recognized as safe” in the isolated chemical form. The FDA has not approved stevia leaves or "crude stevia extracts" for use as food additives. These sweeteners do not raise blood sugars, but since they are relatively new products, it is advised to use them in moderation. Some studies have shown negative effects on the kidneys.

Potential risksDespite the growing number of artificial sweeteners on the market, scepticism remains that these sweeteners are helping us achieve our health goals. New research is showing that consuming foods and drinks sweetened with low calorie sugar substitutes may actually be contributing to weight gain, stroke, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Although artificial sweeteners do not cause the spike in blood sugar that real sugar does, it may actually be hijacking our taste buds, stimulating our appetites and causing us to overeat.\

Natural sugar alternatives5

Using more natural sugar alternatives such as honey, maple syrup and agave nectar are very safe from a health perspective, but will raise blood sugars similarly to sugar. When using these substitutes, it is a good idea to use in moderation.Sweetening baked goods naturally with applesauce, ripe bananas, dates, or prunes is an excellent option instead of sugar. These foods add beneficial nutrients and fibre that plain sugar lacks.  

Bottom lineThere is no magic bullet in sugar replacements, and should always be used in moderation. The best way to avoid health issues is to drastically cut back on sugar all together; artificial and “real” sugar alike. By sticking to whole foods, such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, whole grains you can change your taste buds to enjoy the sweetness found in nature, while avoiding negative health consequences. References:

1. Garner C. et al Non-nutritive sweeteners: Current use and health perspectives. A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association and American Diabetes Association Circulation. 2012; 126:5092. Artificial sweeteners and Cancer. National Cancer Institute. 3. Low-Calorie Sweeteners May Contribute to Weight Gain. Consumer Reports. 4. High Intensity Sweeteners. US Food and Drug Administration. 

______________________________________________________________Redcliffe & Northern Districts Support GroupWe had quite a busy year from 1st July 2017. We are pleased to announce that we were successful with three of the four Grants we applied for, one from the MBRC for $2000.00 which will be for Gel Cushions. The second from The Stronger Communities Group via Luke Howarth, which will allow us to purchase laptop, projector and screen to enable us to undertake presentations to local Groups promoting the “Risks of Kidney Disease”. The third from Bendigo Bank for a Marquee. The first two will be purchased in January when the funds are available. We also had five new volunteers for our Group which is exciting, three of which I advised in the Spring Newsletter and two more recently. However sadly we have two resignations Janice who has been with us since 2009 originally a KSN driver, then she took on the Treasurer role and kept all our books for the Group. Janice also has a talent for flyers and provided all the flyers for our activities, she will be sadly missed. Adriana, who is currently on the KSN Board continued with the Redcliffe Group until the end of the 2017 calendar year arranging the Hypnotist Night in November and arranging all the gifts and prizes for this function and other functions throughout the past couple of years. She also purchased and with the help of Janice and Janet packaged the “Christmas Gifts” which were provided to the patients at the Morning and Afternoon Teas, which occurred from 11h to 14th December at both Redcliffe and North Lakes Renal Units. Adriana’s daughter Erin put together some very nice plant table settings for the Hypnotist night which were auctioned off. A thank you to Erin for all her hard work.

The New Renal Unit was officially opened on 12th October with Yvette D’Ath State Member, Cameron Dick, Health Minister, Louise Oriti Redcliffe CEO and Monica Obrien NUM at Redcliffe. KSN also received official invitations to attend this official opening and Adriana and myself attended and were also acknowledged for the assistance we had provided. We had liaised with patients and staff with preferred colour schemes and as Consumer Representative I had attended the fortnightly Meetings over a very extended period. The final result being that the Patients are now very settled in their new environment.

4th November the Truckies Convoy was held again at the Redcliffe Showground and our Group worked with Hesta (Volunteer Paramedics) in encouraging Drivers to take advantage of the free Kidney Health “At Risk” testing’s. We erected our Marquee at 8.30am and set up with Brochure Displays and also sold our Christmas Raffle Tickets. A thankyou to our volunteers on this day, also to my UK cousins who arrived on 3rd November and provided their assistance in setting up and taking down of the marquee. It was greatly appreciated. November 3rd 2018 for this years Truckie Convoy and we hope to have a Sausage Sizzle at this function too.

Liz at Display at Truckies Convoy Redcliffe Showgrounds with our New Marquee from Grant from Bendigo Bank.

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Our Christmas Luncheon held on 19th November at the Mango Hill Tavern, was again very successful, the meals which were alternate drops from a choice of Fish/Steak, Christmas Pudding/Pavlova and fruit were very enjoyable and a Big Thank you was provided to the “Chef and Staff for their services. Redcliffe & Northern Districts provide a subsidy of $15.00 per head for members and partners from their fundraising activities.

Barry and Cay Ellem two of our volunteers from Bribie and also Members of the Bush Poets Society provided us with a few poems which we all immensely enjoyed and from the laughter generally I think everyone else enjoyed this too.

Cay and Barry enjoying their Christmas Luncheon before presenting their Bush Poetry. Cay had

donated a bottle of Rum and this was won by Tom by way of rolling a Gold Coin and whoever came nearest to the Bottle of Rum they were the winner. The Luncheon Raffle which was again donated by Janice raised more funds for the Redcliffe & Northern Districts Support Group. The raffle was won by Pauline from North Lakes. We are looking at a venue nearer Morayfield and Caboolture which may enable/encourage some of our members in this area to attend.

We had two days of displays at Peninsular Fair Kippa Ring on Thursday and Friday 23 rd and 24th November, from 8am – 5pm. with lots of Volunteer assistance. We handed out brochures and our Donation Tins provided us with further funds for our Group. We also sold our Christmas Raffle tickets. Christmas Morning and Afternoon Teas. This was our first function at the new Moreton Bay Integral Care Centre and it was very successful. Our patients always pleased to receive extra Goodies for their morning and afternoon teas, although we have to abide by the rules in what we can provide. Monday and Thursday at Redcliffe and Tuesday and Wednesday at North Lakes. A total of 94 Teas, 94 gifts for patients to take home and eight free raffle prizes. We also handed out three Quilts provided by the Eatons Hill Butterfly Quilters. We put all patient names in a box and three drawn out. These will be kept until we receive the next lot of Quilts. Redcliffe patients also over the past few months have received a quilt provided by Redcliffe Quilters. We thank both these organisations for their support.Our Christmas Raffle was drawn on 14th December and three members won the first three prizes. Mini iPad (donated by Yvette D’Ath; Afternoon Tea for 2 At Tiffany’s North Lakes donated by member, and a $50.00 fuel voucher donated by a member. The fifth Prize was donated by Janice our volunteer and this was won by someone on the peninsular and was delivered prior to Christmas.

New Volunteers Keith Jacob Jean Hunt

A Happy New Year to everyone from the Redcliffe & Northern Districts Group. A Great thank you to the Redcliffe Group of Volunteers past and present.

Liz Hancock Redcliffe & Northern Districts Support Group

CHILDHOOD KIDNEY SUPPORT CHRISTMAS PARTY

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The Christmas Party was another great success! We were once again entertained by Marc from Joyology. A big thanks to the volunteers from the Star Wars Redback Garrison, who made a special appearance at the party. Also a big thankyou to the Broncos who donated $2945 to go towards the Christmas party and hopefully next year will be a great success again.

CHRISTMAS PARTY 2017

STAR WARS MOVIE NIGHT FUNDRAISER

Andrew Robertson from Worldwide Printing organised a Star Wars fundraising movie night for the CKSN in December at the Blue Room Cinema. A big thanks to Andrew, and another special appearance from the Star Wars Redback Garrison. Andrew raised $1650.

Lisa Harvey Childhood Kidney Support Network.

SUNSHINE COAST BRANCH NEWS

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It has been a wonderful few months on the Sunshine Coast. We have been busy, getting all our Quilts out, receiving our laptops, getting new drivers, and keeping our stores running at a professional level. We also have a Corporate bowls day coming up, which is going to be a fantastic day.

Our community is embracing us and our name is getting out to everyone. Kidney Support and all its Volunteers do an amazing job on a daily basis.

We have been busy making sure all Kidney patient on the Sunshine Coast 157 patients got a beautiful handmade Quilt from us and the lovely ladies at the Nambour Linues, group. The patients loved receiving this gift from us.

I would like to give a big shout out of appreciation, to all my Volunteers at Maroochydore , Currimundi and our wonderful drivers who all do an amazing job.

Steve Condie has now joined our wonderful team, helping me in the office and now doing Transport, while Mick is on holidays.

Looking forward to a great 2018 with you all.

Thank you to the Masonic group at Caloundra and at Landsborough group for donating Sunshine Coast, with 2 Laptops. It has made our job a lot easier. They presented myself with them at a lovely dinner at Caloundra

Our shops were really busy, selling our Christmas raffles. Winners were so excited.

I would like to make a special thank you to one of our Patients Murray for putting out our donation tin at his Christmas Lights, Thank you for your Donation.

I would like to give a big shout out of appreciation, to all my Volunteers at Maroochydore , Currimundi and our wonderful drivers who all do an amazing job.

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FUNNIES HAVE A LAUGHA teacher asked her students to use the word ANAGRAMS "beans" in a sentence. "My father grows beans,"said one girl. PRESTYTERIAN; "My mother cooks beans," said a boy. Best in Prayer. A third student spoke up, "We are all human Beans."

A mom texts, "Hi! Son, what does IDK, LY, & TTYL mean?" SLOT MACHINES;He texts back, "I Don't Know, Love You, & Talk to You Later." When you rearrange the letters: The mom texts him, "It's ok, don't worry about it. I'll ask your sister, CASH LOST IN ME love you too.

Teacher: "Kids, what does the chicken give you?" DORMITORYStudent: "Meat!" When you rearrange the letters:Teacher: "Very good! Now what does the pig give you?" DIRTY ROOMStudent: "Bacon!"Teacher: "Great! And what does the fat cow give you?" SNOOZE ALARMS:Student: "Homework!" When you rearrange the letters:

ALAS! NO MORE Z’s

ELEVEN PLUS TWO: When you rearrange the letters:TWELVE PLUS ONE

Welcome to the New Secretary – Andy Bull. My name is Andy and I am proud to have been elected as the Secretary for such a fantastic and vital charity as the Kidney Support Network. I would like to take this brief opportunity to introduce myself and my family.

We moved here from Southampton, England in September 2013. It was a massive move for us as we knew nobody and had only been to Australia once, a few months previous when I came for my final interview with Caltex Australia.

‘We’ are: Me (Andy Bull), Paula my wife, Anton (aged 13) and Dylan (aged 10).

As a family, we have been impacted by renal failure and the life changing effect it has not only on the individual but also family and friends, as our eldest son Anton has chronic renal failure. Anton was diagnosed at 4 weeks old with bilateral, dysplastic kidneys and ever since we have been on the journey that many of you have been on for some time. Though we

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have always been open and honest with Anton about his condition and the impact that it is likely to have on his life, we have tried to instil in him the belief that nothing is impossible: With the right drive and ambition, you can achieve whatever you want in life regardless of the setbacks that renal failure can bring and, with the right support and funding, the life of people touched with renal failure will continue to improve over time….. so, imagine how keen we were to be part of such a wonderful charity as KSN and, when the secretary position came up for nomination, I had no hesitation in putting my hand up to volunteer.

I work for Caltex Australia at Lytton Refinery as the Maintenance and Reliability Manager. As part of the leadership team I am used to not only working with day-to-day operational issues, a large and diverse work force, significant P&L and financial decisions but I am also comfortable working in the longer term, strategic space. I hope that I can use my experience and drive, working with this outstanding committee, volunteers and operational staff to build and grow KSN’s reach within Queensland and to bring care and respite to all the people and families affected by renal failure.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

We are proud to acknowledge the following Organisations who support the KIDNEY SUPPORT NETWORK

Bendigo Bank Margate LNP’s ‘Stronger Communities Program’ Sunshine Coast, Redcliffe and Mackay Grants Moreton Bay Regional Council - Grant Broncos for donation to CKSN Christmas party Andrew Robertson from World Wide Printing donation for the Movie night Masonic Group at Caloundra Kings Café Woody Point (Redcliffe BBQ) Macrossan & Amiet Gwenda’s Gaggle Quilts Eatons Hill Quilting

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KIDNEY

SUPPORT

NETWORK

CONTACTS

KSN Head Office – Free call 1800 358 797 Postal: PO Box 457 Redcliffe Qld 4020; Email: information@ksn.org.au

Mackay / Central Queensland Branch – Bobbie Parker – 1/235 Shakespeare Street Mackay Qld 4741 (office and Op Shop); 0423 964 397; Sarina Op Shop – 24 Central Street Sarina. Patient Transport – Trevor Porter – 0413 099 754

Sunshine Coast Branch – Kathy Rayner – 5314 2013; 0410 755 476; 1/1 Gannawarra Street Currimundi Qld 4151 (office and Op Shop); Maroochydore Op Shop 2/44 Aerodrome Road Maroochydore 5443 3553

Keperra Op Shop Kez Batch – 07 3855 9781 1/10 Dallas Parade Keperra

Redcliffe Support Group: liz.hancock@ksn.org.au Mob. 0407 885 559

Rockhampton / Gladstone Support Group – Katrina Duff – 4920 7928

Townsville Support Group - Darryl Coyne – 0408 755 221

Nambour Linues group

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Supporting Kidney Patients for over 36 years