1

VOICE

VOICE i s generous ly funded by The F r iends o f Br i s to l Haemato logy & Onco logy Cent re

In the last Voice I talked about our

plans for a refurbishment of the

centre. I‘m pleased to say that we

have been pledged £2.2 million in

NHS and charitable funding, in-

cluding the Above & Beyond

Charities‘ biggest ever grant of

£1.5 million. We‘ll start the work

in May but it won‘t be immedi-

ately visible because we have to

do some shuffling around behind

the scenes. We hope that the first

area to have a facelift will be the

Isotopes Department on Lower

Ground 1 in August ‗09.

If you want to help us make

the right choices about furniture,

decoration and art works, or you

are interested in helping us with

our £500,000 fundraising target,

please look out for more informa-

tion in reception or

contact me (0117 3424148)

or

Sarah Wright (0117 3422411).

Other improvements in the pipe-

line are free personal televisions

for all 49 beds on the wards very

kindly donated by the Friends of

BHOC. We have also got some

long-overdue funding to upgrade

the toilets, sinks and bathrooms on

the wards. Also, a huge thank you

to Bosom Buddies and the Nicola

Corry Support Fund for the refur-

bishments they have sponsored on

Ward 61.

Please keep telling us what

you think and who you want to

thank by using the Feedback

Boards in every department. It

really is lovely to receive your

kind comments and the staff men-

tioned by name are all nominated

for our monthly Spotlight Prize

draw - a £20 voucher for the shop

of their choosing. (See the names

of the latest winners on page 5)

WHAT‘S INSIDE

PAGE 2 - CLIMB-

ING DOWNUNDER

PAGE 3 - VISIT

THE OPERA

PAGE 21 - A

SPECIAL WISH

GRANTED

Cancer Information and Support Centre

The Patients‘ Newsletter Edition 7

UPDATE ON BHOC

IMPROVEMENTS BY

Jo Poulton, Assistant Divisional Manager,

Specialised Services, Haematology,

Oncology, and Homoeopathy

2

This is Mrs Doreen Cheacker of Patchway who

successfully climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge

last year to raise money for the Friends.

Mrs Cheacker‘s husband was a patient here

in 2006 and when she was visiting her son and his

family in Queensland, thought this a good idea!!

We are most grateful for the £300 she

raised and salute her bravery!

Not for the faint hearted!

NEWS FROM THE FRIENDS OF BRISTOL

Severn Vale Flower Club recently celebrated its

50th Anniversary. 50 wonderful years of flower

arranging, visits from area national demonstrators,

outside visits and involvement in many Church

and Cathedral Flower Festivals.

Each year we have a different charity and

last year we chose Friends of BHOC. Kate Hick-

man, a member of the club, has been involved in a

variety of ways with the Oncology Centre since

1985 when her husband was a patient here for 5

months. Beginning as an escort, Kate ran the Cof-

fee Shop for 9 years with her friend Valerie Gillett,

raising money for Thornbury Inner Wheel via a

promise auction and from the sale of cards de-

signed by her (which are also sold on our main re-

ception desk and are extremely popular).

From the sale of Kate‘s cards, coffee morn-

ings and charity stalls, Severn Vale presented a

cheque for £1,400 to Liz Pritchard in February this

year for use by the Friends.

Anita and Peter Tonks are hosting another

Cream Tea event in Shipham on Sunday

5th July 2009.

There couldn‘t be an easier way to help

raise funds – just come along and enjoy a

delicious cream tea at Shipham Village

Hall between 3pm and 5pm. We guaran-

tee you won‘t be disappointed – we even

have a brand new village hall just in case

it rains.

All monies raised will be

donated to the Friends.

FLOWER CLUB CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY

CLIMBING DOWN UNDER VISITING VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

The Friends are looking for more visitors for

their friendly team of volunteers. If you can

spare time to visit the wards once or twice a

week for one month a year, please contact Lindy

Densham 01934 838668 for more information.

3

HAEMATOLOGY AND ONCOLOGY CENTRE

OPERA

Wednesday 12th August 2009 at 6.30pm

‗Woodlands‘, Aldwick, near Wrington

THE MARRIAGE OF FIGARO

Performed by the Opera Project and sung in English

Tickets £50 each to be purchased in advance from

David Farris, Pit Farm, The Batch, Butcombe. BS40 7UX

Bring your own picnic!

Opera Project is a very professional local group who are also performing at the

Tobacco Factory in the autumn. This promises to be another special evening.

All proceeds to the Friends of Bristol Haematology & Oncology Centre

The last opera, performed in 2007 at Bourne House in Rickford, was

‗Italian Girl in Algiers‘

which was enjoyed by

a capacity audience of

350. The weather, as

usual, was kind to us

with a warm sunny

evening and after the

interval, a starry night

greatly enhancing the

magic of the occasion.

However, this year we

have the use of a mar-

quee just in case!!

4

Bristol Ostomates

Self Support Group BOSS holds four meetings a year for anyone

who has or cares for someone with a Colostomy,

Ileostomy or Urostomy.

The next meetings to be held this year are

September 19th and December 5th. They will be

held in The Broadmead Baptist Church Hall which

is near to the bottom of Union Street in Broadmead.

Meetings start at 2.00pm and end at about 4.30 pm.

The meetings are informal, we usually have

a speaker or some form of entertainment followed

by refreshments and a raffle. There is a Stoma

Care Nurse present who can give help and advice

to anyone who needs it. It is a good place to meet

other people with stomas: share ideas: and you

would be most welcome.

For further information please call

Maurice Cox on 0117 935 8949 or

Christina Hammond on 0117 907 5326

PEACE Gill de Wolf

I sing of huts high on Inca terraces

Of shacks in the middle of arid deserts

I sing of reed boats, embroidered coats

Of llamas, water buffalo, guanacos, iguanas

I write of the wind in the eucalyptus trees

Of a road winding high in the Andes

I sing of the pan pipes echoing the sound

Of the people, places and trees all around

I write of a waterfall cascading into a pool

Shimmering bright sunlight feeding the

soul

I write of the Red Sea, the Dead Sea

High mountains, green hills, and olive trees

I sing of a dove flying high above

I sing of love, life, hope and peace

I t was with extreme regret that we bade farewell to two very special ladies.

Marilyn Cowburn had been a cancer patient and was very distressed when she lost her

hair because of her cancer treatment. When her health improved she started Headstart.

This is a service which sells headwear such as scarves, hats, bandannas, buffs and bean-

ies to women who are experiencing hair loss.

For eleven years until her recent death Marilyn came into the Centre on Wednesday afternoons to show

what was available and demonstrate ways of tying scarves. This valued service continues and Marilyn‘s

mother Margaret and other volunteers can be found each Wednesday in the Centre continuing the good

work that Marilyn began.

Marilyn will always be remembered for the wonderful legacy she left for patients who are coping

with hair-loss - Headstart.

Wendy Eddolls was a very valued member of the information centre‘s team of volunteers. Wendy had

been a volunteer with us for eight years and had a ready smile, was a supportive listener and related well

to everyone she came into contact with .

Both Marilyn and Wendy will be greatly missed by all their colleagues in the information centre.

TWO SPECIAL LADIES

5

SPOTLIGHT AWARDS Many congratulations to the following recipients of Bristol Onocology and

Haematology Centre‘s Spotlight Awards (for further details see .

November winners Janet Smith/Diane Pellici (nurses)

December winner Pamela Probert (clinic co-ordinator/receptionist)

January winner Debbie Birch (clinic co-ordinator)

February winner Tracey Arthur (Sister)

March winner Deanne Cox (personal assistant)

April winner Christine Millman (Sarcoma and Melanoma CNS)

Every day at BHOC thousands of words are

circulated. For patients these words are vital,

though often unfamiliar and daunting. Some pa-

tients feel that their own voice becomes lost in the

challenge of dealing with cancer and all the medical

information it involves.

Creative writing sessions are offered free for pa-

tients who wish to express themselves in their own

words in a supportive environment. Facilitated by

Fiona Hamilton, the one-to-one hour-long sessions

take place at BHOC, where a relaxed, welcoming

and confidential space is provided. The sessions are

currently funded by The Friends of BHOC.

Patients and carers can book an initial ses-

sion at the Information and Support Centre. At this

meeting, they can find out what creative writing

involves and decide if it is for them. No experience

is necessary.

Fiona gives guidance and suggestions for

people to get their writing going in the form of po-

ems, prose, journal-keeping or even song lyrics.

Short, structured and enjoyable exercises are used

to begin with to give people confidence. Humorous,

heartfelt, serious, questioning, hopeful, tongue in

cheek—all varieties of expression are possible. Dif-

ferent perspectives on facing cancer can be ex-

plored. Enjoyable and fulfilling aspects of life-

family history, travels, personal enthusiasms, rela-

tionships, nature and animals - are also popular

themes. Getting things onto paper often provides a

sense of relief and the opportunity to share writing

within the session or with family and friends can be

affirming.

In feedback, participants have said that crea-

tive writing is enjoyable and helps to unlock crea-

tivity, that is a way of exploring difficult as well as

fulfilling experiences and of bringing together

pieces of a life story when the ‗life jigsaw‘ has been

disrupted, restoring a sense of ‗whole self‘

Creative writing offers ways to connect with

thoughts and feelings which may get overlooked

during the demands of hospital appointments. Bris-

tol is something of a pioneer city in offering crea-

tive writing in GP surgeries, hospitals, organisations

connected with health, and in complementary care.

The creative writing sessions at BHOC are

supervised by the Psychosocial Department and

supported by the Information and Support Centre,

where leaflets are available.

Creative Writing Sessions

6

St Peter‘s Hospice began in 1978 and is the only adult hospice caring for people in Bristol and its sur-

rounding districts.

We care for people with incurable illnesses (mainly cancer) and last year cared for over 1,900 patients

and supported over 6,000 family members and children. Our specialist palliative care is provided at our

two hospice sites (Brentry & Knowle) and across Bristol by our Community Nurse Specialists and Hos-

pice at Home teams.

To find out more about St Peter‘s Hospice please visit our web-

site: www.stpetershospice.org or contact 0117 9159300.

Did you know…?

Our services include:

Day Hospice, we offer access to specialist medical input, complementary therapy and activities

In-patient units, at Brentry and Knowle, offering 22 hospice beds with 24 hour nursing care

Hospice at Home – 24 hour nursing support for patients and carers during the last week of life

Community Nurses – providing home visits covering psychological support, symptom control,

patient and carer support, help with family issues and bereavement care

Chaplaincy – ministers who offer spiritual and religious care to patients and their families. Of-

fering support to those with other faiths and helping them to find the any resources they need

Bereavement support – organised by our Social Work Team, offered through trained volun-

teers, chaplain or social workers

Family Liaison and Grief Support – support for children, young people and families.

Education – our small team of teachers works to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence

of health care professionals

Shops – we have nearly 50 shops selling donated goods and raising money towards patient care.

Fundraising – our team work with both the community and corporations to raise money and

support for St Peter‘s services

Our supporters…

We have over 2,000 Volunteers who donate 203,000 hours of support every year. Giving the gift of

time and helping us to achieve the level of support we offer.

7

These are the hands

That touch us first

Feel your head

Find the pulse

And make your bed.

These are the hands

That tap your back

Test the skin

Hold your arm

Wheel the bin

Change the bulb

Fix the drip

Pour the jug

Replace your hip.

These are the hands

That fill the bath

Mop the floor

Flick the switch

Soothe the sore

Burn the swabs

Give us a jab

Throw out sharps

Design the lab.

And these are the hands

That stop the leaks

Empty the pan

Wipe the pipes

Carry the can

Clamp the veins

Make the cast

Log the dose

And touch us last.

© By kind permission of

Michael Rosen, Children‘s

Laureate

THESE ARE THE HANDS

VOICE YOUR VIEWS

Thank you to everybody who has provided us with a contribution for this edition. We

do appreciate the time and effort and goes into compiling an article.

If you haven‘t already sent us something—how about it!! We look forward to hear-

ing from you SOON! Either drop something in at the information and support centre

at BHOC or email one of the Voice team - patricia.murphy@UHBristol.nhs.uk

8

Acute Promyelocytic Leukaemia Our stories

From Rowena (aged 35)

F riday 13th July 2007 was the day that saved my life! I had been feeling exhausted for

some time, but successfully managed to ignore my increasing fatigue for weeks or perhaps months. I had dismissed the fatigue due to the extremely busy and stressful year I had had thus far, including bereavement, a very stressful job, exams, selling my house… and the list went on. I also managed to explain away the increasing bruising I had on my arms and legs; I thought I was just clumsy due to tiredness: it was not en-tirely out of character for me to knock into furni-ture, but some of the bruises couldn’t be ex-plained away. I eventually took myself to my GP, who was concerned by my symptoms and sent off a blood test for urgent testing. I was horrified when I arrived home from a long day at work to find messages from him that he needed to speak to me urgently. I was admitted to Frenchay hos-pital the following morning for tests and following a bone marrow biopsy the next day, received the news that I had leukaemia - APML. I was immedi-ately transferred to the Avon Haematology Unit (ward 62), which from that moment became my second home for many months. I underwent emergency treatment with blood, platelet and fresh frozen plasma transfu-sions, which allowed me to start chemotherapy within 24 hours of diagnosis. Over the next few months I received four courses of chemotherapy, some as an inpatient and some as an outpatient. During all of my treatment I have had regular bone marrow biopsies. I went into remission early and thankfully I have remained in remission. I started a two- year course of maintenance treat-ment in February 2008, so have only one year left of treatment. The symptoms of the illness, together with the side effects of the chemotherapy and other drugs, caused an interesting and not very pretty period of my life. I was extremely blessed with my hugely supportive husband, family and

friends. Unfortunately I spent quite a lot of time with virtually no immune system, so had to be very careful about who I saw and where I went, which was often very lonely, but text messaging filled a huge void. I went back to work early in March 2008, much to the surprise of the doctors and nurses. I have remained well, although fatigue still catches up with me at times. I managed to remain cheerful for most of the time throughout my illness, apart from a cou-ple of occasions including when my hair fell out, so was taken by surprise when in July 2008 I be-came irrationally weepy for a whole weekend – I realised the shock of having cancer had finally caught up with me on the anniversary of my diag-nosis. The treatment and care I received from all of the staff on ward 62 has been second to none. I have made some fantastic friends through my time in hospital, one of whom has now sadly passed away and is much missed, but many more who like me have come through.

How we met by Alison

On Friday 2nd May, Rowena attended her clinic appointment. The consultant real-ized that she had another patient on the ward upstairs (me) with the same diagno-sis. She had the insight, with our agree-ment, to introduce us. It was such a good idea as I had just been diagnosed and had no idea what lay ahead of me and there in the same room was another young woman who was back at work who had been in the same position only nine months previously. Rowena continued to visit me in hospital and share her experi-ences with me so that I knew what I was going to go through. We would share ex-periences such as how it felt when our hair fell out and how it grew back and also talk about when things would get better. Since then we have become good friends, meeting up and continuing to offer sup-port to each other.

9

From Alison (aged 38)

I went back to my job part-time on Monday 14th April 2008 after 9 months maternity

leave. After working three days I felt very strange. I was unable to deal with the stress of the workplace like I used to but simply put this down to my absence and made an appointment to speak with my employer the following Mon-day. My husband had commented on the bruis-ing that was appearing on my legs but I could not explain to him where they were coming from. Larger bruises began to appear on my thighs and when I was out with friends I noticed a bruise the size of the palm of my hand had ap-peared on my hip. The next day I felt very unwell and strug-gled to work. I was unable to walk home. I went to see my GP and on Friday 25th April I was ad-mitted to Ward 62 with possible Leukaemia. On Monday 28th April I was diagnosed with APML. I had the triad of symptoms; fatigue, spontane-ous bruising and fever. I started chemotherapy straight away. As I had the same type of Leu-kaemia as Rowena I received the same treat-ment and followed a very similar pattern of in-patient and outpatient care. I also went into re-mission early and have remained in remission. I started the two-year course of maintenance treatment in October 2008. The infections, the clean diet, hair falling out, avoiding areas and activities that posed a high risk of infection were all things to battle through. I was too poorly for the first month to take stock of what was happening to me then one day I woke up and could not stop crying all day. I then had a set of good results from blood tests and was allowed to go home which turned things around for me and determination to get through set in. I went to collect my son from my parents’ house worrying about what was going to happen because I felt I had forgotten how to look after him. It all came flooding back after a couple of days and I was so happy because now I could pick him up and cuddle him with my line in without any pain. The next difficult point emotionally was at the end of the main part of treatment and before the start of the maintenance pro-

gramme. I had been very determined through the first five months and got to the end of it but I then realised life had changed and I was not the person I was at the start. Everyone had told me that I was a strong person and I would get through but I felt I had come out the other end a weaker person. It took time to come to terms with this. The emotional stages continue. One of the hardest parts was being sepa-rated from my baby son for long periods of time. Family and friends were very supportive keeping me going and helping with childcare. My son was kept away from other children due to the risk of infection and arranging childcare was one of the hardest parts as appointment times varied. Sometimes I would need a blood transfusion the next day and had to phone around to find someone to look after him for five hours. I am currently looking after my 18 month old son full time and planning my return to work at the end of April 2009. The care I received on Ward 62 and in the Day Area was fantastic. I too have made good friends through sharing experiences. I have had wonderful support from those who have gone through the treatment for Leukaemia before me and with me.

We would like to continue helping others

When we were ill we were both helped by others who had been treated for cancer, but realised there was a shortage of spe-cific support for adults, particularly our age ,who had been diagnosed with Leukae-mia. We would like to meet other similar people who are currently going through, or have been through, treatment for Leukae-mia or other blood cancers. For further de-tails of the support we can offer please contact us on the email address below or get our details from the Avon Haematology Unit. Rowena and Alison

bristoladultleukaemiasupport .hotmail.co.uk

10

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008

Total Male Contacts Total Female Contacts Total Contacts

Information on people contacting The Information

and Support Centre from 2004 to 2008

.The Information & Support Centre opened in 1996 and was originally funded by the Friends of the

BHOC,and was the first centre to be staffed by ex patients & carers. It has become a role model for one

form of user-involvement, with a growing reputation across the country.

The graph shows how there is a steady year on year increase in the total amount of contacts at the

centre. In total 6797 people used the centre‘s services in 2008 compared with 5988 in 2007.

Total Male 1496 1390 1483 1390 1530

Total Female 3912 4040 4068 4597 5261

Grand Total 5422 5439 5559 5988 6797

GOSH Bristol(Gastro Oesophageal

Support and Help) is a support group

set up almost 4 years ago to do what the

name suggests - support and help anyone

who has been diagnosed with gastric or

oesophageal cancer.

Run by patients with the help of Macmil-

lan Specialist nurses we meet every other

month to talk, listen to speakers, share

concerns, eat and drink and have a laugh

(the best medicine!!)

All our fundraising goes to give our

members a good time with heavily subsi-

dised theatre visits and outings and a

newsletter 3 or 4 times a year. There is al-

ways someone on the end of a phone to

give advice or to lend an ear. For further

information please ring Issy Battiwalla

(Specialist nurse) on 0117 3402451 or

Jackie Elliott on 0117 9839906.

GOSH

Zzzzzzzz……………..

Newborn babies sleep on average between

16 and 20 hours a day.

An 80-year old sleeps on average five

hours.

Those in their teens and twenties need the

most sleep.

We sleep two hours less than our grand-

parents did.

Two-thirds of the adult population think

they are getting less sleep now than a few

years ago.

11

The UK‘s most comprehensive

healthy eating guidelines designed

specifically for people living with

cancer will be launched by Penny

Brohn Cancer Care in June this year.

Informed by the most up-to-date

research evidence, together with

nearly 30 years of the charity‘s

experience of working with people

with cancer, the ‗Healthy Eating

Guidelines for Cancer Survivors¹‘

give practical, healthy eating advice

for anyone living with the disease.

Liz Butler, Senior Nutritional

Therapist at Penny Brohn Cancer

Care, said: ―There is a wealth of

information on diet and cancer in

books and on the web but much of it

has little scientific basis. We have

produced the first set of guidelines

that are informed by the most up-to-

date evidence, including studies that

directly examine the effects of diet

on the health of cancer survivors.

―The evidence showing that healthy

eating can benefit those living with

cancer has grown significantly in the

last few years. We feel it is time that

all cancer patients are offered healthy

eating advice and that doctors regard

this as an essential part of long-term

care, as they already do for people

with cardiovascular disease.

―There is no one diet that suits every

person with cancer, but the basic

healthy eating principles will always

apply. Practical and informative

guidelines such as these provide

strong foundations which can be

further adapted for those needing

more specialist advice.‖

The guidelines encourage people to

eat plenty of fruit and vegetables,

together with other plant foods –

whole grains, pulses, nuts, seeds,

herbs and spices. It is recommended

that people include moderate

amounts of animal products,

particularly unprocessed meat, fish

and eggs. For some people, moderate

amounts of dairy products may also

be included. Foods containing

refined sugar and processed fats such

as crisps, cakes, biscuits, margarine,

and ready meals should be cut down

or avoided. The guidelines also

encourage people to keep alcoholic

drinks to a minimum.

The full guidelines will be available

to download from June onwards by

visiting

www.pennybrohncancercare.org

Penny Brohn Cancer Care - The

Bristol Approach

Based in Pill, near Bristol, Penny

Brohn Cancer Care gives people the

practical tools needed to improve

their quality of life and help manage

the psychological and emotional

aspects of cancer. This is delivered

via a carefully designed programme,

which can work alongside

conventional medical treatment,

known as the Bristol Approach.

Over fifteen different therapies and

support groups are available to

people with cancer, including

counselling and psychotherapy,

complementary therapies such as

massage and healing, practical

advice on healthy eating and

lifestyle, and stress-reducing self-

help techniques such as breathwork,

relaxation, meditation and guided

imagery.

The Bristol Approach helps people:

Cope with the psychological

and emotional aspects of a

cancer diagnosis

Manage stress

Deal with the specific

problems and challenges a

cancer diagnosis brings

Support the management of

symptoms and treatment

side effects

Improve health and energy

For further information or to access

our residential courses or local

appointment service, visit

www.pennybrohncancercare.org or

telephone 01275 123 23 10

Healthy Eating Guidelines

for Cancer Survivors

LYMPHOEDEMA SUPPORT GROUP

T he Group met recently in March. Their guest speaker was Anne Davies, who is an Independent Lym-

phoedema Specialist. She gave a demonstration on laser treatment which we all found very interesting.

This treatment is especially helpful to women who have had breast cancer. We all had an enjoyable evening

and are looking forward to the next meeting on 2nd June at St Andrew‘s Methodist Church Hall at 7.30pm.

New members are always welcome.

For further information about the group please contact Lynn on 0117 9601537

12

Cancer Information and Support Centre

WHO WE ARE

T he Cancer Information & Support Centre is the first centre that is run by ex-

patients and carers. We have two full time members of staff and a team of dedicated

volunteers. All of the staff have personal experience of cancer and our volunteers under-

take training in listening skills and how to provide support and information sensitively be-

fore taking up the position of volunteer in the centre

Drop-in Service

We are a Drop-in-centre for anyone whose life has been affected by cancer. We are open Monday –

Thursday 9am–5pm, Fridays 9am -4.30 pm. You do not need to make an appointment.

Our Telephone Helpline is 0117 342 3369

You may just want to talk or need signposting to a service to fit your need. We can send information di-

rectly to you if you are unable to drop in. We also accept referrals from healthcare professionals.

INFORMATION

A warm and friendly environment, where you can discuss how cancer is affecting your life. Our ser-

vice is free and confidential to anyone affected by cancer; their relatives; friends and carers.

Information on all aspects of living with cancer and cancer awareness

Details of other organisations both locally and nationally

Information on all types of cancer and treatments

Free copies of a DVD ‗Preparing for Chemotherapy‘

Information on benefits and allowances

Travel Insurance information

Park and Ride/Hospital bus service timetables

Financial Assistance information

Help to relax - we offer a Relaxation CD and booklet for £2

Would you be interested

in becoming a volun-

teer?

Can you offer us a few

hours a week?

If so, please contact Sue

Stengel on 0117 342 3369

13

Cancer Information and Support Centre

C oping with cancer usually involves a lot of changes in people‘s lives: meeting new doctors, strange

tests, unfamiliar treatments and so many hospital appointments.

Your working life may have had to change: relationships may seem different.

With so much stress, some people find it helpful to talk to a trained listener who is not involved in their

lives. Our service is free and confidential to anyone affected by cancer; their relatives; friends and carers.

SUPPORT

A safe space to talk through your worries about diagnosis, treatment, family difficulties, ending

treatment

emotional support by trained people who have experience of cancer

support for partners and carers, advice for couples

access to other areas of support

bereavement support

Managing the Stress of Cancer

Why not pick up a free copy of the Managing the Stress of Cancer booklet written by one of the BHOC

resident clinical psychologists. Other booklets are available on anxiety and sleep problems.

Red Cross - Learn to relax

Head, Neck and Shoulder Massage and Nail Care is provided by The Red Cross. The sessions are free to patients,

carers and staff. Come and book a session at the Information Centre.

Patients will need to pick up a consent form to be signed by a medical professional before attending the session.

Look Good Feel Better - Book a FUN session with us

These sessions offer advice on skin care and make-up for women undergoing treatment. Ladies can attend one ses-

sion whilst going through their treatment Call in at the centre to book.

Headstart—A DROP-IN SERVICE. Wednesday from 10am-4pm. The Headstart ladies will be available to

help and assist with headwear for patients experiencing hair loss.

Turbans—A selection of turbans supplied by Liz Woods the Hair Consultant is available to buy at the

Centre.

OUR SERVICES

14

ARE YOU A CARER? The Carers Support Course is one of the many

courses offered by St John Ambulance. The course is

delivered in the local area to anyone who cares for an-

other person.

There are an estimated 6 million carers in the

United Kingdom of whom 1 million are school

aged children. This represents a saving for the

Government of approximately £87 billion.

Carers do not apply for their job it just hap-

pens because of circumstance, illness or acci-

dent.

Caring is a 24 hour, 7 day a week, 365 day a

year job.

Carers are often untrained and yet are ex-

pected to perform nursing tasks, counselling

physiotherapy and chiropody as well as the

normal tasks and skills of daily living.

Carers are often not rewarded with money

and yet the job can be and often is very re-

warding.

St John offers the Carers Support Course to

those who are caring as a short course to provide new

skills; up date existing skills; provide new knowledge

and advice. The tutor is a Registered Nurse and teacher

who has many years experience within both the health

and education services in Bristol and Bath.

The course is run over 4 weeks from 10am un-

til approx 2pm. Each week is dedicated to a specific

topic and all delegates are offered written material that

can be kept for future use. Each week the session con-

cludes with a light lunch.

Everyone is welcome to attend the courses that

are run throughout the local Bristol area, South

Gloucester, Bath, North Somerset and Wiltshire.

For more details please contact Judith Gold-

smith RGN at St John Ambulance Bristol on

telephone 0117- 9786050 or 0117- 9533880

or email at J

Judith.goldsmith@avon.sja.org.uk

Whose job is it? This is a story about four people named

Everybody, Somebody, Anybody and No-

body.

There was an important job to be done and

Everybody was asked to do it.

Everybody was sure that Somebody would

do it.

Anybody could have done it, but Nobody

did it.

Somebody got angry

about that, because it

was Everybody‘s

job.

Everybody thought

that Anybody could

do it, but Nobody

realised that Every-

body wouldn‘t do it

It ended up that Eve-

rybody blamed

Somebody when No-

body did what Anybody could have done!

The Royal British Legion was

formed in 1921 after the First World War.

They help people with accommodation,

work and their essential needs. ‗If the

need is there, we will fund it.‘ Their clients are ex-servicemen/women and

their spouses, partners and dependent chil-

dren.

My friend was so in love with her husband

that she bought him a water bed. Unfortu-

nately they have now drifted apart,

A man is known by the company that he

thinks that nobody knows he is keeping

Too many cooks spoil the figure

15

TREES AND CREATURES OF THE WOODLAND

Hidden in the word search are the following trees –

ALDER ASH BAY BEECH BIRCH CEDAR

CHERRY CHESTNUT DOGWOOD ELDER ELM FIR

GEAN HAWTHORN HAZEL LARCH LIME OAK PINE

Also hidden in the grid are 10 creatures. Can you find them?

(Answers on page 25)

Some Funnies

A cowboy rode into town on Monday and booked into a hotel. He stayed, without leaving the hotel,

for three days and two nights, then rode away on Monday. How did he do that?

Which months have 28 days?

If two‘s company and three‘s a crowd, what are four and five?

Someone has to take me before you can get me. What am I?

A L D E R W C I O U R H T O N G C D L S

P I E N C S A B Q R A W A M X M S V A Q

A W E A S E L T B Z O O S W R T M C D U

O F R N G W N Q E D C O W K T O T S M I

P P I G E O N L O N G E D I V H R O P R

G I F M L E C B R T Y L D M B O O K E R

O N E B A C K S B N A F K A O P U R O E

P E G E R E L A S T I G E E R S O U N L

O Q T O C E Y M C O M R N S C O W L S C

D I G C H I G B R O C H A M K B O T S V

F R N X A R Y M U D C S I D U E N I A R

G E A N D T Y F D V Z A O R L E I S W R

A D Z E C H E R R Y A G B L A C H T I E

D L A N K U P C W Z W N L A O H I U R D

R E G O W Q T A R O F A M D S O W N D I

A H F R O G Y D O Y V O R R F R I T N P

L P Y T K O O D E Z A M O T R G N S V S

T A O K L T I B B A R R G M L I M E E Q

R O B I N A P P A P T T U I M E X H Y R

O K A F I R Z O Y D K A D H S C L C T O

His horse was called Mon-

day

All of them

Nine

Photograph

16

ETIQUETTE (By kind permission of the author)

I‘d rather you didn‘t claim that I‘ll be fine

just because I‘m being so positive.

Be wary of saying how well I look–

my complexion owes its bloom to blusher.

Please stop giving me pink ribbons -

my breasts are fine, the problems lies elsewhere.

Resist the temptation to quiz me

about side effects—I‘m not a prize exhibit.

Trust my protocol for scans—I‘m a gladiator

alone in the ring. I‘ll tell you if the thumb was

up.

Bear with my grumpy moments—on good days

let me dance or scrub the kitchen floor.

Don‘t ask ‗How are you?‘ With that droop

of the voice which shows you think I‗m doomed.

Talk to me instead about the holiday you‘re

planning, how your novel is progressing, your

new cat.

Bring me soup, or cake. Send silly postcards

and parcels from unlikely places.

When I want company, come with me to a movie.

Buy me shoes with unsuitably high heels.

or walk with me up the track through the pine

woods till we reach the top and that view

of the cove where we shared our first picnic

and afterwards went skinny dipping in the sea.

And don‘t make me into a hero—I‘m no braver

than you, just getting on with my new job.

© Alison Michell 2009

From a book of poems called ‗Journeywoman‘

(Bookmark Publications)

All proceeds of sales going to Beating Bowel

Cancer

Bristol and Beyond Lung Cancer Support Group.

Do you know anyone coping with a lung cancer diagnosis?

We have a lung cancer support group meeting monthly at the Bristol Haematology and

Oncology Centre (BHOC). The group is facilitated by the lung cancer nurses Michelle Samson and

Lois Phillips. The meeting welcomes anyone affected by a lung cancer diagnosis who feels they

would like support and advice. It is also a great opportunity to meet other people going through a

similar experience. We meet the 3rd

Monday each month 2-3.30pm on level 4, BHOC

At the moment the meetings are fairly informal with tea ands coffee, some people pop in for

30 minutes and some people stay the whole 90 minutes. Lois and I bring along Macmillan leaflets

and information about lung cancer, treatments, benefits, shortness of breath and the coping with

the emotional effects of cancer. Discussions vary each month and are very much led by what

people wish to discuss at that time. We are keeping the sessions informal for now but we are

always very happy to book guest speakers such as dieticians, physiotherapists or psychologists.

We are exploring a different approach next year but are in the middle of completing research into

the support needs of lung cancer patients which we hope will guide us in providing a good service.

If you know of any patients that would benefit from a lung cancer support group please tell them

about our group.

For further information please don’t hesitate to call Michelle Samson 0117 9283489 or Lois

Phillips on 0117 9284050

17

Chocolate Chuckles

If chocolate melts in your hands, you are

eating it too slowly

9 out of 10 people like chocolate.

The tenth one always lies.

I could give up chocolate but I‘m not a

quitter

Man cannot live on chocolate alone

but woman surely can.

Chocolate is cheaper than therapy and

you do not need an appoint-

ment.

In the cookies of life, friends are the

chocolate chips.

Chocolate is nature‘s way of making up

for Mondays.

Stress wouldn‘t be so hard if it were

chocolate covered.

Chocolate has many preservatives. Pre-

servatives make you look younger.

Put ‘eat chocolate‘ on the top on your

list of things to do today. That way, at

least you‘ll get one thing done.

There are four basic food groups: milk

chocolate, dark chocolate, white choco-

late and chocolate truffles.

BRISTOL MYELOMA SUPPORT

GROUP

T he Bristol Myeloma Support Group had its first

meeting in January 2007 and has since gone from

strength to strength. It meets every second month at the

Upper Horfield Community Trust community centre in

Horfield, Bristol from 7 to 9pm. The group is now well

established with around 30 regular members; new mem-

bers are always made to feel very welcome and all mem-

bers‘ contributions are encouraged.

Every second month a guest speaker is invited to

speak on a range of topics from complementary thera-

pies, new treatments for the disease and coping with the

day-to-day issues around living with myeloma. As well

as providing an ideal opportunity to share information

and experiences the group also organises some fundrais-

ing activities and contributes to National Myeloma

Week, raising awareness of myeloma in and around the

local community.

The group was set up as a result of interest ex-

pressed by patients and relatives at a Bristol Myeloma

Infoday, organised by Myeloma UK. Registered as a

charity in 1997, Myeloma UK is the only organisation in

the UK dealing exclusively with myeloma and its related

disorders. Myeloma UK has a broad and innovative

range of programmes and services that cover every as-

pect of myeloma, from information and support to im-

proving standards of treatment and care through educa-

tion, research, campaigning and raising awareness.

Treatment is aimed at controlling the disease and

relieving the symptoms it causes such as pain, fatigue

and recurrent infections. Myeloma is not yet curable,

although recent studies demonstrate the real impact, im-

proved and novel treatments, alongside advances in sup-

portive care, have had on survival in the past decade.

For further information see details on page 27

Myeloma, also known as multiple myeloma, is

a type of bone marrow cancer arising from

plasma cells, which are normally found in the

bone marrow.

18

All these proverbs start with the words

―You can‘t …….

Can you complete them?

1 have it both………

2. have your cake and ………..

3. get blood out of a …………

4. make an omelette without ……….

5. make a silk purse out of a ……….

6. teach an old dog …………….

7. tell a book by …………………

8. have a rainbow without ……….

9. fool all the people all ……………

10. sup soup with …………………...

(Answers on page 24)

Animal Facts

Flies jump backwards when they

take off

A lion‘s roar can be heard from five

miles away

Cats have more than 100 vocal

sounds, dogs have only 10.

Camels chew in a figure of eight

pattern

One cow can give nearly 200,000

glasses of milk in her lifetime.

CHURCH NOTICE BOARD BLOOPERS

Miss Charlotte Mason sang ‗I will not pass this way again‘ giving obvious pleasure to the congrega-

tion..

For those of you who have children and don‘t know it we have a crèche.

Ladies, don‘t forget the jumble sale. It‘s a chance to get rid of all those things not worth keeping

around the house. Bring your husbands.

A bean supper will be held in the church hall on Friday evening. Music will follow.

The Fasting and Prayer Conference includes meals.

Don‘t let worry kill you off—let the church help.

Next Thursday there will be tryouts for the choir. They need all the help they can get.

Remember in prayer the many who are sick of our community.

Ian Jones and Mary Smith were married on 24th February in church. So ends a friendship that began

in their school days.

Never look down on anyone unless you are going to

help them up.

19

A t Macmillan we recognise the many benefits people experience from being part of a cancer

self help and support group. From having someone to talk to who has had similar experience and there-fore feeling less isolated to the mutual support and friendship these groups provide. To support this network of cancer self help and support groups ,Macmillan provides regional Community Network Development Coordinators (known as CNDCs) who support around 1000 independent cancer Self help and Support Groups and organisa-tions across the UK – I am your CNDC in the South West. The main types of support we provide are: Grants: Our Helping You Help Others grants pro-gramme recognises running a cancer self help and support group effectively, can cost money. From refreshments to computers, a Helping You Help Others grant from Macmillan can help relieve some of the financial pressures of running a group. Up to £500 is available to new groups to help with initial development and promotion of their services e.g. grants for leaflets, venue hire, refreshments. Up to £3000 is available to existing groups for their con-tinuing development. Examples of things we funded in 2008 included DVDs and books for a library, lap-tops and display boards and “away days” for mem-bers. For more information and to obtain a grant applica-tion pack contact me or Kelly O’Sullivan, Macmillan User Support and Involvement Coordinator on 020 7840 4902 or Email: ko’sullivan@macmillan.org.uk Self Help and Support Group Workshops: We offer a programme of one and two day free training workshops designed for members of self help and support groups including: e.g. listening and responding, buddying and befriending and loss and bereavement. To find out more about this training you can visit the learnzone on the Macmillan web-site. http://learnzone.macmillan.org.uk. A new E learning programme – “Good Practice in Running your Group” is now available for people who would prefer to have a more flexible approach to learning. If you would like to book a workshop or chat about your learning needs then please contact me or the Learning and Development team on 020 091 2010 email: workshops@macmillan.org.uk

Resources : We also support cancer support groups with information including newsletters and good practice resources. Exchange Newsletter for example is for people interested in self help and support and improving cancer care. It features sto-ries about self help and support groups and is pro-duced 3 times per year. If you have a story or issue you would like to see in exchange please let us know. You can order any of our publications or in-formation factsheets for free on our resources web-site. www.be.macmillan.org.uk Register your group with Macmillan: if you are not already listed with us, you can register your group with us to be included in our on -line direc-tory. Details and forms are available via our web-site www.macmillan.org,uk/Get_Support. People will be able to search for you if they are looking for support locally and also you will receive regular news and updates from Macmillan on opportunities and training If would like to have a chat about support for your group then please just give me a call. To contact me you can call me on 01264 343817 or mobile 07834191218 or email me at pbond@macmillan.org.uk. I look forward to hear-ing from you and working with you in the future

Macmillan Offers a Helping Hand to Cancer Self Help and Support Groups

By Paula Bond, Macmillan Community Networks Development Coordinator South and South West England

BREAKING FINANCIAL NEWS

In the last seven hours Origami Bank has folded,

Sumo Bank has gone belly up and Bonsai Bank

announced plans to cut some of its branches

Yesterday it was announced that Karaoke Bank is

up for sale and will likely go for a song, while

today shares in Kamikaze Bank were suspended

after they nose-dived.

Samurai Bank is soldiering on following sharp

cutbacks, Ninja Bank is reported to have taken a

hit but they remain in the black. Furthermore, 500

staff at Karate Bank got the chop and analysts

report that there is something fishy going on at

Sushi Bank where it is feared that staff may get a

raw deal.

20

One in four people care for someone who due to illness or impairment could not manage without them.

Often people feel that they are ‗just‘ a wife, husband, mother, father, son, daughter or friend, doing what

anyone would do. Maybe you are one of these special people giving extra time and energy to make sure

that the person you care for is OK??

Here for YOU

At the Princess Royal Trust Carers Centre, Bristol & South Glos, we provide a whole range of

support services to Carers. We offer confidential information and advice through CarersLine and a

range of other services such as groups, outings, workshops and relaxation days.

Additionally there is the Carers Emergency Card. This is a small card that carers can

carry on their person, so that in the event of a serious illness or accident, the person they care for can be

supported. For an Emergency Card application form or for information on any of the above services

please call CarersLine on 9652200.

The Carers Centre recognise the difficulties that carers can face and that sometimes it is impor-

tant to ‗let off steam‘ and talk confidentially to someone who understands. The Share With A

Carer telephone service is available every evening between 6 and 10pm. On the end of the phone is

someone with experience of caring who is trained to listen. You don‘t need to wait for

a crisis, you can call ‗just to talk‘.

Please ring 0117 9589906.

Could YOU be a Carer‘

Black Carers Project Young Black Carers

Funded by Bristol City Council Social Services & the Community Fund

Gives support to young black carers as well as providing opportunities to meet up with other young

carers for friendship and fun

Tel: 0117 9144491 for information.

Bristol and Avon Chinese Women‘s Group

As a carer you are entitled to support, additional services and benefits. You could be given the

opportunity to have a break in the form of a few hours a week away from your caring role.

Tel: 0117 9553330 for information.

21

‗You don‘t know what it means to me‘ said

Mrs Jenkins

What would you choose to do on a special day

out? Something perhaps that you haven‘t been

able to do for some time but was part of your life

in the past.

Doreen Jenkins (pictured on left) has a

best friend she has known for 75 years. A lady

who is as close as a sister to her and a true confi-

dante. Over the years they had got into the habit

of having ‗a special day out‘ when they would go

down to Weston-super-Mare, look at the shops,

go on the pier and eat fish and chips at ‗The At-

lantic Bar‘. ―The fish and chips were always

cooked to perfection‖ smiled Mrs Jenkins at the

memory. During the past 4 years Mrs Jenkins and

her friend had hoped to have their ‗special day

out‘ but Mrs Jenkins has not been well enough to

go.

As Mrs Jenkins‘ husband had been in the

forces, The Royal British Legion was contacted

by The Information and Support Centre at BHOC

to see whether they could help. Douglas San-

drone, from the local Clifton/Hotwells Branch,

was able to make the arrangements and in March

Mrs Jenkins‘ wish came true. She and her best

friend were picked up by taxi from BHOC, taken

down to Somerset Legion House Welfare Break

Centre at Weston-super-Mare for refreshments,

then on a tour round Weston with a fish and chips

lunch to follow.

We at the North Somerset Vintage Tractor & En-

gine Club were delighted, at their Christmas party

in December 2008, to be able to hand over a cheque

in sum of £2,000 to Liz Pritchard who accepted the

monies on behalf of the Friends of the Bristol Hae-

matology & Oncology Centre. As we have over the

last year or so lost five of our members to cancer it

was decided that the nominated Charity for 2009 is

again to be the Bristol Haematology & Oncology

Centre. The North Somerset Vintage Tractor &

Engine Club was formed with just a few members

in 1972 since when it has grown to the current

membership of over 130. Monthly meetings are

held on the first Tuesday of each month mostly at

Redhill Village Club and we have a varied range of

events throughout the year including Winter and

Autumn Vintage Road Runs. New Members are

always very welcome and if you would like further

information then do not hesitate to contact the Club

Secretary: Sheila Chapman on 01275 474649

We are hoping to have good weather for our

Annual Ploughing match and Boot Sale to be held

at Gatcombe Farm, Flax Bourton on 19 and 20th

September 2009. Also we anticipate having a

display of over 50 Vintage Tractors & implements

at the Annual North Somerset Show on May bank

holiday at Wraxall. Please come along to our hos-

pitality tent where home-made cakes and tea and

coffee will be available to members and visitors

alike. Although it is all free and all the cakes being

donated by our members, we do hope everyone will

once again donate generously to our chosen Char-

ity. Don‘t forget that if you should see a lot of

―boys‖ ( old, young or eccentric) , on vintage trac-

tors holding up the traffic around the North Somer-

set Area then it will almost certainly be some of

ours, so give them a toot or a wave.

A SPECIAL WISH

GRANTED

MORE FUND-RAISING

FOR THE FRIENDS

22

SKIN CAMOUFLAGE

SERVICE The British Red Cross Skin Camouflage Ser-

vice offers help to people with scarring and

disfiguring skin conditions.

We have trained volunteers to give

this service. During an appointment a colour

match will be done to find the correct col-

oured creams for the patient‘s skin tone. We

then show them how to apply these creams,

enabling them to have an effective and water-

proof cover to help them regain their confi-

dence.

The creams are available on prescrip-

tion. We can cover conditions such as:

Scarring (from burns, accidents, acne etc.)

Vitiligo

Rosacea

Birthmarks

Tattoos

Leg veins

Pigmentation problems

Other skin conditions

To find out more about this service contact

Pat Douglass on 0117 3012613 or Joy Simon on 0117 3012631.

BRITISH RED CROSS

EXPERIENCES OF A

RED CROSS VOLUNTEER

Dear Reader

My name is Ann and I am a volunteer

for T/C Red Cross. I did my training some 9

months ago and after a wait I was lucky

enough to get into the Oncology Day Ward.

I have been in the unit on a fortnightly

basis since November 2008 and really enjoy

giving the service I provide to the patients in

the ward and out in the reception area. I

have mainly woman clients but lately the

guys are joining in. I like my work as I have

the opportunity to meet, talk and give what I

have been told is an enjoyable, relaxing mas-

sage and nailcare.

The patients I have met are inspira-

tional. We talk and as a rule much laughter

ensues, especially at me trying to get all the

gear together to move from one client to an-

other. I usually leave something behind so I

am trying to get a trolley to carry it all.

The nurses work hard and keep saying

to me, when can you come again? It is so

satisfying that my training has brought to

light another and very good aspect of my

life.

Well done to Oncology E ward - pa-

tients are given every care and a lot of con-

sideration. So glad to be a very small part of

the team.

Best wishes

Ann Woodruff

Friday 12 noon—4 pm

FEELING TENSE

Why not book a through-clothes shoulder,

arm and hand massage plus nail care to

help you to relax.

Find out more details and book a session

at the Information and Support Centre in

BHOC or ring us on 0117 342 3369

23

P rospect Prostate Cancer Support Group is a local support group run by patients for patients and

their families. It is dedicated to offering support to men who suspect they may have prostate can-

cer or have been diagnosed as having prostate cancer and feel that they do not have sufficient informa-

tion or support to decide the best way forward.

We do not profess to have medical expertise, but by sharing our own experiences and the valu-

able knowledge gained, we offer our help at this most difficult time for men and their families.

We hold regular meetings at the Bristol Aerospace Welfare Association at Filton, Bristol starting

at 7.30pm. Medical professionals, Charity representatives and a variety of other guest speakers talk on a

range of related subjects followed by questions and answers which often create a lively debate!. We

then have time to exchange information on our own experiences for the benefit of all. We finish with a

buffet. Wives, partners and carers are very welcome to our meetings.

We have found that knowledge is very much to the benefit of the patient, enabling him to play

an active part in the decision making process in selecting the best treatment. One treatment suits all is

not appropriate.

Prospect provides free and confidential help, support and information via our HelpLine on 01373

813060. You will receive a friendly welcome and be able to talk with someone who has been through

what you may be experiencing.

As part of our objective to champion generally the cause of Prostate Cancer sufferers the Group

has a representative role on a number of local committees for example amongst others:

Avon Somerset and Wiltshire Cancer Services User Involvement Group

Urology Site Specific Group

ASWCS Primary Care Group

If you are interested in joining us or would like more information on

Prospect‘s activities then please ring Malcolm Gamlin on 01275 859419

Prospect - Bristol and District Prostate Cancer Support Group

The answers to all these are male or female names.

e.g London railway station Victoria

1. A type of toy 2. Oil, perhaps from Italy

3. Opposite of empty 4. This herb is used with lamb

5. Feathered garden winter visitor 6. A car tool

7. Scottish valley 8. Used to be put under the bed

9. Early morning 10. Happiness

11 Behind the beach 12. Friend of Mr Punch

13. Moorland shrub 14. Very strong wind

15. Said before meals perhaps 16. Herb which helps sleep

Answers on page 25

24

Answers—proverbs (page 18)

1. ways 2. eat it 3. stone 4. breaking eggs 5. sow‘s ear

6. new tricks 7. its cover 8. rain 9. the time 10. fork/knife

St Andrew‘s Players is an amateur dramatics group of 25

years based in Filton, Bristol. Each year as a group they nomi-

nate two charities and any profit raised from their annual pan-

tomime is split between these charities. This past year one of

the charities nominated was the Cancer Information and Sup-

port Centre.

Sue Stengel the Manager at the Centre was very

pleased to receive a cheque for £500 presented on behalf of

the Players by Sue and Brian Dart. Sue Stengel said ―On behalf of all the staff at the Centre we would

like to thank the St Andrews Players for their wonderful donation of £500 which will be put to good

use for patient information. 7000 people a year use the Centre and we are continually upgrading our

services.‖

Their pantomime this year was Sing a Song of Sixpence which was staged in February and they

have just performed a show called, ‗Baby Boomers‘ which is a celebration of music and sketches from the

1950‘s and 60‘s. They are hoping to be performing this again later in the year at St Andrew‘s church hall

in Filton.

MINT AND PEA SOUP

Ingredients–

900g frozen petit peas

900 ml ham chicken or vegetable stock made

with 2 stock cubes

1tsp concentrated mint sauce

275ml single cream

Method -

Cook the peas in the stock with a pinch of salt

in a covered pan. Add the mint.

Liquidise in batches . Can be served like this

otherwise reheat with most of the cream, taste

and adjust seasoning if necessary.

Serve with a swirl of cream.

CHICKPEA SOUP WITH

MINT AND GARLIC

Ingredients -

2 x 400g cans chickpeas

2 large cloves garlic, roughly chopped

6 tbsps olive oil

2 chicken stock cubes

2 tbsps chopped mint

2 tbsps flat leaf parsley—chopped

1 lemon cut into wedges

Method -

Drain liquid from chickpeas and make up to

900ml. Puree this liquid with chickpeas,

garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. Heat thor-

oughly with crumbled stock cubes,

Stirring till dissolved. Season and add herbs,

Serve with a lemon wedge

MARY‘S TRIED AND TESTED RECIPES

SINGING A SONG OF MORE

THAN SIXPENCE

25

STARFISH

Once upon a time there was a wise man

who used to go to the ocean

to do his writing.

He had a habit of walking

on the beach

before he began his work.

One day he was walking along

the shore.

As he looked down the beach

he saw a human

figure moving like a dancer.

He smiled to himself to think

of someone who would

dance to the day.

So he began to walk faster

to catch up.

As he got closer, he saw

that it was a young man

And the young man wasn‘t dancing

but instead he was reaching

down to the shore,

picking up something

and very gently throwing it

into the ocean.

As he got closer he called out,

―Good morning! What are you doing?‖

The young man paused,

looked up and replied,

―Throwing starfish into the ocean.‖

―I guess I should have asked,

why are you throwing starfish

in the ocean?‖

―The sun is up and the tide is going out,

and if I don‘t throw them in they‘ll die.‖

―But, young man, don‘t you realise that

there are miles of beach

and starfish all along it.

You can‘t possibly make a difference!‖

The young man listened politely.

then bent down, picked up

another starfish

and threw it into the sea.,

past the breaking waves and said-

―It made a difference to that one.‖

Answers—woodland creature (page 15)

1. deer 2. frog 3. mouse 4. pigeon 5. rabbit 6. robin

7. rook 8. spider 9. squirrel 10. weasel

Answers—Names (page 23)

Names

1.Dolly 2. Olive 3. Phil 4. Rosemary 5. Robin 6. Jack

7. Glen 8. Jerry 9. Dawn 10. Joy 11. Cliff 12. Judy

13. Heather 14. Gale 15. Grace 16. Lavender

26

CANCER ORGANISATIONS

A1 Lung Cancer Group

Sarah - 0117 9596260

BOSS - Ostomy group

Christine Hammond—0117 9075326

Maurice Cox 0117 9358949

Bath Breast Care Group

Mrs G A Hockedy 01225 424252 (9am-6pm)

Sister Irene Buckley 01225 428331 ext. 4057

(9am – 5pm)

Bath Information & Support Centre

01225 824049

Bosom Buddies – Breast cancer support

Lynnette Hopkins 0117 3424940

Bristol & Avon Chinese Women‘s Group

(sitting service)

Main Office 0117 9351462

Bristol & Beyond Lung Support Group

Michelle Samson – 0117 3423489

Lois Phillips - 0117 3424050

Bristol Sitting Service – for South Asian

carers of elderly people

Dhek Bhal 0117 9556971

Cancerbackup

Helpline—0808 800 1234

www.cancerbackup.org.uk

Cancer Information & Support Centre

Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre –

See centre pages of this issue!

Sue Stengel 0117 342 3369

Changing Faces – support for disfigurement

to face, hands or body

0845 4500 275

Cheltenham Cancer Information Centre

Pat Barlow 08454 224414

(Mon – Fri 10 – 5)

Collar Group – Head & Neck Cancer Sup-

port

Christine/Cedric 01454 633284

Brian/Rose 0117 9517915

Cotswold Care Breast Cancer Support

Group

Kathy Lane 01453 886868

GOSH (Gastro Oesophageal Support &

Help)

Issy Battiwalla 0117 9701212 Ext 2454

Gloucestershire Breast Cancer Support

Group

08454 226110 (Mon – Fri 8 – 4)

Hammer Out – Brain tumour support group

Tina Mitchell 01454 414355

Jewish Community‘s Cancer Support Or-

ganisation

Helpline: 0808 808 4567

Lymphoedema Support Group

Lynn 0117 9601537

Lymphoma Association – helps people with

lymphatic cancer (Hodgkins or non-

Hodgkins)

0808 808 5555

Local contact: Mary Walters 01275 875551

Penny Brohn Cancer Care

(used to be Bristol Cancer Help Centre)

0845 123 2310

www.pennybrohncancercare.org

(payment on a sliding scale)

27

Myeloma UK

0800 980 3332

Sylvia 01275 833106

Nicola Corry Support Foundation (for

young families who have a mother or father

suffering from cancer)

0845 2573754

Off the Record - counselling & informa-

tion for young people 11 – 25

0808 808 9120

Positive Action on Cancer – free counsel-

ling service for 18+ Frome, Bath, Warmin-

ster

01373 455255

Princess Royal Trust Carers Centre

0117 965 2200

Prospect Support Group – Prostate Can-

cer Talkline

01373 813060

Rainbow Centre – children affected with

cancer & life-threatening illness

0117 9853343

Rarer Cancers Forum

01227 738279

www.rarercancers.org.uk

Somerset Cancer Care

Taunton - 0800 7314608, 01823 433510

Minehead – 01643 851430

Somerset Prostate Support Group Asso-

ciation

Peter Loader 01460 62935

www.somersetprostatecancer.org.uk

St Michael‘s Laryngectomee Club

Mary Donovan 0117 9071519

The Harbour – counselling for people af-

fected by life-threatening illness

0117 9259348

WHAT (Women‘s Hope After Treatment)

Support group for women who have been

diagnosed and/or treated for cancer of the

cervix

Jane Alexander 0117 342 5177

Wessex Cancer Trust Drop-in Centre

Jane Scarth House

01794 830374

Weston Breast Cancer Support

01934 647119

(Mon-Fri 8.30 – 4.30)

Young Women 4 Young Women

0117 9186501

www.yw4yw.com

WEBSITES Beating Bowel Cancer

www.bowelcancer.org

Breast Cancer Care

www.breastcancercare.org.uk

Cancer Research UK

www.cancerhelp.org.uk

Dipex (personal experiences)

www.dipex.org

Macmillan Cancer Support

www.macmillan.org.uk

Marie Curie Cancer Care

www.mariecurie.org.uk

Royal Castle Foundation (lung cancer)

www.roycastle.org

28

The following were taken from ACTUAL medical records as dictated by the doc-

tors …… (NOT BHOC doctors we hasten to add!)

By the time he was admitted, his rapid heart beat had stopped

and he was feeling better.

The patient has chest pains if she lies on her left side for over

a year

She slipped on the ice and apparently her legs went in opposite directions in

December

The patient was in his usual good health until his plane

ran out of fuel and crashed,

On the second day the knee was better and on the third

day it had completely disappeared.

She is numb from the toes down

Discharge status : Alive, but without permission.

I suggested that he loosen his trousers before standing, and then when he

stands with the help of his wife, they should fall to the floor

The patient will need disposition, and therefore we will get Dr Black

to dispose of him.

The patient had waffles for breakfast and anorexia for

lunch.

The patient had no history of suicides.

Healthy appearing, decrepit 69 year old male, mentally alert but forgetful.

The patient refused a post-mortem.

Wot‘s Up Doc?