Articles

Spreading the word

As promised in the Summer Newsletter I have been working hard with the media to promote Ovacome and talk about treating ovarian cancer with Taxol. I have had articles in The Standard, The Daily Mail, Woman, Woman's Realm and The Daily Express all telling my story and conveying my views on the various aspects of cancer. I also appeared on 'Face Value', talking about the possible link between the use of talc and ovarian cancer, and am waiting to do an interview with CNN to talk about ovarian cancer.

As I told you in the summer, I have been working with an agency to promote Taxol and through this was contacted by a pharmaceutical company to talk at conferences on the patient's perspective of living with ovarian cancer. I undertook my debut talk on 15/16 September in Hamburg. The title of the conference was Mpower and its aim was to empower the media (of which there were 30-35 present) to use their skills and methods of communication to raise the awareness of female cancers (lung and breast included). I was amongst five doctors who spoke about the disease, the treatments given, research being carried out and the care received by the patients. As well as being an experience for me, it was also highly informative and of great interest. I am learning more and more all the time and hope to be able to offer more information as time goes on.

I also spoke at a Macmillan Nurses training workshop in October and again explained the patient's experience of living through ovarian cancer. Ovacome had a stand at this session and received a great response from all present. As you can appreciate, the more talks that are carried out the more people will become aware of Ovacome which is, of course, of utmost importance to carry on and improve the service we offer.

I still have ribbons for sale and if anybody would like one please contact me via the Ovacome address or telephone number.
Debbie Howells
Herts

Look Good....Feel Better

Look Good....Feel Better is a charity established by the cosmetics industry in 1994. Working closely with hospital and cancer support groups it aims to provide a free service offering advice on skincare and make-up, together with a gift of products to women undergoing treatment for cancer.

Recent clinical research has confirmed that if they can manage to take care of their appearance during an illness and look good, many people will probably also feel better. The charity therefore invites women to pamper themselves and attend a small informal group session. With guidance from beauty consultants, women can apply the products provided, learn new techniques and develop their make-up skills to help them restore and enhance their appearance both during and after treatment. They can then take away a gift of skincare and make-up products to enable them to practice and experiment at home.

At present the service is offered in a number of hospitals around the country. The Foundation's goal in the long term is to make this free service available nationally to all women who are able to participate.

For details of the centres providing this service please call 0171 495 4755, or send an SAE to

 Look Good...Feel Better,
5/7 John Princes Street,
London W1M 9HD.

Ovacome Fundraising Day

13th September 1997

I'd planned a 'Bring and Buy' sale with a difference. The idea was to ask friends, neighbours and support group members to donate a single garment from their wardrobe which they no longer wore because it was the wrong size, colour etc. I would sell all donations at reasonable prices (nothing cost more than £2.50).

In practice, the clothes rolled in, not as single garments, but by the bagful! Even the nurses on our gynae ward made a collection. In the weeks before the sale I had to obtain clothes rails, airers and ironing stands to accommodate the vast selection of clothes. Every knob of the wardrobes displayed a choice offering, and, by the day of the sale, every ottoman, blanket chest and bed was pressed into service as a display unit.

By 10.30 on the day my bedrooms were overflowing with clothes, ladies and giggles as many happy purchases were made - an outfit for a ball, a graduation, summer dresses, a new jumper, a smart skirt, we supplied them all. Coffee and bric a brac were on offer downstairs and raffle tickets sold briskly as everyone tried to win the gorgeous chocolate cake made by a friend, or the generously donated bottles of wine.

By lunchtime we had raised £215.20 and had nine sacks of quality clothes left to donate to our local hospice shop. I was so grateful to everyone for their generosity and support. We decided it was a success because we had the mixture just right - ladies clothes, bargains, coffee and chat!
Sandra Jones
Sutton Coldfield

Our First Anniversary

 Celebrating Sarah's Life and Vision

We felt proud and pleased to celebrate our first anniversary by reflecting on the achievements of Ovacome which grew and flourished from Sarah Dickinson's life and vision. Who would have thought that in only one year we would have 1000 members?

We chose an informal event to mark the occasion with dancing, good food and wine, and invited those of you who could travel to join the party. I was amazed to meet people who had travelled from as far afield as Holland to join the celebrations. The mood of the day was relaxed and fun in recognition of Sarah's love of life and deeply personal approach to her work. Some of our most treasured days of the past year have been when large groups of our members have met to talk, laugh and share experiences, and this was no exception.

At the end of the evening we untied the forest of balloons that were attached to the chairs and let them loose on Blackheath. It was a very beautiful sight and somehow symbolic. Who knows where they landed but maybe they will help to raise awareness of our charity, reaching women, their families and friends in need of our help and support. Well done, Sarah, and congratulations Ovacome for such a memorable year.
Caroline Elliott

St Catherine's Hospice Home Care Team

Multidisciplinary Study Day
Thursday 23rd October 1997

Margaret Yarwood and Debbie Howells attended the study day on behalf of Ovacome, along with 100 healthcare professionals. The format for the day was morning lectures by Dr G Evans, Specialist in Genetics, and Professor Henry Kitchener, Ovarian Cancer Specialist. The afternoon was split into workshops.

This was a fascinating day with a lecture from Dr Evans on Family Cancer Clinics and Genetic Research into Ovarian Cancer, followed by Professor Kitchener talking on the Genetic Implications of Ovarian Cancer.

After lunch, delegates were split into four to attend workshops on Sexuality (by Anne Topping, Senior Lecturer in Nursing and Health Studies), The Specialist Nurse's Role in Genetic Screening (by Linda Wallis, Lyndsey Hadfield and Lindsay O'Dair), Symptom Control (by Dr Karen Groves), and The Patient's Perspective (by Debbie Howells).

The workshops gave a valuable insight into these different roles and proved to be both interesting and informative. By far the most popular and well received was Debbie, who spoke with courage, honesty and humour about her recent experiences as an ovarian cancer patient. She left the delegates marvelling at her ability to tell her story and her positive and exciting plans for the future.

Debbie and Margaret spread the word about Ovacome and it is hoped that by the end of the day everyone knew about Ovacome's aims and objectives. Many left wearing green ribbons and clutching Ovacome newsletters and information.

It was a wonderfully well organised day, where new friendships were forged and knowledge exchanged and explored.

In praise of my hospice

I would like to sing the praises of my local hospice, St. Barnabas in Worthing, West Sussex.

I do not recall hospices having been mentioned in the Ovacome newsletter yet, and I would like to dispel the myth (a) that they are miserable places and (b) that you never leave such places. I have never heard such laughter as at the hospice. We had an interviewer from Woman's Hour (Radio 4) who could not believe we were 'patients', and she recorded the laughter to take back to the BBC.

I go to the hospice one day a week. We have an artist who comes in to paint pictures, glass, model clay, etc., and I thoroughly enjoy my time there - in fact, I come home for a rest! We are at present making a quilt to hang in the day room for next year's 25th anniversary celebrations. It is made from a square per patient, depicting important memories in their lives.

We also have healing, relaxation, massage, aromatherapy and nail treatment all available whenever we might need it.

We have had a book printed with patients' paintings and writings and I have been in the local newspaper and on various leaflets with my paintings for the hospice, as I am one of the long-standing 'patients'. I would not have experienced any of these things if it were not for the cancer and the hospice.

Most importantly of all, however, is that we are allocated a support sister who becomes a friend and who is there for you. She or he can answer all those questions that run around your brain and is also of great support to your family if it is needed.
Liz Fullick
Sussex

Flora London Marathon

Chris Tovey, from Ovacome's Corporate sponsor SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals (right) crossing the finishing line of the London Marathon earlier this year. Chris raised over £1000 on behalf of Ovacome. Another individual contribution of £2000 was made by Martin Andrews, also from SmithKline Beecham Pharmaceuticals, and this has been earmarked for exciting new projects currently in development by Ovacome.