Almost 30 people diagnosed with ovarian cancer gathered in Dudley on Saturday 25 November 2023, as we continue to offer more face-to-face events again post-pandemic.

It was fantastic to see faces old and new, come together to support each other across the day. For some, it was the first time they had met anyone else with an ovarian cancer diagnosis, for others it was a chance to talk to friends they’d previously met and some brought family along to help them understand what they were going through. 

The day began with a talk from Ellen Reynolds, Macmillan Dietician who spoke to the room about diet and eating well with a diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

The next speaker to take to the floor was the inspirational Samixa Shah, a Ovacome Trustee and retired wellbeing coach, who spoke to the room about finding time and prioritising keeping ourselves well. Samixa has delivered this talk at previous health and wellbeing days, and a recording of this talk can be found on Ovacome’s YouTube channel.

While attendees took time over lunch to form connections with new people they’d met, they were supported by the Ovacome team in finding ovarian cancer support groups to join, or ordering information booklets on a wide range of topics relating to ovarian cancer. 
The afternoon was the perfect way to end the day with Dee from Wise Monkey Wellbeing taking the room through a guided meditation, asking us to find our glimmers – the tiny micro-moments that bring you hope and joy, no matter what else is going on around you. We were thankful to the group for sharing some of those glimmers with us.

Finally, yoga instructor Caroline, who runs our weekly online yoga sessions for anyone affected by ovarian cancer invited the room into her practice. A beautifully calm and uplifting way to end the day.

 

Thank you to everyone who joined us on the day, in 2024 we will be continuing our regional events, with dates booked in for Croydon, Liverpool and Newcastle. Keep an eye on the website, or sign up to become a member to be the very first to hear about events in your area. 

Booking is now available for the London Health and Wellbeing day in Croydon on Saturday 2 March. Find out more and sign up here.