Breast Cancer Prevention. Aren’t you curious?
Getting Curious! Aren’t you a little bit curious about how you could change the outcomes on your personal breast cancer risk? “We’re not curious about things we don’t know a little bit about. We have to know a little bit about something to be curious about...
Blog post by Dr Anna Boltong, Head of Cancer Information and Support Service, Cancer Council Victoria
My role at Cancer Council Victoria is extremely rewarding. I am fortunate to lead a team of passionate and talented oncology nurses, educators, researchers, health promotion co-ordinators and social workers who design and deliver more than 25 supportive care programs...
What does prevention mean and why does it matter?
'A stitch in time saves nine' is a proverb about prevention meaning 'If you sort out a problem immediately it may save extra work later'. It's all good in theory but not always easy in practice. We have many demands on our time so adding a bit more on health can feel...
Preventative Double Mastectomy, the day has arrived!
It's been 8 weeks since I had 2 surgeries back to back. A preventative double mastectomy and DIEP flap reconstruction, which uses my own tummy fat to form my new breasts. The surgeries went very well. I was nervous but excited too as I delved into hospital life....
“Oh sure, breast cancer, why not?”
So why am I making this project? One in eight Australian women will develop Breast Cancer. Wow, this information makes you pause to think. However a gentle reminder that this is by age 85 puts the statistic in better...
MRI guided biopsy
The MRI is fine, I’ve had several. Unless you have restless leg syndrome, a cold or something that makes you cough/sneeze or move involuntarily then there really is only one job. Stay still. Lying on your front in the “superman” pose, with arms above your head is...
Trying to assess whether or not to commit to having a double mastectomy
Basically, genetics tells me I don’t carry the gene, but I have not actually been tested. It was my mum who was inconclusive 10 years ago and now with new technology I’m told she carried a normal variant in her genes. Her blood sample has degraded but I’m told that...
The stress from the last 2 days has lost its sting
There have been a few ultra-stressful times this year, but one of the worst was trying to assess whether or not to commit to having a double mastectomy based on all the information I have gathered from the breast care nurse, breast surgeon (who will remove the breast...
Call from the Risk Management Clinic
I was dropping off boys at school when I got a call this morning (even before 9am) from the Risk management clinic at the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Walking to class with the phone at one ear and a finger in the other I could only just make out what was being said over...
Surgery might be inevitable but does Christmas have to be chaos?
So much of the last 2 days has been spent thinking about the inevitable. Surgery. It has been all consuming in that I don’t feel I get a rest from the thoughts. Not sure what exactly is causing the higher than normal anxiety. I realise that I did tell a friend about...
A message from Dyna Eldaief
My name is Dyna Eldaief and I am considered high risk for breast cancer due to family history. While at University I heard about Mammograms being available free for women over 50. One day I decided to ask my mother if she ever had a mammogram and after she said she...
What is A Stitch In Time Project?
Women's journeys towards breast cancer prevention Through courageous personal stories A Stitch in Time will reveal women's journeys towards breast cancer prevention. As they navigate the prevention pathways and demonstrate the options available to women who are at an...
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