A member of the Association of Prostate Cancer Support Groups (S.A) Inc.

OUR GOLDEN RULE: We do not give medical advice. Your G P, your Urologist or an Allied Health Professional, are the only people legally qualified to give you medical advice.

We do, however, give you our wholehearted support.

MARCH 2005 NEWSLETTER

Meeting held in the Boardroom at

NOARLUNGA COMMUNITY HOSPITAL

On Wednesday March 2^nd 2005 at 6.30pm.

Thank you to Noarlunga Community Hospital for allowing us to use the Boardroom for our meetings.

Thanks also to our Sponsors: Woodcroft Community Health Services, Port Noarlunga Christies Beach RSL Sub Branch, and all who support our Group.

Chair: John Shields.

Present: 28

Apologies: Artie.

Welcome to Barry and Bill, and to all of the Ladies who attended.  Please keep up the good work Ladies.

John gave a brief report on the talk given by David Parkin at the recent PSA Adelaide Group Meeting.

We are hopeful of getting David to come and talk to our group about his experiences with High Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) treatment that he travelled to the Carribean to have, so I will not elaborate further here, except to say that very little is known, (or accepted) about this treatment in Australia although it has been used successfully overseas. Isn`t that always the way?

AWARENESS MEETING.

170 People attended this meeting to see and hear what Robotic Surgery is all about and, I am sure, everybody would have gone home, like we did, with a much clearer picture about the very latest Radical Prostatectomy Procedure, presented (and performed) by Doctor Peter Sutherland.

Seeing, is believing, and what we saw left nothing to the imagination.

It was also good to see Doctor Alan Stapleton assisting with part of the procedure.

It was an excellent presentation overall and a credit to Jeff Roberts and all of his helpers.

I always get something out of listening to others talking about their own experiences and how they are coping today, what help they have had from Doctors, other Health Professionals, family and friends, books and videos etc, and the benefits to them of attending a Support Group regularly.

So it was good to hear Dean, Robert, Bill and Gordon`s accounts of their own experiences.

Also the gentleman who is one of the Nurses who attends to the Patients when they return to the Ward after having had Robotic Surgery. It brought back some memories of my own Radical at Repat, and the days that followed.

GUEST SPEAKERS: Jules Van Kekem and Lyn Sutton led a very lively and interesting discussion about Sexuality and Prostate Cancer.

Sexuality is not only about sex, it includes how we feel about ourselves, and each other, our relationship with each other and those who are close to us and the strategies we use to help us cope with the change that has taken place in our lives.

Lyn generated some good discussion using her excellent experience working with S.H.I.N.E and some of the responses to her questions were very humorous indeed.

Bill certainly entered into the spirit of the discussion with gusto, and kept Lyn on her toes.

Jules also asked for feedback from members relating to impotence and what affect that it had upon us, and what we are doing that helps us to maintain the close relationship that we have with each other.

Sexuality is an important subject, and it was good to join with others and have a good laugh about it all.

I feel sure that everyone would be pleased if Jules can arrange to have a talk on Sexuality next year also.

Grant from Aventis Pharma P/L.

Phyllis has banked a cheque for $200.00 that was received today from Gary Bowes, Chairman of the Association of Prostate Cancer Support Groups (SA) Inc.

The $200.00 is our share of the grant, which is to be used in part for the costs (if any) of inviting an Oncologist to talk to our Group about the new proposed, “after hormone treatment” from Aventis.

Ken had an appointment to see his attending Oncologist at Flinders Private Hospital this week and Ken offered to get some details so that I could write to his Oncologist with a request to talk to our group.

Ken has now given me that information so I hope to have a reply before the April meeting. Thanks Ken.

Grant from Premiers fund.

Chairman Gary has also received a grant cheque from the Premiers Fund for $1500.00.

I asked for a Printer but that is on hold.

Gary says that we will get some money for copy paper.

OUR NEXT MEETING

Wednesday April 6^th at 6.30pm

Ray Nicholson will talk about his own experience with Mantle Cell Lymphoma, his misdiagnosis, plus Meditation and complimentary medicines.  A really amazing experience.  See you all there.