PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT ONKAPARINGA GROUP 

Our meeting was held at Noarlunga Community Hospital on Wednesday 3rd December 2003, at 6.30pm.

Thank you to the City of Onkaparinga, our Sponsors Woodcroft Community Health Services, Noarlunga Hospital and Port Noarlunga Christies Beach R&SL, for helping with the Printing and Photocopying of our Newsletter.

Chair: John Shields.

Guest Speaker: Lindy Tipple.

Present: 17

Apologies: Ivan,Trish and Ian.

A big welcome to our new members: Suresh, Nere and John.

Our Guest Speaker, Lindy Tipple, gave an interesting, informative talk on all aspects of Urinary Incontinence that follows Treatment for Prostate Cancer.

Lindy used the Overhead Projector to explain remedies or action that can be taken to help with this problem.

This was in response to the following questions.

WHAT TO DO

1. Getting caught out, having the urge to go, how to hold on?
2. Sometimes the Sphincter muscle is damaged, what is it, what does it do and are there any exercises for this?
3. Stomach muscle exercises, Pelvic floor exercises?
4. What is the Pelvic floor? How does it affect Bladder control, can the Pelvic floor be damaged during Surgery or Radiotherapy?
5. Getting back control?
6. What is the Urethra? What does it do? Can treatment harm it?
7. Can stress or being anxious cause Incontinence?
8. Do Hormones or other Medications affect Continence?
9. Any other Continence problems related specifically to the Prostate Gland after treatment?
10. Using a Uridome?
Lindy answered all of these questions with a mixture of tact and humour and this seemed to be appreciated by all who were present.

The meeting at the P.S.A Adelaide Group on Monday10th November was an interesting evening indeed.
Dr Alan Stapleton was the Guest Speaker and it is easy to see why he is such a popular Speaker. He had just come away from a busy day at "The Office" yet he was so relaxed and composed, and presented his talk with a mixture of seriousness and humour that made us feel at ease as well.
I certainly felt relaxed as I listened and watched Dr Stapleton explain the intricacies and the myriad of possible reasons why, a man could find himself host to this very unwelcome visitor called Prostate Cancer.
Dr Stapleton took us on a fast walk through the process of testing for Prostate Cancer, and the accuracy, or otherwise of current methods, i.e, P.S.A, D.R.E, and Biopsy, then told us about a new method being tried in Queensland, using Sperm to detect the presence of Prostate Cancer. This sounds like a very interesting procedure and I am surprised that it was not introduced years ago. Certainly sounds a lot more appealing than a D.R.E or P.S.A test.
Dr Stapleton has indicated that he will be happy to talk to our Group next year, and he will have more information on Brachytherapy here in Adelaide.
Dr Stapleton went overseas for training in this procedure so has added another string to his bow, so to speak.
Dr Stapleton will be removing my Prostate Gland together with its unwelcome visitors on Tuesday 16th December at R.G.H, so from that day forward I will be fully qualified to speak as an AUTHORITY? on Prostate Cancer, a Radical Prostatectomy and the after affects of it all . Ha !!!

Well here we are and it is almost February and my Operation seems like it was a long time ago. All seems to be going well, however time will tell.

Unforseen circumstances have prevented me from working on the Newsletter.

The awareness evening at Salisbury was also very interesting and well worth the trip.

Dr Agnelo De Sousa was the Keynote Speaker and he emphasised that he wanted us to feel relaxed and to open up and talk freely about Prostate Cancer and some of its side affects after treatment. He also said that if anyone wanted to talk to him privately, there would be an opportunity to do this during the break. Most men took the opportunity to stand up and ask questions during the informative talk.
Dr De Sousa used Power point Presentation (Video and screen) to help us follow his talk a lot easier, and I am sure that this technology will be used a lot more in the future as it is the best method of getting the message across that I have seen.
We should make purchasing this System a Project for this year, it would be a valuable asset for Group education and would encourage Speakers to our meetings. That is of course if the Hospital does not have one that we could borrow.
The System was expensive, but like all things it is getting cheaper every day.

There were several questions from the Group and later on, the Panel of Speakers, including Sue Boxall, Continence Nurse, from R.G.H, fielded more questions in an interesting session.

It was good to hear a variety of Speakers, men talking about their own experiences with Prostate Cancer, and able to laugh at some part of what is really a serious procedure as we know.
Ian showed some photos that had been taken when he was in Melbourne having Brachytherapy. A show and tell for grown ups. Someone said later that NASA was able to Satellite track him all the way from Melbourne back to Adelaide!!!
On the serious side, Brachytherapy appears to be an effective treatment that is less invasive and has fewer side affects. Some short term pain for long term gain.
The evening was well organised and presented by Geoff.

The following evening we attended a Prostate Cancer Collaboration Presentation at the Lion Hotel. It was very informative as well and held out hope for the future particularly the work being done on finding a way to prevent the return of Cancer years after initial treatment, like it sometimes does.
The Speakers were experts in their fields of both Prostate Cancer and Cancer in general, and their talks were mainly for the Doctors and Allied Health Professionals in attendance
We were able to follow the general theme of their talks but some of the detail was a bit above us newcomers.

GOOD NEWS GOOD NEWS

Our application to the City of Onkaparinga Council for a Community Grant of $2000.00 has been approved. To save me explaining the procedure that we must now follow, I have photocopied some information for you.

Our sincere thanks to the City of Onkaparinga for this generous Grant, it now ensures that our Prostate Cancer "Specific" Support Group has a rock solid foundation upon which we can build a very strong Support Group and Support network to serve our Community in the best possible way.

The Original Beach Road Markets.

The Original Open Market have kindly donated $100.00 to help pay for some of our ongoing expenses.

Thank you to everyone involved, we really do appreciate the help that you have given to us, it could not have come at a better time.

THIS IS WHAT COMMUNITY SPIRIT IS ALL ABOUT

Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia

Our application for Affiliation has been accepted and I now have confirmation of this.
The delay was because I had not sent the paperwork back to them. Oh dear.

Australian Surfboat Open

Please do not forget this important event on Satuday 7th and Sunday 8th February. It is the weekend after our February meeting and having an information Stall there is a great way to raise some much needed money for us.

(The Council Grant is for equipment only and does not cover everyday working expenses such as Stamps, Envelopes, Stationery, Copy paper Telephone calls etc.)

We will have a large sign for our Stall and a lot of information to hand out.

ALL WE NEED NOW IS YOUR HELP

Please come along for part of one of these days if you can, make it a family outing if possible.

Treasurers Report

Income