Topics covered were:
How to build relationships
What is cancer
Discussions and different treatment modalities
Cancer staging
Special investigations for cancer patients
Communication
The patient active model of care

A Special word of thanks to Discovery for sponsorship of the travelling cost of the trainer. Without this sponsorship the training would not have been possible.
The oncology ward nursing manger, sister Bernice Lass and all her support of her clinical and management team at the Donald Gordon Oncology Centre is much appreciated.

We look forward to the full utilisation of this group of new Cancer Buddies in future and would like to thank them all for their
contribution.

Linda Greeff
Director PLWC

A big thank you to Dr Adam Nosworthy for his support and contribution to the project.

In 1994 I underwent a bone marrow transplant….

read more:   Mel Hancke

We would like to extend a big thank you to all of Mike’s friends and family who so graciously made a monetary donation to our organisation in lieu of flowers or in memory of Mike. We appreciate this gesture enormously, as this will help us to continue our work within the South African Cancer Community and supporting cancer patients. Mike left a legacy that is an inspiration and example to all of us.

You gave so much of yourself to others without question.
The wonders you have left behind were given as precious gifts.
One of the truly great men, you wanted neither thanks nor recognition for your deeds.
You will forever be a giant amongst men.

~annon~

Mike’s Funeral Dance Poem

Mike’s Funeral Letter

Mike’s funeral photos:  His brothers

PLWC Pretoria

Here are some trainee feedback:

Gawie Lotter

The Cancer Buddies (CB’s) of  Pretoria have been in active operation since May/June 2009 under the organization and guidance of dr Wilma Lotter and Nella van den Berg.

Since then they have gathered on a monthly basis sharing, comforting, listening, telling, supporting each other. This group of  PEOPLE LIVING WITH CANCER have over the past months influenced each other in a very positive and encouraging manner.

The CB’s get together on the first Saturday of each month at 14:00 in the conference room of the Little Company of Mary Hospital in Groenkloof, Pretoria. The management of this Life Hospital make their facilities available to this group free of any charge and tea and coffee are always also available.  Over the months the group was also “entertained” by various guest speakers, sharing and motivating! Always with the most wonderful results! Unfortunately a few of the Buddies lost their battle against CANCER over this period.

This CB group is now actively in action for 8 months. However, although going strong and being active, there was a huge need for Cancer Buddy training. The aim of this being to provide basic communication skills preparation of a Buddy visiting newly diagnosed cancer patients with a similar diagnosis to them;  to provide greater self awareness in the use of a trained Buddy as a tool to support others going through a crisis and most importantly to set clear guidelines as to the Do’s and don’ts of a Buddy visit to a newly diagnosed patient. This all incorporated in a BASIC COMMUNICATION SKILLS TRAINING WORKSHOP.

So, at last a CB training was formally organized over the weekend of 6/7 March 2010. Linda Greeff from People Living With Cancer, Cape Town, flew up to Pretoria to head the training program and act as facilitator. A group of 16 Buddies attended the course. Of the most important aspects dealt with were :  emotional aspects in dealing with cancer, self awareness, self complexity, building relationships, key principles to be taken in account and first visit practical patient session. Detail time was spend on the following over the two day period : self awareness, building a relationship, positive language, non-verbal communication, observing, listening, empathizing, self complexity, hardiness, patient active approach and buddy documentation.

The training weekend session was a huge success with a very positive outcome. Linda Greeff did a tremendous job and was complimented with her ability to facilitate.

The following CB’s were trained :

Phumelele Zulu          (Breast Cancer)
Jean Robinson            (Breast Cancer)
Caroline Nel               (Breast Cancer)
Nella van den Berg     (Breast Cancer)
Hannie Belsten            (Psychologist;  Non-Hodgkins Limfoma)
Wilma Lotter               (Medical Doctor; Ovarian Cancer)
Leonie Joubert             (Oncology Sister; Osteo Sarcoma)
Frans Joubert               (Brain Cancer; husband of Leonie)
Marinda Foster             (Myelodisplasia Syndrome)
Raynolda Makhutwe    (Ovarian and Cervical Cancer; Call Centre Johannesburg)
Alet vd Westhuizen      (Pharmacist; work in oncology research, care giver, father died of lung cancer, mother died of pancreas cancer)
Amanda Basson            (Care giver)
Brian White                   (Care giver, friend got Karposi Sarcoma)
Ken-Charles                   (Care giver, friend got Karposi Sarcoma)
Florence Maseloane       (Care giver, friend got Karposi Sarcoma)
Danie Foster                   (Care giver, wife cancer sufferer – Marinda above)

Dr Wilma Lotter; CB Pretoria Branch Co-ordinator

Jean Robinson

What an inspirational weekend !!!

Phumelele Zulu

I only realized when I was sharing with other trainees that I shifted the attention away from cancer into work after I was diagnosed with cancer in 2001. The week-end gave me a chance to reflect on how I felt then and also during and after chemo, surgery and radiotherapy. I was lucky in that I consulted a Psychologist before surgery; she gave me confirmation that I was stronger than cancer. Somehow I walked over it all this time.

The training made me realize that it is a giant step that I have taken, that is, to want to be a buddy. I am ready to take the first step to offering my support and share my experience with any person living with cancer that I will come across. Although I stay in Pretoria, I hope to go back to KwaZulu-Natal and share with more women and men even especially because it is taboo in my culture to talk about cancer.

I want to thank Dr Lotter and her team for arranging the training and also Linda Greef for empowering us.

Raynolda  Makhutle

I  became  one  of the previlaged and  honoured trainees to attend a  Buddy  Training this past weekend of the 7th & 10th March 2010. This course was facilitated with great insight and excellency by Linda Greef, the director and founder of  PLWC.

As a  cancer survivor I expierienced  a very eye-opening, inspirational, motivating and equipping weekend in Pretoria.
I  have learnt so much about the following:

. The  important role/approach  of  a volunteer  in giving support to people living with cancer.

. The  engagement of  Patient  Active  Model with newly  diagnosed  cancer  patients.

. Understanding  the ” Cancer  Buddy ” Program, Vision and Goals

. Being passionate in what  one is doing.

. Allowing  patients to draw an action plan (not  forcing one’s will).

. Allowing people to express their feelings and being  sensitive.  (Being there doesn’t mean you know it all)

This training has changed the way I used  to do, think and act.  Gratitude became my motto: ” knowing that one has to live to the fullest even after diagnosed, not die before”.  Being a cancer survivor  is a privilage.  I have learnt to apreciate life and the chance I was given to add value in the lifes of people who have lost hope.   I have learnt that  you don’t judge people, but understand what they are going through.

By being there for people makes a difference.  Caregivers/families feelings are also very important.  They have emotions and should be given a space to express their feelings.  We don’t have to focus on the survivor only.  A Buddy should  be sensitive and humble at all times.  There were moments where we cried together when sharing what everybody went through and some still going through.  Knowing that people experience pain in different ways, taught me to love unconditionally.

I  thank  The Almighty for providing us with Health Professionals and  Buddies who were in the training.  They gave motivation and words of wisdom to everyone there.

Once more this has been, and still is, a great achievement to be imparted with such knowledge.

THANKS    LINDA – YOU ARE A  LEGEND!

Presented by Linda Greeff
GVI Oncology

Final Journey Black and White

Email: dr.gjl@absamail.co.za
Phone: 012 343 5263

Sharing Thoughts

We had a special sharing Buddy group in January and these are some of the  tools we discussed to assist us in managing our own cancer journeys.

Home – The importance of having a sense of Home  when one faces the cancer journey.  Home is where we come to after a bad day for warmth. support, nurturance and safety – where you can just be you !!   It could also mean Home where we go to when we die… if you want.  Minnie Kriek shared a beautiful poem  by T S Elliot:

“We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time.”

Acceptance of what happens to us when we have cancer and the trails and tribulations this brings to our experience , acceptance of our emotional roller coaster journey with all the reality of that and allowing for the sad, mad and bad feelings to be explored

Second Chance – Often having cancer is seen as a second change as it somehow makes us realise how precious live is and how much we have to live for,   somehow we did not embrace life  when we were cancer free….somehow having cancer makes us realise  how precious life is.

Forgiveness – The importance of forgiveness was discussed of ourselves and others.

Flexibility – is needed in how we live our lives allowing for more spontaneity and less rigidity, greater gentleness.

Physical Health -Realising the  gift of physical health when you lose it and struggle to get it back, the importance of healthy eating and choices when you are on treatment  and the struggle to keep this up.

Mind, Body, Meditation – really focusing on attending to  mind , body and soul as we journey the cancer journey and that this journey is different for all of us, we all need different things and we need to pursue what we need to heal our own mind body and soul.  Meditation is a tool to be used in this process but  a hard skill to acquire!!!,

Vigilance in the way we approach all we do being ever mindful of all the above issues.

Rest – the importance of rest and quite time when you are on treatment and recovering  as the body needs to rebuild itself.

Abundance is such an important tool as we need to focus on creating abundance in our life  by the way we live.   Abundance of love, joy laughter, family, creating memories and living in an abundant  way will enhance healing.

Play links in to abundance as it speaks to allowing yourself to be more playful and light,  even when things are hard and difficult make time to play and laugh and sing ,

Gratitude for small and big things, for support given and opportunities had.

Singing …..singing your life own song ………finding your song … what you need to be happy and joyful………..,

Effortlessness – try to do things with effortlessness.   Do not sweat the small stuff, accept help  and listen to your body ,

Honesty…….be honest about what you feel and need and look at ways of living more honestly as it frees you from  the burden of pretending to be strong !!

Listening to what your body says , what your docter says , what your heart says and needs.  Listen with your whole being, body, mind and spirit and respond to what you hear.

Self-Love, Unconditional Love – The importance of  loving yourself and  not blaming your body for letting you down.  Learning to love the broken body and what it can teach you!!  Loving others unconditionally too is important and working at important relationships are part of our healing journey with cancer !!

Inspiration…. find  this in your life , what do you need to be inspired , who inspires you and why !!,

Compassion – develop this in your life because if you do you will have more to give.  Also be compassionate with yourself !~!,

Discernment – decide what is important to you and pursue that.  These goals help you focus and are important building blocks in your healing process.

Emotions – allow for the expression of emotions, share them with your loved ones even if they are scary !!! ,

Stillness – make time to be quite and to reflect so that you allow yourself time to be refreshed.   When you are quite you hear your body and soul better,  you find peace easier and you are able to seek and work towards balance more proactively.

Present Moment Awareness is where we should focus as this is all that is sure.  Mindful living assist healing.

These are just some of the wisdom shared.  I am sure the group can add  more !!

Till our next group meeting.
Cancer  Buddy Greetings.

I can honestly say it was an ordinary day, until I went to the loo. I remember feeling quite angry, because not only was I in the throes of menopause with hot flushes and all that, but my ovaries were doing a last ditch thing with a final period.  Just what I needed! But then, wait a minute, this looks a little different. Maybe I needed to see a doctor.  Arming myself with the smallest bottle I could find and a miniscule drop of the offending fluid, I set off to the doctor.  But just in case, I said to myself, “Minnie if the car is full of petrol, you can go to the doctor” and the car is full to the brim; “Minnie if there are no cars on the road…” and there isn’t even a pram on the road; “If there are no people in the waiting room, if the receptionist is very nice, if the doctor can see me now…” and the doctor does see me because my evasion tactics are all swept aside.  The doctor gently pokes me and gets on the phone to a specialist “There is a woman before me who is bleeding out, can you see her?”

Now I’m a little worried but I’ve got other stuff to do as well so I phone my husband and tell him to just deal with everything, and I’m off to the specialist.  He sees me immediately and on a sonar finds Mount Everest nestling gently on top of my kidney.  He says it might be cancer but to make sure I must go for a scan and he sommer follows me to the scanning people and tells them personally I must be scanned ASAP and now I’m scared.  Before I leave his office, he comes around and gives me a hug, telling me that he knows I’m scared but not to worry because I’m in good hands and then Faithful reader I knew I was in the dwang!

Back home I tell my husband, “Ek is in die @#$, ek dink ek het kanker” and we leave for a dinner date with friends. We have to leave early because I have to drink copious quantities of contrast medicine, Yummy!  Later that night I wake up in pain, phone the doctor after an hour’s walking about.  The emergency doctor recommends anti-inflammatory medication, I don’t think this is a good idea and phone the specialist’s practise.  The specialist’s partner books me into the hospital for pain management.  True to form, once I’ve spoken to the doctor the pain goes away but now there’s a bed waiting for me in the hospital so I wake my husband and we set of to the hospital which happens to be just down the road.

The next day is a bit of a blur but Dr B tells me it is cancer and it has to come out.  I phone my children and my brother and sister and send SMS’s to my friends, all very calm and doped up to my ears.  I go for a scan and by this time I’m nauseous, terrified and just miserable.

At about 5 in the afternoon, the anaesthetist, a red headed guy, comes storming in demanding where I am because he has a great deal to do to get me ready and he grabs my bed and off I go down the passage with the nurse still trying to write down whether I’ve got false teeth or not.  Once on the operating table he starts instructing everybody about what has to be done when I quietly but firmly say, “I’ve GOT to wee right now.” The theatre sister says, “Wel mevrou as jy moet dan moet jy’ and finds an old metal bedpan.  I think the anaesthetist is about to take off through the ozone layer because of the delay and I make the most ladylike little tinkle, hanging on to the sister for support.  And then I think I went to sleep.

When I wake up, I can’t breathe properly and start begging the person standing over me to please help me.  “But I em helpink you! Stop shifferink, I kan’t kovver you!” And I knew I have fallen into the hands of the last Kamp commandant of Auschwitz.  “Ve gheff vays of makingk you shtopp shifferingk, ja!!”  My stay with her is blessedly short and for the rest of that confused evening I’m in the care of a professional and caring nurse who takes off the blanket and puts it on again, depending on whether I’m shivering or boiling.

My stay in intensive care was short and mercifully fairly painless, thanks to a button that I could press to self-medicate.

I recover quickly and fairly soon I feel like myself again.  Unfortunately in the rush to get my kidney out, no-one notices that there is another tumour on my adrenal gland on the other kidney.  So a year later, I’m in another hospital and my adrenal gland is removed.  But now I’m ready for the Kamp Kommandant… anyone who is even maybe nasty will hear from me, I can promise you that!  And everyone is so sweet, “How are you feeling? Do you want me to stay with you while you wait? Ag shame, are you cold?”  So it seems that the Kommandant is the exception and not the rule, people who care for you in hospitals, as far as I experienced, are kind and caring.

It’s almost three years later and so far I’m OK.  I wish I could say that after my brush with cancer I look at life differently or that I’m a better person, but honestly, I think I’m still as difficult as ever and sometimes life still needs to be changed to meet my high expectations of instant gratification!  But I have learnt that it is OK to be vulnerable and that there is no greater favour that you can do for any person than to stop and listen to their story, because in the end we are all alone and a little afraid.

I was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1998. Working as a banker at that stage, I knew nothing about cancer, except that it was a killer.

I suffered from womb complications since the age of 15.

When I turned 40 I decided to get a second opinion and a general check up, The doctor suggested a Pap Smear. When the results came I was told I had cancer, but that it can be removed.  This came as a shock to me.  We had a family doctor who never suggested a Pap Smear.  Anger and frustration boiled in me. I had mixed emotions because of lack of knowledge.  My husband was unemployed for more than 4yrs already and  I had 2 teenagers – one in college and the youngest was still in High School.  My whole life was now turned around.

I had my operation shortly after that and 3 months later when I went for a checkup the tests confirmed tumors on both ovaries.    The Oncologist suggested a hysterectomy.  In our culture, when you loose a womb, you are stigmatized that you are not a complete woman.  I needed strong faith to overcome this trauma. My in-laws negatively influenced my husband, who began to physically abuse me.

After the surgery, I also had to deal with post menopausal symptoms  I knew nothing about. My medical bills were piling up. I had a financial strain, because my medical aid became exhausted, but I had to be strong for my kids’ sake.

Twenty months after my surgery, my husband died of a heart attack.  I struggled with depression which led to a minor stroke.

Five years after my surgery, my mom at 74 was diagnosed with a rare cancer.  She had no medical aid.  My family had to face another trying time.  My survival convinced everyone that my mom would survive too.  She survived for 5 years but on the 8th of July 2009 we lost her to a stroke.

I am 52 years old now and living my life to the fullest.  “Life is a jigsaw puzzle” (full of challenges) but we can overcome everything by the grace of the Lord.  It is a privilege to understand that everything happens for a reason or purpose.  The Lord stood by me and gave me strength.

Today I am grateful to know that “cancer is not a death sentence”.  I’m still alive, and blessed with six grandchildren, including a set of twins.  I’m hoping to make a difference in people’s lives.

Looking forward to motivate and encourage the disadvantaged and People Living with Cancer in South Africa.

Email: dr.gjl@absamail.co.za
Phone: 012 343 5263
Mobile: 082 573 7342