Dragon Boat Club for Breast Cancer Survivors, Friends and Supporters

The Daffodil Centre at UHL

 

Provides information and support for cancer patients & their families/friends.

 

 

 

"Thrive to Survive" programme at the Daffodil Centre

 

Participants were all with different backgrounds and surviving different forms of cancer.

“We shared experiences and looked at ways to live with conditions e.g. fatigue, side effects of medication, etc. We examined scenarios and did role plays. This course also suggested that Mindfulness may help relax your mind and help us become less anxious.”

 

 

 

 

Mid Western Cancer Support Centre: located on the UHL site near the entrance to Oncology and Radiotherapy

 

 

Provides help, advice and support for people/friends/families going through treatment and following treatment eg weekly relaxation classes, reflexology, reiki.

 “Reflexology was very helpful in counteracting some side effects of chemotherapy i.e. neuropathy of the feet.”

 

 

 

Mid Western Cancer Support Centre

"Look Well, Feel Better"

Workshop

 

One day workshop with a beauty therapist. This is sponsored by several companies and is available worldwide.

 “It was a real treat to meet in a safe space with other ladies who had been or were going through therapy and particularly realise that they could empathise with what you were going through. We each got a lovely goody bag with make-up and learned tips and tricks to make us look better and therefore, feel better. In fact, with a bit of make-up on and a great wig, some people just told me I looked great and never knew about my treatment.”

https://www.lookgoodfeelbetter.ie/ 

 

 

 

UHL  "The Recovery Programme"

 

For survivors who have completed all treatment. It was devised by two psychotherapists because they were meeting people facing the same challenges, so they started a group of breast cancer survivors. They run this programme twice a year normally now.

Good place to make new friends!

 

 

 

 

UHL Lymphodoema Centre

https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/list/3/acutehospitals/hospitals/ulh/hospitals/uhl/hospdept/deptmed/symptomaticbreastunit/lymphoedemaservice.html 

Course dealing with Lymphodema for people who have had any lymph nodes removed. Very informative and it also shares resources about exercises which help avoid and counteract lymphodema i.e. aqua aerobics, swimming, rowing, Nordic pole walking, using resistance bands and dragon boating.

 

 

 

Mindfulness

 

Beaumont Hospital has very good and well researched links explaining the benefits of mindfulness http://www.beaumont.ie/index.jsp?p=105&n=528&a=0 and giving exercises http://www.beaumont.ie/index.jsp?p=528&n=532&a=0. This is a free resource and a good place to start.

 

 

 

Headspace App

 

Headspace is an easy app to use and is free at the start to get you used to mindfulness. You can put a reminder on your phone at a certain time each day to tune into mindfulness.

 

 

 

Irish Cancer Society Conference

 

"Virtual" and on-line. “Attending this I found uplifting as I met so many people who had overcome treatment and some defied all the odds by overcoming the challenges they faced. I think all cancer survivors would benefit from attending this. It is inspiring, educational and entertaining.”

 

 

 

 The workshops included exercise & diet recommendations, a singing workshop and a presentation by Sea of Change choir (an all-female cancer survivors’ choir). Here is a link to their presentation at the Living Well with and beyond Cancer conference 2019 in Dublin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OAdrjJeFuqU 

 

The 2020 virtual conference was closed by singer/songwriter Brian Kennedy as he spoke about his cancer journey.

 

 

 

Irish Cancer Society

 

 

https://www.cancer.ie/ways-to-help/volunteer/survivor-support-programme

 

 

 

Phrase

 

 

“Just before I started my treatment someone used the phrase "This too will pass" as they found it helpful - I also thought of it several times during treatment and it did inspire me that I could get through this time.”