Breast Cancer Thrivership Program
Having breast cancer can result in great upheaval in your life. We are hoping to turn that upheaval into a force for change and that change is for a better you.
The Thrivership Program has been designed by a dedicated team of health professionals who know there is more to be done for our breast cancer patients. We have doctors, physios, psychologists, nurses, therapists, charities and support services, all on board to provide the help you need to make some positive steps in your health journey.
We have developed a five step program of interactive lectures and Q&A to help understand how breast cancer can impact your life and how you can minimise that impact. Topics covered will include surgery and post operative recovery, lymphoedema prevention and management, the importance of nutrition and exercise, psychological aspects of breast cancer and looking after your sexual health.
The program will be run three times a year and you can pick up the lectures at any stage through the year, as many times as you want!
The lectures will take place on Saturday morning between 9am and 11am at a variety of locations around the Sunshine Coast.
Session Details:
This seminar reveals what happens to our body when you undergo surgery and how that may limit your activity, either temporarily or more permanently. It will also look at how radiation can change the bodies ability to function at its very best. Most importantly, we will be looking at how exercise and physiotherapy can help restore your body to working order. Possibly even better than before!
Your speakers for this seminar will include a breast surgeon, a radiation oncologist and a physiotherapist with a specialty interest in breast cancer and exercise.
Lymphoedema is a potential chronic and debilitating side effect following breast cancer treatment. This lecture will educate you on what lymphoedema is, how you can prevent lymphoedema, and even how it can be reversed in early stages. We will also discuss best practice management for anyone with existing lymphoedema.
Eating well, achieving and maintaining good nutrition throughout treatment and recovery, is vital. We will identify dietary approaches to managing treatment effects and talk through the science of good nutrition.
Your speakers for this seminar will include a medical oncologist, a dietitian specialising in cancer care and a physiotherapist with expertise in lymphoedema management.
Sexual wellbeing means different things to different people. In this seminar we will be identifying changes that can occur to our bodies that can impact on sexual health and pelvic function as a result of the different treatment regimes for Breast Cancer. The changes affect people differently, but it is important to understand what may happen, why it happens and most importantly, how you can address the issues in a positive way.
Your speakers will include a Medical Oncologist, Urogynaecologist and Physiotherapists who are skilled in managing pelvic health with a special interest in Breast Cancer.
Individuals may experience a range of emotions following a diagnosis of breast cancer and these feelings can change or become more intense at different stages throughout the treatment trajectory. This seminar will focus on how a diagnosis may affect an individual, including the impact of breast cancer on emotional well-being, relationships with others, and cognitive functions such as memory and concentration. As well, there is often the assumption that after treatment life returns to “normal”, but for many that “normal” has been redefined. We will discuss the importance of optimising your psychological health throughout treatment and beyond in order to navigate the unwanted changes brought about by a cancer diagnosis, and how to access specialist support in the community.
Speakers at this seminar will include a Clinical Psychologist, a Breast Cancer Survivor who is now completing her Post-Graduate studies in Counselling and who has a special interest in optimising the quality of life in cancer patients, and a Radiation Oncologist.
There is a fabulous life to lead after breast cancer. Sometimes we just need a little help to find it and embrace it. Sometimes that help and support will need to be ongoing. This session is an opportunity to explore a range of ancillary support services that exist on the Coast, in and informal “market place” style expo. Chat to any or all of the wonderful support people here, about what they can provide to make your life easier - whether it be mentoring, prostheses, personal training or just a swimsuit that fits!
We will have surgeons, oncologists, physios, breast care nurses and psychologists here to answer questions in an informal setting.
Why did we develop the
Breast Cancer Thrivership Program?
As health professionals who collaboratively have looked after breast cancer patients for many years, we realised there was a significant need for a 'next steps' program following surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. We realised we needed to bring Oncology Specialists and Allied Health Professionals together to help bridge this gap. This was how the Breast Cancer Thrivership Program was founded in 2019.
Our aim is to provide current evidence based information, encouragement and support to people with breast cancer, so they can take the next step in improving their own health. It is a daily effort to make the most of life, particularly when you have hurdles ahead. We hope that we can empower women and men to tackle the struggles ahead and triumph!
The health professionals who have come on board, resonate with this ethos and we are indebted to them for their generosity of time and knowledge.
We are looking forward to our first seminar series starting Feb 8 2020 and hope it is the beginning of a new era of breast cancer care on the Coast.
Program Speakers & Specialists
Dr. Lisa Creighton
Jen McKenzie
Jen is a Lymphoedema Physiotherapist and ESSA Accredited Exercise Physiologist and is passionate about caring for patients during and after Breast Cancer Treatment. Jen founded the Thrivership Program to help patients with Breast Cancer return to their most optimal health following surgery, chemotherapy and radiation.
Dr. Debra Furniss
Debra Furniss is the Regional Medical Director, Sunshine Coast. She is based at the Sunshine Coast and North Brisbane and attends GenesisCare Buderim and Chermside treatment centres.
Dr. Peta Higgs
Peta is a sub-specialist urogynaecologist practicing at The Sunshine Coast Private Hospital since 2007. Her interests include female urinary incontinence, vaginal prolapse and laparoscopic pelvic floor repair.
Dr. Jeremy Long
Jeremy Long is a staff specialist Medical Oncologist and Clinical Director at Nambour General Hospital and Gympie Hospital. He is a member of the executive committee of the State Wide Cancer Network promoting multidisciplinary, evidence based cost effective cancer care.
Dr. Michelle Morris
Michelle has experience in treating a broad range of solid tumour malignancies, with areas of interest including breast cancer, gastrointestinal and urological malignancies. She has been active in improving cancer clinical trial access for both public and private patients on the Sunshine Coast and promoting quality, multidisciplinary care.
Dr. Colin Dicks
Colin has extensive experience and special interests in lung, prostate and breast malignancies as well as palliative care and psychosocial issues within oncology.
Dr. Rosie Middleton
Rosie is a Clinical Health Psychologist with many years’ experience working in oncology and palliative care across both public and private settings, including the Department of Gynaecological Oncology at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital and Cancer Care Services at Nambour General Hospital.
Anita Bamert
Anita is a Clinical Psychologist with a particular interest in psycho oncology and has extensive experience working with oncology patients, their family members and carers. Anita’s main focus is to reduce patient’s distress with the aim of increasing wellbeing and life satisfaction.
Dr. Marcel Knesl
Marcel is a consultant radiation oncologist at Icon Cancer Centre Maroochydore. He also has a consultant appointment at the newly opened Sunshine Coast University Hospital, and is currently Icon’s Director of Radiation Oncology. He also enjoys being a Senior Lecturer at Griffith Medical School.
Annette Bezear
Annette completed her physiotherapy studies in New Zealand and has over 36 years of clinical experience. Annette now consults at The McKenzie Clinic providing pelvic floor rehabilitation and continence management for both men and women.
Fiona Rogers
Fiona has been a physiotherapist for over 30 years and has spent the past 20 working exclusively in women’s health. She also owns the website Pelvic Floor Exercise which provides education on pelvic health. She continues to do some clinical work locally and is passionate about multidisciplinary care for patients.
Tim Black
Tim is an Accredited Practicing dietitian with over 10 years experience, specialising in chronic disease management including: - weight loss, diabetes management, heart disease prevention, cholesterol and high blood pressure reduction, gluten-free eating for coeliac disease and the management of Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
Seminar Schedule
Registration
The Thrivership Program organisers are looking forward to meeting everyone and would ask if you would please register yourself and indicate the total number of people in your group to give us a idea of the number of attendees.
Seminar Selection:
Please select the seminar dates that best suit your schedule. Feel free to to mix and match across seminar series.
Partners, carers, family and support network members are all welcome to our seminars as well, please include them in the "Number of Attendees" when you register.
Seminar Sponsors
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