Breast cancer awareness and support

La Femme breast cancer teas

We are marking La Femme’s Breast Cancer Awareness day for 2008 with two teas at the Boardwalk Conference Centre here in Port Elizabeth on Saturday, October 4. You can read about in next Wednesday’s La Femme and check out all the photographs on line from Monday afternoon at The Herald picture gallery
The wonderful women at Reach for Recovery
may be able to help women newly diagnosed. If you live in our region, call Sheila Dibben, here in the Eastern Cape, at 079-347-9591, or e-mail her at: easterncape@reach4recovery.org.za

Sheila is in the right of the photograph, with fellow Reach for Recovery volunteers Leonie Harry (left) of East London, and Port Elizabeth’s Wanda Postepska. They have all had breast cancer, fought it, survived and now help others with their battle.



But what about those of you who are further afield, and couldn’t be with us, but would still love to share that sisterly support? Apparently, a growing number of cancer patients are finding solace online, finding the Internet a place to discuss the disease, keeping friends and family updated, and connecting with other patients.It doesn’t have to be breast cancer. More women die of heart disease than cancer each year, and many women die of other cancers, cervical cancer is one of the big ones. It’s just that breast cancer has become almost like a uniting force for women and although it may be the catalyst to meet in the first place, it’s not the final point in our discussion on our health and well-being.

However, with millions (yup, literally, there are millions) of blogs in the world, where do you even start?

www.CarePages.com is almost like Facebook, but without all the junk associated with it, where you create a page where people can go to give you some emotional support.

www.caringbridges is another site that offers a free, personalised website to support and connect loved ones during critical illness, treatment and recovery. Caring Bridge also has a video you can watch which explains what it does, and several inspiring stories.