2 posts tagged “cancer”

University of Queensland PhD student Amanda Niehaus has worn many hats in her time: partner, mother and breast cancer patient, and is set to don another, her graduation cap, on July 16.

Ms Niehaus's graduation will coincide with The Kim Walters Choices Program's Think Pink Week, which aims to raise breast and ovarian cancer awareness and offer support, counselling and treatment to patients and their families.

The thirty two year old student said her graduation presented a unique opportunity to educate women about the age indiscriminate nature of the disease and demonstrate that a cancer diagnosis needn't nullify one's goals.

"When I would go in for treatment, most of the other patients were older than I was, which is something that people often don't realise: cancer can happen to anyone, regardless of age," she said.

Ms Niehaus's research into how organisms allocate energy in response to different environmental conditions presents a notable parallel between her area of study and lifestyle approach.

After receiving her breast cancer diagnosis, Ms Niehaus realised that she would have to reallocate her energy in accordance with this new life challenge.

"The tadpoles (in the experiments) had no choice or way to escape their environment once they were borne into it, so it was interesting to see how they would adjust to less than ideal conditions.

"This is really what I've taken away from my study and cancer experiences so far. The importance of being adaptable and creating a work/life balance," she said.

Ms Niehaus's PhD supervisor, Professor Craig Franklin, described her as motivated, optimistic and ready for a challenge, such as that presented by the birth of her daughter Nelle, the day before her initial thesis submission date.

"PhDs never go exactly according to plan, and Amanda has used the knock backs to set her up for future challenges," he said.

When asked what advice she would give other cancer patients, Ms Niehaus emphasised the importance of a positive attitude, learning from experiences, leaning on family and friends and asking what can they change about their life to make it better, or more balanced.

For more information about The Kim Walters Choices Program, please visit www.wesley.com.au.

http://www.uq.edu.au/news/index.html?article=15183

Work friend, the poor woman who had the meltdown last week, is today undergoing a breast scan. Her doctor found something worthy of being investigated and so she has gone to have a scan today.She is a very sensitive fragile person so I am not sure how she will handle this if there is a problem...

I got a letter just last Friday from the government telling me that now that I am 50 (obviously Big Brother is watching and counting our birthdays) that I should book in for my free breast screen. I am of course, but did they have to choose this week to run a national media program telling us that 75% of breast cancer cases are in women aged 50 and over? It is all working to make me feel very mortal today.

My hip became a pain yesterday and kept me awake all night. I took a trammel about 2pm which helped for a short time but they always seem to make me agitated and I feel hot wired for hours afterwards. I suffer from diverticultis, which is normally an old person's condition, as every doctor gleefully tells me,  but I developed after the birth of my son due to complications after a caesarean and a kink in my bowel, so I can't take any painkillers with codiene or I experience terrbile stomach pain. Sigh.

 I couldn't sleep, and was aware that husband had a business trip today so moved to another room for a couple hours. Blogged on my lap top for awhile, being careful where I placed my fingers on the keypad, and watched the crazy media on Fox for awhile. Finally got to sleep about 4am, husband up at 5.30 to leave, daughter brought me a cup of tea before she left for work, bless her, I sent sms to Boss and Mega Boss to say not coming in today, and went back to sleep until 9.30. I thought I would watch cable for awhile but something bizare has happened to the remote and I can't get it to change channels so I am locked on Bill O'Reilly, who is currently criticising Obama's body language, fair and unbalanced of course! I am not in the mood for Mr O'Reilly and his spin today...sigh. I am not in the mood to crouch down and fiddle with the cable box etc. I think the gods are conspiring against me today. I will have to wait for son to appear and rescue me - which is why we have children right! 

When was or is the full moon? Am I caught in its grasp, its lunancy?

Sorry to rain on your parade today, I promise to be better company next time.