Has your mind ever gone to mush in a doctor’s surgery, right when you needed to pay attention?
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After being diagnosed with cancer three times in 20 years, Shayne McArthur knows just how it feels not to be able to recall vital details, such as medication dosages.
The difference with her latest diagnosis and her first, 20 years ago, is the angel by her side in appointments – a McGrath Foundation Breast Care Nurse.
“You come out and have forgotten how many pills you should be taking; I email the nurse, she gets back to me within the day,” Ms McArthur said.
“For my first bout of cancer, I was totally on my own. This last one, I have had the support of a McGrath nurse and it has made my journey that much easier, and that of my husband.”
It is the reason she will be in Long Beach on Saturday, October 6, for a day of fundraising to help train McGrath nurses.
Long Beach resident Jude Rafferty wants to turn the village pink for the month of October and has invited Ms McArthur to share her 20-year journey with cancer and explain why McGrath nurses matter.
“Previously, I did not even have Google back then, so you were very much on your own,” Ms McArthur said.
“It has been such a great support, knowing there is someone there who will get back to you and help you through it.
“It is such a good cause and these nurses do such a fabulous job, that anything I can do to promote them and fund raise I am happy to do.”
Ms McArthur thanks screening for detecting her first two cancers early.
“Fortunately I was having regular mammograms because my sister had breast cancer when she was very young,” she said.
“Early detection is number one.”
Her other friend is exercise.
“I am using an exercise physiologist in the Bay; the drugs are on make me quite ill, but if I exercise in the morning I can alleviate the sickeness,” she said.
“The evidence is starting to show it has beneficial effects on the cancer itself.
“We are so fortunate in the Bay to have some fantastic young allied health people who are interested in this and prepared to help.
“I go to a dietician here. I can't take evening meals, they make me sick, so we are working around putting more calories into my mornings and midday meals so I am getting the nutrition I need.
“There are some fabulous people here we should celebrate who are really interested in this and are doing some fantastic work.
Ms Rafferty, a cancer nurse, says new national guidelines encourage exercise.
“The new guidelines for all cancer patients are that we should be looking at exercise,” she said.
“It just makes you feel better and you keep your mobility, you keep active; psychologically, you feel better.
“It gives people hope to keep going, to keep fit, keep wanting to live.
“People use the word ‘battle’, but when I look at you (Ms McArthur), I don't see someone battling, I see someone living. We need to change our terminology. We are living with cancer, working with people to make their lives better.”