There are two focuses in our mission:
- promotion of wellness (wellness maintenance and strengthening of self-resilience), and
- peer support to those who are newly diagnosed
Wellness Programme
For our wellness programme, we are exploring a range of activities and events in wellness promotion such as:
| 1. |
Wellness Promotion |
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concentrating on fitness and exercise including music, dance, yoga classes etc |
| 2. |
Lifestyle & Travel |
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looking into hobby, arts and crafts eg fishing, camping, canoeing etc. |
| 3. |
Community Service |
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focusing on patients and survivors who are not working but want to spend their time meaningfully - to help out at some social service agencies; this portrays patients' capacity to move away from being too self-focused and self-absorbed in their cancer management and fight against cancer |
| 4. |
Project Work |
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exploring innovative short term projects that can showcase our social entrepreneurship |
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Support Group
For our other mission on peer support for newly diagnosed patients, we hope to start regular support sessions on a bi-monthly basis as well as other social / recreational events where newly diagnosed patients can interact with survivors who have gone through treatments.
Upcoming Events:
Team Buidling Programme
NCC Function Room
27 Mar 08
7pm - 9pm
Fitness First
NCC Function Room
26 Jun 08
7pm - 9pm
Life Review
NCC Function Room
25 Sep 08
7pm - 9pm
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Our 1st informal support group meeting was held on 1st Dec 2006. Magdelene reflected on that session in her blog:
Saturday, December 02, 2006
: my first lymphoma support group meeting
I went down to the National Cancer Centre yesterday. The last time I was there was 2 months ago. It was weird that I was breaking out into cold sweat. I am actually scared been in that place.
The informal sharing/ meeting was to try to create a framework where the members or ex-patients in the room, like myself, can give a helping hand by forming a official lymphoma support group which can provide information, advice and emotional support, for people with Lymphoma and their caregivers.
The sharing started out with each of us sharing our individual experience. It was initially rather queer for me. It seems like one of the help group sessions I see in the movies. The ones for junkies, alcoholics or women who were abused by their husbands. There were 5 of us, ex-patients in that room, accompanied by doctors, counsellors and of course, the loving caregivers. We shared our experiences. Some shocked the rest while some found similarities in their struggles, for example employment issues, self-image or nutrition (what to eat and what not to eat). It is evident that cancer can hit anyone. We have a JC1 student in the group, a girl who is still in Uni, an air-force pilot who was accepted by SIA before he was diagnosed, a bubbly banker and me. The age group is a young one and it hits us at the different crucial stages of life.
But one thing for sure is that we kept the faith and held on to the belief that WE WILL BE WELL. The one reason why we are able to sit in that room, hoping to give back to others. We celebrated life in our own individual ways and for that, we know that every bit of fighting spirit we had put into getting well was worth it.
Our 1st support group meeting is scheduled on 28 th December 2006. Please click here for more details:
Our 2nd support group meeting was held on 28 Dec 2006. Dr S.T. Lim, Medical Oncologist, went through some basics about Lymphoma and Gilbert, Medical Social Worker, journeyed with the group on some salient therapeutic beliefs about coping with cancer.
Click here to view slides.
Magdelene’s Blog
This is the blog which Magdelene, a Lymphoma survivor started: http://almostopia.blogspot.com
Right from Magdelene’s Blog …
To all things pretty
The biggest challenge was to
not let life's unpredictability get me.
But I somehow learnt that
unpredictability can be what makes life so wonderful.
Without this realisation,
everything will and can be exponentially more difficult.
I, now,
embrace possibilities with open arms.
*
*
*I wanna dance among the stars*
*Will you take me there?*
*
*
*smiles*
: Cancer Lyrics
My Chemical Romance
Cancer Lyrics
Turn away
If you could get me a drink
Of water cause my lips are chapped and faded
Call my aunt marie
Help her gather all my things
And bury me
In all my favorite colors,
My sisters and my brothers, still,
I will not kiss you,
Cause the hardest part of this,
Is leaving you.
Now turn away,
Cause I'm awful just to see
Cause all my hair's abandoned all my body,
All my agony,
Know that I will never marry,
Baby, I'm just soggy from the chemo,
But counting down the days to go.
It just ain't living
And I just hope you know,
That if you say, Good-bye today,
I'd ask you to be true,
Cause the hardest part of this, Is leaving you...
Cause the hardest part of this, Is leaving you...
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