Young Women's Ovarian Cancer Support Group

I first met K. at Paul's Cancer Support Centre where we were both taking the Healing Journey Course (now known as Coping With Cancer Stress). She immediately impressed with her eloquence about how she felt and the things she was going through.  She had a fantastic sense of humour and we got on very well. Neither of us opened up about what type of cancer we had; for my part I found it was difficult thinking about it specifically, let alone talking about it in front of a group of people I didn't know very well.  But as the weeks passed and the sessions broke into smaller groups to talk about issues in greater depth, K. and I realised we had a lot of problems in common to do with our illness.  We started going out for lunch or a coffee on my day off and she told me she was thinking of setting up a support group to help younger women with ovarian cancer. 
Unfortunately, with a gynae cancer you are often surrounded by older ladies in waiting rooms and gynae support groups.  It can feel even more isolating to have a "rare" cancer at a younger age and you often feel adrift with no-one to talk to who understands.  Friends don't/can't always deal with things and can drift away.  I accompanied K. who had arranged to talk to Bernie, the fantastic manager of Maggie's West London who agreed to start a small support group in association with Ruth from Ovacome, the ovarian cancer support charity. 



I am delighted to say that several years later we are still meeting once a month and the number of young ladies who receive support and advice from the group continues to grow.  It is an informal meeting, 6.30-8.30 on the first Wednesday of each month.  People can raise any issues they are struggling with and there is always a professional available to talk to or point you in the right direction for further information.  We sometimes have a speaker presenting on relevant topics such as HRT or nutrition.  One of the ladies in the group kindly led a set of yoga sessions at Maggie's.  
The building itself is worth a mention. While it is next to Charing Cross Hospital on an extremely busy road, it is designed to provide a shield from the outside world and is definitely a haven, always with a welcome and a place to sit quietly or chat to someone. 

 

Unfortunately my lovely friend K. is no longer with us, but her legacy is a marvellous thing and she herself knew how much it means to all of us.  I continue to go to the meetings because although I am now physically OK (mostly), there are always new emotional hurdles to deal with and in K.'s honour I am proud to attend as a "veteran" and hopefully to help provide support to others going through similar things.

Tea With Ovacome 2013

This photo "rocking the kaftan" (designer: BEyouT) was taken a year ago at the "Tea with Ovacome" day that my friend organizes at the Mayfair hotel.  I am now a "veteran" model and took part again this year in the fashion show that forms part of the entertainment during the gorgeous spread of cakes and sandwiches that the hotel lay on.  This year 250 people attended, with all proceeds from tickets and raffles and auctions going to Ovacome, a charity that supports women with ovarian cancer.  It is dear to my heart as I attend a monthly support group for younger women with ovarian cancer.  Although my cancer was uterine, rather than ovarian, it is also rare in younger women and there are no suitable support groups for women like me who are (were) pre-menopausal.  The younger group was set up by a very dear friend who is no longer with us, and I like to go to help keep her spirit alive in the group, but also it is an uplifting experience and I have met some amazing and inspirational ladies who I am proud to call my friends. 7 of them were my co-models in the fashion show, which took place on Saturday March 16th this year.  We had a lot of fun and there was plenty of giggling and nerves back stage, but by the time we had practised our walks and attitudes all morning and chosen some suitable music, we were well into the spirit of the thing and were cheered on by the welcoming crowd.  Hopefully a good lot of money was raised for the charity.  My colleague from work generously donated her time and talents to create some Mehndi tatoos and to help us with our make-up, which she did so well last year.
I'm already looking forward to next year........