Help for those fighting cancer
A talk in Mullingar this week has been designed for people fighting breast cancer and their loved ones, as well as those looking for aftercare advice.
The information event is being hosted by Cancer Sanctuary LARCC and Whelehans Pharmacy, in Whelehans Pharmacy on Tuesday October 13. From 10am to 6pm, there will be one-to-one consultations from LARCC cancer nurses and at 6pm there will be a talk on ‘Breast cancer prevention, care and aftercare’.
Eamonn Brady of Whelehans Pharmacy said: “Every three hours a woman in Ireland is diagnosed with breast cancer, more than 2,000 new cases of breast cancer each year.”
Eamonn says that if cancer is caught early, most people survive and “self-checks for breast cancer are vitally important; 74% of Irish women with breast cancer discovered the lump themselves. You know your body better than any doctor does,” he said.
An experienced pharmacist, Eamonn will discuss cancer prevention and checks at the talk next Tuesday.
Another speaker is nutritionist Aisling Murray, who says “a diet high in vegetables and fruit and low in sugared drinks, refined carbohydrates and fatty foods is considered a cancer preventing diet”.
Aisling will explain how our diet influences cancer risk and will discuss foods that help prevent cancer and help fight it better.
LARCC nurse Briga Gorman will discuss breast care services, including types of post-op prosthesis and lingerie, as well as services available through LARCC.
Consultations
Breast care service providers and nurses from LARCC will be available all day for one-to-one consultations.
A selection of LARCC’s large range of breast form prosthesis and elegant lingerie will be in the pharmacy for ladies to try on and get free advice on styles and fitting in a private consultation room.
There will be expert advice on bra and prosthesis entitlements for medical card holders and ladies with private health insurance.
Invaluable service
Mr Brady said; “LARCC’s services are only possible with voluntary work, fundraising and the support of the people of Westmeath and beyond. The break and support that LARCC offers from the constant struggle of cancer can be life-changing; it often gives people the strength to go and fight and often beat the condition.”
Bernie McHugh from LARCC added: “LARCC cares for more than 600 people per annum through counselling, complementary therapies, nurse support and a range of specialist services such as the Breast Care Service and MLD (manual lymphatic drainage).
“We welcome people from all over Ireland. It costs hundreds of thousands per annum to run the service, and 80% has to be raised through fundraising and donations.”
Recently LARCC launched the Lazarus Forum which empowers cancer survivors to express their thoughts on cancer in a public forum.
Current patients can access valuable information from long-term survivors and thus have another source of hope in facing their own cancer.
For more details Call Save 1890 719 719.
www.cancersupport.ie