After a conversation with our Chairman, and in line with Government advice, we are cancelling our monthly meetings until further notice. It’s not easy to grasp the extent of the situation we’re all in but keeping away from each other will play a big part.
Stay safe everyone.
All you Headcases out there – please carry on collecting Raffle Prizes. Let’s raise a few quid and buy our Hospitals some much needed gear. We’ve had a good run recently, lets keep the momentum going!
Our next meeting may be some months away so let’s try and make the raffle a good one.
These are open to anyone affected by cancer and their friends and families. We’ve had very good feedback from attendees. The events are held in Stafford and Fenton, Stoke on Trent.
A big focus this week on PREVENTION. HPV is a fast growing worldwide cause of H & N cancer, as well as cervical and other cancers but the good news is vaccination can prevent a large number of these.
Let’s get rid of any stigma associated with HPV – around 80% of us will have at least one variety at some point in our lives. That’s the whole point of cervical screening and thankfully there seems to be little stigma attached to that. Anyone had a wart or verruca? That’s HPV at work.
For straight talking info, you can’t beat the good old NHS. Take a look at this NHS page…
A quick note to welcome our new friends visiting for the first time. Some from Lost Chords group and some recently out of treatment for Head and Neck cancer. The March meeting was untypical, as we had a definite topic for the group. Our meetings are normally a bit rowdier, as people get into conversations, move about and visit the bar more often!
Don’t forget we also have a Twitter feed, which roughly mirrors this site but also has countless links to resources and organisations involved with H & N cancer treatment.
@headcases2 is the twitter handle
Firstly, Can I thank Gill on behalf of everyone who enjoyed her Mindfulness practice last night. A packed meeting saw us transfer over to the function room where we could spread out and form a large circle. Gill then introduced us to how Mindfulness can improve our lives and reduce stress by creating an approach to life where the present moment becomes the focus, rather than the past or future.
We had several guided meditations, followed by group discussions, where several people reported surprise at how powerful the effects were.
Gill was keen to remind everyone that the key is REGULAR practice, even if it’s just 10 minutes a day. The benefits are many, and will vary from person to person according to their needs. We finished on an exercise in breathing that can be done anywhere, and will help take stress out of a situation by re-centering the awareness. Here is the aide-memoire card for that exercise…
I’d also like to thank Anne, for liaising with her friend to bring this evening about. Keep practicing!
