Kathy's Bald Move

Meet Jacinta. Her daughter Daisy was just four months old when she was diagnosed with Pre-B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), an aggressive form of blood cancer. Leading up to Daisy’s diagnosis, there were no really recognisable symptoms that would point to something so serious, which is why it was so important for Jacinta to share their story and raise awareness for not only blood cancer, but childhood cancer.

After spending 240 days in hospital for intensive treatment, including four rounds of chemotherapy and a few setbacks along the way, Daisy finally completed her treatment in January this year. Jacinta shares the challenging parts of their journey, such as what it was like living on the ward away from her husband and son Jack for the greater part of nine months and the aspects that got her through, such as the strong connections she formed with other family’s living on the ward.

If you would like to learn more about the Leukaemia Foundation, click here.

If you would like to donate to our World’s Greatest Shave campaign, you can donate until June 30, 2021 by clicking this link.

Today marks the beginning of Shave Week for the Leukaemia Foundation's World's Greatest Shave campaign for 2021, so what better time to announce that Kathy's Bald Move will be returning with a second season.⁣

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⁣There are more incredible stories to be told from those who were brave enough to share their stories.⁣

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⁣If you would like to donate to our World's Greatest Shave campaign, you can donate until June 30, 2021 by clicking this link or if you would like to learn more about our team Kathy's Bald Move, you can follow @kathysbaldmove on Instagram or Facebook.

In Kathy's Bald Move's final episode for Season One, you will meet Kathryn. Kathryn started working as a nurse on the bone marrow transplant ward, and soon realised what she loved most about her role, was building relationships with those patients impacted by cancer. This realisation is what ultimately led her to her role at the Leukaemia Foundation. ⁣ ⁣

Meet Christine. Chris was never able to do self-breast checks due to having what an ultrasound technician referred to as a "lumpy and bumpy chest." Because of this, she made sure she had her regular mammograms and it was fortunate she did, as there were no symptoms leading up to her diagnosis of stage three breast cancer. 

It's now been eleven years since Chris went through her treatment for breast cancer. Chris is remarkably perceptive and this ability helped her through the more trying times throughout her journey. She shares the tips that helped her along the way, such as why you should wear black nail polish during radiation treatment, why it's worth giving the "Looking Good, Feeling Better" sessions a go and why you should never have a mammogram on a Friday. 

Click here if you would like to look at the resources on the Cancer Council website.

If you would like to donate to our World’s Greatest Shave campaign, you can donate until June 30, 2021 by clicking this link.

If you would like to learn more about our team Kathy’s Bald Move, you can follow @kathysbaldmove on Instagram or Facebook.

Time and time again on the podcast, we have mentioned that cancer first and foremost represents uncertainty. The guests on Kathy's Bald Move have often commented that after receiving a cancer diagnosis, it's impossible to prepare yourself, because how can you prepare for the unknown?

Meet Cassandra. Cassandra is a psychologist. She works mainly with women and children and she specialises in anxiety.

In this special episode, I asked Cassandra for some advice and strategies to help others navigate their cancer journey.

You can find Cassandra Scicluna on Facebook, Instagram, or via email at [email protected]

Information on how to Find a Psychologist in Australia.

Lifeline Australia.

Click here if you would like to look at the resources on the Cancer Council website.

If you would like to donate to our World’s Greatest Shave campaign, you can donate until June 30, 2021 by clicking this link.

If you would like to learn more about our team Kathy’s Bald Move, you can follow @kathysbaldmove on Instagram or Facebook.

Meet H. At the end of 2010, Helena or H as she is more commonly known, was experiencing symptoms you might experience day to day such as severe bloating and some heart burn – nothing you would think was out of the ordinary. It was only because she had recently lost her good friend Dave to stomach cancer, that she decided to get it all checked out. In early 2011, she discovered she had stage three ovarian cancer and there were tumours the size of grapefruits on her ovaries.

It’s been almost a decade since H received her initial diagnosis. Since then her ovarian cancer has come back five times and she’s been on a range of trials and is currently having immunotherapy.

Rather than be in a constant battle with ovarian cancer, H accepts it and now views it as being a normal part of her life. She gets through it by maintaining a “Disney-esque” approach and by considering how it has brought her family closer together, how she says yes to a heck of a lot more things, and how she’s learnt to appreciate every moment.

If you would like to learn more about the signs and symptoms of Ovarian Cancer, click here.

Click here if you would like to look at the resources on the Cancer Council website.

If you would like to donate to our World’s Greatest Shave campaign, you can donate until June 30, 2021 by clicking this link.

If you would like to learn more about our team Kathy’s Bald Move, you can follow @kathysbaldmove on Instagram or Facebook.

Meet Graham. Graham was working as a training facilitator in aged care, when he began to experience chronic back pain and excruciating sciatica. Graham is a registered nurse and was a paramedic for 20 years. Because of this medical background, he knew when received the MRI scans taken of his back, that what he saw on the images was serious.

Graham endured radiation, chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant. It has been almost two years since he has been all clear of his multiple however unlike other cancers, Graham’s disease is incurable and could come back at any time. This is what’s called living with cancer.

If there was one thing cancer could never take away from Graham, it’s his sense of humour. He uses humour to deal with his multiple myeloma and even named the lump to be remove from his back Achmed, because the doctors were about to inflict “nuclear and chemical warfare on it”. If there’s one thing Graham doesn’t joke about however, it’s his gratitude in knowing that although his cancer is incurable, he is still able to live with his disease for many, many years to come.

For almost a month now, we have all been incorporating precautions into our daily routines such as, washing our hands and avoiding large groups; however, these are things Graham needs to do on a daily basis. Because of his multiple myeloma, Graham has a compromised immune system and he is certain that it won’t be the cancer that kills him, it will be an infection his body is unable to fight. So, when you feel like you’re getting fed up with isolating, think of the good you are doing for vulnerable, immunocompromised people like Graham by staying home.

Information about living with blood cancer.

Article from The Age, Melbourne about living with multiple myeloma amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. 

Click here if you would like to look at the resources on the Cancer Council website.

If you would like to donate to our World’s Greatest Shave campaign, you can donate until June 30, 2021 by clicking this link.

If you would like to learn more about our team Kathy’s Bald Move, you can follow @kathysbaldmove on Instagram or Facebook.

Hello all, just a quick update in regards to the shave. We were due to conduct the shave last Saturday the 21st of May, however as a result of everything going on with the Corona Virus, myself, Josh and Cam decided to postpone our shave until late May/early June.

Given that the people we are raising money for are already immunocompromised, it was not wise to hold a big, bald event during this unprecedented period. If come May/June the situation is still dire, we will be live streaming our shave on Facebook and Instagram, so rest-assured, we will definitely be bald before the middle of the year!

I will still be releasing podcast episodes and conducting them via Skype, so if you or someone you know would like to share your experience of cancer, please get in touch. I will provide the details below.

I believe now more than ever, we can find hope by hearing the stories of those who have navigated the most uncertain of times.

If you would like to reach our, please send an email to [email protected]

Finally, if you would like to help us reach our goal for our World’s Greatest Shave campaign, you can donate by clicking the link below:

http://my.leukaemiafoundation.org.au/kathysbaldmove

Meet Shannon. Shannon’s journey started when she was lost her mother to breast cancer at the age of 28. For years, Shannon lived in fear, believing it was imminent that she, just like her Mum would be diagnosed with breast cancer. When she was 46 that fear was realised; she was the exact same age as her Mother was at her diagnosis. Due to her mother’s history, Shannon had been having regular mammograms and they caught the cancer early, she had a lumpectomy, radiotherapy and was told it wasn’t likely to come back. Two years later, it came back, however the crazy thing was, it was this exact timeframe to which her Mum had her recurrence.

Cancer has been at the back of Shannon’s mind for years, however now having survived breast cancer twice, she shares what she has learnt through her journey and how looking back she wishes she didn’t allow the cancer to consume her with fear. She now focuses on how it brought her closer to her family and in hindsight, not having hair didn’t stop her from enjoying her son’s wedding.

If you would like to learn more information about how to do a breast cancer self-exam, click here and if you would like to know more about mammograms, click here.

Click here if you would like to look at the resources on the Cancer Council website.

If you would like to donate to our World’s Greatest Shave campaign, you can donate until June 30, 2021 by clicking this link.

If you would like to learn more about our team Kathy’s Bald Move, you can follow @kathysbaldmove on Instagram or Facebook.