9 minute read
LUNCH AND LEARN
FUTURE DREAMS’ PIONEERING PROJECT IS CELEBRATING ITS FIRST BIRTHDAY. WE LOOK AT HOW LUNCH & LEARN IS WORKING – AND THE LIVES IT HAS CHANGED...
This time last year, Future Dreams launched an exciting scheme to send experts into corporate offices to raise awareness about breast cancer. Former breast cancer patient Amanda Hanison has been spearheading the project, along with FD colleagues, using lunchtime sessions to talk about the importance of self-checking and the work of our charity.
Diagnosed with breast cancer at 42, Amanda is now seven years cancer free. She wants to use her experience to give women – and men – the knowledge to spot any changes in their breasts, and the confidence to take action. We hear from her grateful clients and take a look at Amanda’s day.
Thank you so much for coming in, I’ve heard lots of positive messages from staff and I think it was a very useful and educational message. Please do keep in touch, we’d love to work further with you in the future. RANDA HARWOOD Head of Committees, People Operations at Brainlabs
Thanks for coming in today…the ladies (and gents) that attended found it extremely informative and touching! You are both doing some amazing work. MEGAN FUGE HR Administrator, Time Out Group
I just wanted to say a big thank you to you both for coming in today and hosting a Time Out Lunch & Learn session on breast cancer awareness. You both made what could have been a very heavy and dark session into something highly engaging, action oriented and very hopeful. The attention in the room was absolute and your story and storytelling I am sure convinced everyone of the necessity for regular and informed self-checking and awareness. NICKY COSTA Interim HR Director, Time Out Group I believe we (everyone who attended today’s seminar) found your story enlightening and informative. Yes, it’s always great to listen to the professionals giving advice and examples of other people’s stories but nothing beats a story from the heart, one filled with emotion and positivity.You were easy to talk to and constantly reminded us that you aren’t an expert but that this was your story and experience. It is one I am very grateful you were willing to share. I wish you well in your quest to enlighten and enrich the lives of others by opening up your experience to a room filled with individuals you don’t know but are generous enough to want to help. I’ve been so inspired by you being willing to share your story on behalf of Future Dreams it made me remember a friend of an acquaintance was recently diagnosed with breast cancer so I’ve sent details of Future Dreams website to her to pass on. JENNIFER TINGLING Professional Business Support, FCA
Thank you for the Lunch & Learn session. It initiated many worthwhile discussions among staff, both about breast cancer and also about the importance of wellbeing generally and what more the firm can do to support its staff in this area. HELEN RIPLEY Associate, DMH Stallard
LUNCH&LEARN WITH Amanda Hanison
I’m always up bright and early, even on the days I don’t officially go to work. My husband’s alarm goes off at 6am and he snoozes and snoozes and I can’t get back to sleep. But I don’t mind – my job as a Future Dreams spokeswoman isn’t a nine-to-five and there is always something to do or someone who wants to talk.
I usually start my day with celery juice, then porridge with oat milk or a slice of toast from one of my homemade loaves. I made the decision to switch from normal milk to dairyfree after my breast cancer diagnosis seven years ago. There is no right or wrong, it was just something that felt right for me.
My story isn’t the usual one: there was no ‘pea’ under the skin. I noticed a large bump just above my left breast, in my chest area, and assumed it was just fat or muscle. But, when I was lying down by the pool on holiday that summer, it became more prominent.
When I got home, I mentioned it in passing to my GP at a routine appointment for my son. She had a quick look and referred me for immediate investigation. Two days later, I was diagnosed with breast cancer.
I got involved with Future Dreams very soon after my diagnosis. I bumped into an old school friend while out shopping and she told me she was an active member of the committee. She offered to take me to the then Future Dreams-funded support centre, which offered emotional, physical and financial advice. This helped me immensely through my own journey.
I am not here to scare people. My story is a positive one. At the time of my diagnosis, I was newly dating a lovely man. Five years later, we were married.
David could have walked away. Instead, he chose to stay by my side, hold my hand, and care for me throughout my treatment and beyond. He has never missed an appointment. When the time was right, he proposed.
I am now an official Future Dreams spokeswoman. Before Covid-19 hit, I was going out with my team to deliver an exciting new service called Lunch &
Learn to educate corporate staff about breast cancer – on their lunch breaks.
I have worked a lot on my public speaking and I usually just talk from the heart. I follow the writer and speaker Viv Groskop on Instagram and she has helped and inspired me so much with my confidence. She even got in touch to congratulate me on what I am doing, which means so much.
During the lunchtime sessions, I talk about my own journey then demonstrate self-checking, before opening up the floor for questions. Sometimes people are shy and prefer to hang back at the end, other times a whole hour can fly by with people chatting and sharing their own stories and concerns. It’s always a really meaningful experience for everyone involved.
Lunch & Learn provides a great opportunity for companies to show they care. The sessions are intimate, informative and, believe it or not, sometimes very entertaining. Especially when fellow supporter Helen Addis also pops in. We’ve also teamed up with some high-quality beauty therapists, offering staff manicures on the day of the talk. Who could say no?
When Covid-19 hit, obviously everything changed. I couldn’t go gallivanting around London to do my talks anymore. I was also reacquainted with some of my own old health anxieties. Like many people, I suddenly didn’t have the luxury of care that I’d experienced for the last seven years.
To combat these worries, I went for two-hour walks every day with David. I also used some of the online meditation apps for breathing exercises. While I couldn’t go about my normal Lunch & Learn schedule, which involved jumping on and off the tube all over London, Future Dreams offered a new service called Ask Amanda. It sounds fancy, but sometimes the simplest ideas can have the biggest impact.
I made myself available for patients going through a breast cancer diagnosis, surgery or treatment during Covid-19.
I am not a therapist: I just help by listening and understanding. Sometimes we use Zoom but I’m a bit Zoomed out! And at least if it’s over the phone I don’t need to ‘put my face on’. Nobody sees me without my make-up: my motto is look good, feel good, do good. I am also taking part in two NHS studies. One is a medical study and as the patient advisor I have to read paperwork and give my feedback. That keeps me busy and is an ongoing project. The other is a 10-year lifestyle study on breast cancer patients, which hopes to improve lifestyle advice for those diagnosed in the future. I also participate in Show & Tell sessions: information and support groups on breast reconstruction, which are held at the Royal Free Hospital.
Covid-19 threw us all a curveball, but I’d like to think I have mastered the art of adapting and thriving in the face of adversity.
We are hoping to pick up where we left off with our new Lunch & Learn service, which had really gained some momentum.
But just in case we cannot get into offices, we are working on some virtual and interactive alternatives.
Something I always say in my Lunch & Learn talk is that I’m not a medical health professional. I’m just a patient sharing what I have learned and wish I’d known prior to diagnosis. Knowledge is power. Covid-19 or not, I have something to say that could potentially save a life. And I can’t wait to get back out there. Interested in inviting the Lunch & Learn team to visit your office, either virtually or in person? Contact us at kari@futuredreams.org.uk
SUPPORT FOR TODAY hope for the future
WE ARE BREAST CANCER NOW – THE CHARITY THAT’S STEERED BY WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH AND POWERED BY LIFE-CHANGING CARE
We’re here for anyone affected by breast cancer, the whole way through, providing support for today and hope for the future.
We’re that trusted friend that you turn to for caring support when you need it most. The expert authority on breast cancer research that is making breakthroughs and driving forward progress. And a vehicle for change, acting now to make sure anyone affected by breast cancer gets the best possible treatment and care.
We believe that we can change the future of breast cancer and make sure that, by 2050, everyone diagnosed with the disease lives – and is supported to live well. Here’s how we can help...
From research to care, we have people affected by breast cancer at our heart. Whether you’ve just been diagnosed, managing the side effects of treatments, want to meet others in a similar situation or see how research is driving forward progress in breast cancer, we’re here for you.
TALK TO OUR BREAST CARE NURSES
Whether you have breast cancer yourself or have questions about a loved one, the breast care nurses and highly-trained staff on our free and confidential Helpline are here for you.
Call 0808 800 6000 or email nurse@breastcancernow.org
LIFE-CHANGING CARE AND SUPPORT SERVICES
Our award-winning information and publications, online Forum, Becca app and specialist services are all here to make sure anyone diagnosed with breast cancer gets the support they need to help them deal with the physical and emotional impacts of the disease.
Find out more at breastcancernow.org/oursupport
WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH
By funding almost 340 of the brightest minds in breast cancer research, we’re discovering how we can prevent, save lives and live well with breast cancer. Giving us the power to drive forward progress on a global stage.
Find out more at breastcancernow.org/ourresearch
