Bella + Beau magazine February 2020

February 2020

2

CONTENTS

Welcome love is in the air this month, yes I’m talking about Valentine’s Day. And I’m no expert on love by any means, but that doesn’t mean it’s something I won’t get excited about.

I’m not one of those women who hates anyone who decides to be happy.

And definitely not someone you’d see going around throwing chocolate off the shelves, popping balloons and glaring at any couple in the street showing affection just because I’m single.

And, yes, I did just get my first pet.

And, yes, he is of the feline variety — but that doesn’t mean I’m going to be a forever alone cat lady.

Well, not at this stage anyway, but I digress.

Valentine’s Day, to me, is a day we can celebrate any kind of love.

It’s not just about couples anymore.

For a few of my single university years, my girlfriends and I would buy each other little gifts and go out for dinner to celebrate our love for each other.

And to me, that’s one of the best ways I could spend the day.

In this month’s bella+beau, we have a couple of rock ‘n’ rollin’ kids on our cover who not only share a love for each other, but for the King himself.

Pamela and Denis Hucker’s love story may be different from any you may have heard before, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less of a beautiful love story.

We also hear from four local women who have all had different experiences with love.

Margaret Ross, Dorothy Pearse, Betty Cunnington and Jean Pedretti tell their stories of how they found love and how what has happened throughout the decades.

But as the vows go, in sickness or in health, for richer and for poorer, these women have made their love last in some form or another.

We also give you a few little tips on what you could do, whether you’re in a relationship or single, this Valentine’s Day. And even better? We have a few recipes for you to try out.

February is also ovarian cancer awareness month.

We sat down with Dr Jess Hetherington who spoke about the disease, how you know you have it and how it can be treated.

Echuca Regional Health midwife Holly Simonsen talks about her travels to Zambia last year where her eyes were opened wide.

She speaks of her experiences in a country where doctors and midwives are few and far between and resources are scarce.

She also talks about what ERH are doing to keep our bundles of joy safe.

So this month has something for everyone, whether you’re love-struck, looking for a nice read or want to know more about your health.

And on that note, I’d better get myself some flowers, because I’m a strong independent woman who doesn’t need anyone else to buy them for me …

Alex Gretgrix Editor

CONTENTS It’s a hunka hunka burning love for these two ..........................................4 Suddenly awesome........................................6 Unlabelled.............................................................6 Love conquers all — if you fight for it..........................................8 It must be love— and it may be what you need this Valentine’s Day.............10

8

14

Ovarian cancer: Elusive, misunderstood and deadly.....................12 Time heals wounds, but meditation can do it better...................14 Bundles of safer babies ...........................16 Give vegies the green light....................17 Recipes.....................................................................18

COVER Pamela and Denis Hucker.

Photo by Cath Grey.

16

18

CONTACT US

WANT MORE BELLA?

Editor: Alex Gretgrix alex.gretgrix@riverineherald.com.au 5482 1111

facebook /bellamagazineechuca

Advertising: Kerry Vevers kerry.vevers@riverineherald.com.au 5482 1111

FEBRUARY 2020

Instagram @bellamagazineechuca riverineherald.com.au/@bella

Photography: Cath Grey, Coles magazine, taste.com.au Design: Bella Considine Words: Sophie Baldwin, Daneka Hill, Alex Gretgrix

O P E N 7 D AY S F R O M 1 0 A M 572 HIGH STREET, ECHUCA 0447 339 455

PROFILE

4

IT’S A HUNKA HUNKA BURNING LOVE for these two No couple wants to check into the Heartbreak Hotel and for Echuca Moama’s Pamela and Denis Hucker, this is definitely not an option. DANEKA HILL sat down with the couple to see where why they couldn’t help falling in love with each other and the King himself. me it’s a garage full of clothes.

Except it’s not.

What it really is, is Echuca-Moama’s largest wardrobe (that very occasionally makes room for a car).

And it all belongs to rock ‘n’ rollers Pamela and Denis Hucker, the couple who have cut a legendary path through every dancehall and festival across the region.

With their signature outfits that make them stand out wherever they go — and that’s before they start dancing.

“I own 100 shirts — to try and keep up with her 1000 dresses,” Denis confided.

“Because we have a lot of clothes, we get all dolled up as often as we can. At country and

to you and

FEBRUARY 2020

western dances we’ll go home in the evening and come back changed.”

But that all plays a very distant second fiddle to the king.

Which is not hard to tell, there are Elvis posters plastered across every available space; Pamela even has a giant one in that wardrobe/ garage against which she parks her car.

For the past six years the septuagenarians have been going to the world-famous Parkes Elvis Festival in outback NSW. In their caravan, packed to the gills with as many of those outfits as it can handle.

The festival runs from January 8 to 12 and our couture kids are so detailed in their planning they don’t only take enough clothes for more

than enough costume changes, they are labelled by day — am and pm.

“We take all our clothes, we have them labelled Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and so on,” Denis said.

“We do two changes a day,” Pamela explained.

“It is great, an absolutely fantastic week.”

And very little chance of fashion confusion.

As stars in their own right, Pamela and Denis have a track record of being pulled up on stages and putting on impromptu entertainment for the crowds, alongside professional Elvis impersonators, music stars (and even the mayor of Goondiwindi on one particular night).

“We were in the background of a live-cross

PROFILE

on the Channel Nine morning show this year,” Denis said.

Another big moment was when they won 2020 Best Themed Couple at the Priscilla Dinner.

And the big moments keep coming; they were also asked to be on a float by ShElvis, Australia’s only female Elvis, in the festival’s famous parade.

“She said you two have got to come on the float with me,” Pamela remembered.

“We were up on the back of the truck waving to the crowd, which was 10 deep for the whole two kilometres,” Denis said.

For two little Echuca-Moama senior citizens, they’ve managed to make themselves an unofficial, but essential, attraction.

“We are becoming better known within Parkes every year. We don’t set out to do it, it just so happens that photographers were chasing us everywhere this year,” Pamela explained.

“We were sitting in the club one night and this lady came over to say ‘I just want to relay to you from my husband and myself that you two have made our festival much more enjoyable.

We always look at what you guys are wearing’.”

Another compliment came from an 84-yearold man sitting beside the dance floor.

“He said ‘I’ve been watching you two dance, I hope you come back next year, you two really are connected — you weave the magic’.

“I thought it was so nice, then he called us ‘poetry in motion’.”

It’s enough to go to anyone’s head but the retired wool classer and legal secretary are

charmingly humble about their passion — and panache — for music and the arts.

“We dance within our limits, no spinning arms and partners — if you pull a muscle at our age you’ve had it,” Denis joked.

Their love for the dancefloor can be traced back to their childhoods were Denis had a piano-loving mother and remembers as a 17-year-old attending barn dances 500 people strong in Ararat.

For Pamela entertainment is in the family — her parents used to run the Kyabram Plaza Theatre and were film fanatics.

“We go to the Tamworth Music Festival after Parkes and we dance a bit in the streets, next thing you know you’ve got a crowd formed around you.”

“Plus the police,” Pamela added.

“There are that many people walking around that as soon as a crowd forms, everyone wonders what’s going,” Denis said.

“A lot of elderly people sit there and all they can do is tap their feet to the music, then we come along and brighten up their day, ‘what have they got on tonight?’ ‘how have they matched this time?’

The couple met at the Echuca Workers Club six years ago during (of course) a country western night. At that time neither was living in Echuca but two years ago they retired to the town and their relationship really began.

“We are pushing Echuca-Moama because the first thing people ask is ‘where are you from?’ and I always say Echuca-Moama, on the Murray River,” Denis said.

5

“The beauty of Echuca-Moama is that you can drive for an hour in any direction and end up somewhere.

“We go to all these different places for dancing, that’s why we decided we’d retire here.”

Pamela said they’ve also raised awareness for Echuca-Moama through their appearances in the local Parkes paper, the Parkes Champion Post.

Last year when they renewed their vows at the festival the paper ran a feature on the couple’s first wedding — in Vegas in 2018.

With Elvis as their celebrant.

They might just be home from their latest tour de force at the Parkes festival, but the planning for 2021 has started — and the theme is speedway.

“We’ll be 72 next year and even Pamela has started (just a little) to pull back on a few of her more ‘youthful’ outfits because sometimes she thinks she’s getting too old to dress certain ways, but you’ve got to live and enjoy life. That’s what it is all about,” Denis said.

“I’ve done my 80 hours a week for 40 years, now it’s my turn to live.”

In April the couple will be travelling Australia — seeing the country “while we are still young” Denis said.

“If I can pull off the black hot pants I will, but I’ll take my black and white vinyl pants as well,” Pamela explained.

Elvis may have left the building, but it doesn’t look like this pair of kids will be vacating the dancefloor anytime soon.

New Summer menu 505–507 High St, Echuca (03) 5480 1900 www.sunago.com.au FEBRUARY 2020

6

SUDDENLY AWESOME

LOSING IT BUT NOT are starting to lose the plot when it is only your third week back at work and you arrive at the front door and go to take your bike helmet off and it is only then you realise you have ridden all the way without even putting it on.

I mean seriously what the hell.

In my defence I did have a cap on but still, it wasn’t until I reached up to take it off that I thought ‘oh my God it is not even there’ — things aren’t looking good for 2020.

Speaking of which, January has already flown by, my holiday is but a distant memory and it will be some time before the next one rocks around — God help my work colleagues by then.

I had my annual 10 days in Nelson Bay with my brother and his family, which involved a whole lot of whatever I wanted to do — including going to bed at 10.30 on new

you know you

slowing down soon

year’s eve so I didn’t have to kiss and hug a whole lot of people I didn’t really know.

I find the whole new year hugging and kissing thing a bit much and this year I thought stuff it I am just going to go to bed.

So I did.

Come to think of it I don’t think I have even seen a new year in for the last decade anyway.

Not that I don’t like a new year.

It is always a great time to set yourself some new goals and then forget about them within 24 hours.

I thought I should give up my addiction to sugar in 2020 well specifically chocolate but I don’t think I even got through day one without reaching for a piece of my good friend. I have however managed to curb my chocolate coated raspberry obsession from weekly to fortnightly, but I still have a long way to go in that

department — it just sort of sneaks up on you and bang chocolate is life.

I am not too sure what this year will bring for me events wise.

I only have one lined up in April which is a concession to my poor bank balance and my dwindling desire to spend six hours riding a bike around the flat and windy roads of our district.

I am however looking forward to the Echuca pool re-opening and I have refound my love for a hard gym session — heading there more times in a week than I care to admit — a shot at Ironman number three for 2020 isn’t looking too good, unless of course I get some serious inspiration in the next few months.

Maybe it’s time for a new addiction and who knows what that could be??

A novel idea would be to rest but somehow I don’t quite think that is in my DNA.

UNLABELLED BY DR CARA

ARE YOU FEELING i’ve always liked maps. They give directions to all the destinations of the unknown. But do you notice that if you go back to the place you have already been, it is not the same even though you try to recreate that moment, that memory? There are also places you just have to visit, like writing it on a bucket list.

The maps are a metaphor but let’s start with this template. Ask yourself, why you like maps (and not liking maps is not an option here, just go with me).

Find something you might like on the map.

Do you like the design, the ocean on the map, the colours, the mountain terrain, the different countries and the kilometres to be travelled?

Now create your own map, see what you like and what you like to explore. Your brain may tap into old memories of what you have seen or you may be drawn to a map now.

So now I have you mentally in the map, stay with me for your personal psychology lesson (101).

The map of our brain has so many destinations and connections we are still trying to figure it all out. But if you hadn’t noticed you are the observer of this map exercise neuroscience tells us not seeing yourself as a person on the map still means you are reactive to ‘your map’ — reactive to baseline thinking of reaction/s.

So with the metaphor here is an example: Try to visualise yourself on the map between a river and a road. I would then ask what you are doing there and to visualise yourself doing this on the map.

Therapy just gives you a chance to explore your map, is your brain surviving in your world or is it starting to recognise where you are ‘just surviving’ and where you want to be thriving?

Life can give us a rocky road and mountains to climb and then you get tired.

If you tell yourself you are tired, do you notice

FEBRUARY 2020

all mapped out?

how tired you are versus I am ready to climb another hill if I need to (aka resilience).

Who knew that just over the mountain becomes a place of level, easy walking for a while, a time of rest and building resilience.

So if we keep putting ourselves in survival mode or we don’t want to be aware to it because the other way is just ‘dream land’ or there is no such thing or you think it may be barren land, well, the brain is made to just survive.

The mind and body connection can recognise the brain doing this. So the goal here is to really ask, are you really tired for the moment or is it becoming an identity?

The brain likes to make concepts really big, rather than just a specific, or short, period of time.

So the lesson is mind your mind! You are the one in control of it, when it gets triggered, when it feels and how to let feelings live but not marinate in them.

Also when the brain doesn’t think about the inbetween states of the map but only worries about the destination, the brain could miss some miracle moments.

Around you on this map is a rhythm, the sun comes up and moon goes up, sun goes down moon goes down. Yet if you still remain on the map and don’t realise what direction you are going in life, you may disrupt the rhythm and the timing of things.

If you can observe what you are doing and where you want to go on the map you can realise a more controlled approach.

But it is how you prepare yourself and it is making sure you keep observing the map.

The map is the metaphor for life. You get to choose where you are going and get to choose how to respond and how to cope. That is what is beautiful about perspective and different

directions and distractions.

I want you to reflect on this and think to yourself ‘am I where I want to be on my map’?

If answer yes, that’s awesome. Keep doing this type of work acknowledgement and most of all awareness.

But if you have gotten lost and you feel and hear your rhythm of life is a bit off, what are you going to do?

Start blaming others? When the student is ready the teacher will be there. Are you coachable, do you want to be aware of this rhythm and how your music may be going against it, rather than with it?

Are you asking for help from those around you who are trying to help you?

If emotional dysregulation is present, the deeper question is: Do you like where you are on the map, are you willing to put in the work to get to a better place on the map?

Many people are complacent and say this is just my map, my lot in life.

But you are the driver, you are the one who gets to see the map and see if you like where you are on the map.

Once you show up to the next rest stop or destination and you keep aligning the right directions after looking at yourself on the map, this tool is awareness, the first step you need.

This is the first direction to get you started.

This article may open up more questions for you and if so I would love to anonymously use your questions to create content in the article. This article is made for you by you, so please ask more questions. I invite you to work with me on your maps email me at thrivewithdrcara@gmail.com to begin the journey of seeing yourself on the map.

PROFILE

8

Margaret, Jean, Betty and Dorothy.

ll a s r e u q n o c e v o L — IF YOU FIGHT FOR IT Best friends for more than 70 years, four women talk about their lives, loves and what it meant to them to say ‘I do’. DANEKA HILL sat down with them to hear about everything from a wedding night in the back of a ute to a life of care, commitment and service — but with no husband

its own take on marriage — and what it means to them.

Take our grandparents, for example. They saw marriage as something happening in their very early 20s (and younger) and staying together.

Forever.

For a very special Valentine’s Day investigation four 77-year-old ladies spared the time to sit down and discuss their love lives.

Margaret Ross, Dorothy Pearse, Betty Cunnington and Jean Pedretti have known each other since their first day of primary school.

Combined they have 164 years of marriage experience — and no end of advice and bizarre stories on how to make it work.

“We could write a book couldn’t we?” Jean said.

“We could write the whole paper for you,” Dorothy offered.

Margaret has been married the longest at 56 years, saying her vows as a 21-year-old.

Jean was only one year behind her, marrying at 22 and Dorothy caps it off when she tied the knot at 24.

The ages all sound young by today’s standards but Jean said girls were considered “over the hill” if they weren’t married by 21.

Of course, the biggest rebel in the friendship group is Betty who slipped away to work as a nurse in Papua New Guinea and didn’t return until 2004.

Bringing with her a very individual perspective for a woman of her vintage — she never married.

every generation has

FEBRUARY 2020

“PNG was where I spent most of my working life,” Betty said.

“If I was fit enough I would have stayed there longer.

“Marriage is very important in Papua New Guinea and they used to say: ‘You should be married’.

“And I used to say well, if I was married I couldn’t do this work, so that was all there was about it.”

The career woman was based in Madang, a popular scuba diving destination, while working across the country for the PNG health department.

When it comes to relationship advice the retired nurse said everything came down to respect and shopping centre car parks.

“I think respect is what we lack in this world today, we need to respect one another, even in shopping centre car parks. They are a nightmare,” Betty said.

Margaret’s first date was a drive in a ute, with three other people.

While nothing says romantic like going down a dirt road in a cramped ute cab, her date must have been really something because while her friend Jean considered it a bizarre and embarrassing memory Margaret treasures the moment.

“It was my first date and I ended up marrying him,” she said.

“We had a lot of fun; it was a different life from what it is now.”

Margaret had met her husband at dancing class, a common experience back then.

“The Lockington dances used to be really something … the hall would be crowded out.”

Margaret said married life was all about commitment.

It is something she lives by after a lifetime of constant change.

After falling in love Margaret worked as a piano teacher while raising a family and supporting a husband trying to start his own business.

Later in life Margaret also had to deal with catastrophic health issues head on.

“My husband had a stroke 26 years ago and we haven’t had a conversation since,” the 77-year-old said.

She was 51 when her husband became nonverbal from the stroke.

“It can be a struggle,” she said of marriage, but despite everything Margaret still couldn’t believe the modern divorce rates.

“These days if there are any tough spots people are out, whereas we stayed through the ups and downs.”

Jean on the other hand was very open about marriages requiring “a lot of yelling”, but even she was dismayed by the numbers of people bailing from the biggest promise a person can make.

“It’s like the young ones today aren’t prepared to put in the hard yards,” Jean said.

Jean’s first date stuck with the group theme of cars.

PROFILE “He used to drive a taxi and I was in the taxi with him, not that my brother-in-law knew, who owned the taxi,” she said.

Even Jean’s most famous wedding story involves a ute.

The story begins as Jean and her new husband Bill leave their wedding reception in a car. Soon after a police car begins following them down the road.

“Bill just put the foot down because a police officer was at our wedding and we thought they were mucking around,” Jean begun.

“When we pulled in to pick up our suitcases for our honeymoon, the police pulled in beside us and I thought ‘uh-oh, what’s going on’ and they said ‘we need your help, someone’s drowned’. And so Bill (who was an experienced diver) just hopped in the car with them and off they drove and I thought ‘what about me?’ And he said ‘you’d better go round to your mum’.”

“The next thing I’m walking up the garden path on my own, and dad wasn’t too sure what was going on.”

Returning home to mum and dad missing a husband after they’ve just seen you get married isn’t the dream scenario — but the story keeps getting worse (or better, depending on who’s listening).

“Bill got back quite late and we left for our honeymoon, but in those days the motels didn’t stay open late at night, so we had to sleep in the back of the ute, which was quite funny. So that’s what happened on our wedding day.”

For Jean marriage is a given struggle. People marrying without being prepared to face that struggle were setting themselves up for failure.

“We’d have really bad times, like when you’re trying to bring up a family times are tough, but you get through them. I can remember sometimes we were living week to week but you get there, you just stick together,” she said.

Jean said one of the hardest decisions she’s ever had to make as a wife was putting her husband into care after his dementia became too much.

“You just do what you have to do, I didn’t like putting Bill into care but I did it … now I’m only just down the road from where he is so it’s not too bad.

“I had a wonderful life really, very lucky, very lucky.”

As expected, Dorothy’s relationship with her husband also prominently featured a ute. A black and white one to be exact.

“He had this funny old ute he’d painted black and white and I’d hear him coming a mile down the road. My mother affectionately used to say ‘here comes the Magpie’.”

When asked if her parents ever imagined the ‘Magpie’ would become their son-in-law Dorothy said “no”.

“George was a farmer and mum had great visions of me marrying a minister or a doctor,” she laughed.

When it came to a date at the local dance, George the farmer would go all out to impress, and used to take Dorothy to the hall on his tractor.

The first time they were out together “in daylight” as she puts it, it was to get grain.

When they married Dorothy assumed the role of farmer’s wife, helping run their dairy farm. The couple adopted three children and raised them on the farm.

“If I hadn’t married George I wonder where I

9

would be,” Dorothy said.

“George sort of put me on a pedestal to be perfectly honest.

“I came from a family where we didn’t get out and mix a lot and I was very naïve until I got married.

“Instead of being told ‘you can’t do this, you can’t do that’ George was saying ‘you can do this, you can do that’ and I’d only had my license for a very short amount of time and I had to take these great big pumps to get them fixed on a big long trailer and I thought ‘crickey’ but he said I could do it.

“I think that gave me a lot of courage and independence.”

Dorothy’s advice to newlyweds was to cherish the good times.

“If things get bad always remember the good times and you can find you get through it,” she said.

“Trust you can work together.

“Quite often people these days will live together and in a lot of cases as soon as that ring goes on the finger it is gone, the marriage is gone.”

From the outside those quick marriages should have gone perfectly, but when it came to trusting they would work, it all fell apart.

Dorothy also gives an interesting perspective on what she values from her husband — her compliments are all about his actions.

“He has supported us financially and everything very, very well. I am very, very happy with the way George’s years have been focused on seeing that we are well supported, and we are still on the farm,” she said.

And they are still married.

Celebrancy for all Occasions

Weddings • Renewals • Commitment Naming • Funerals

Echuca Celebrant

Teresa Carlson Celebrancy for all Occasions E: Teresa@tccelebrancy.com.au • M: 0407 433 321 FEBRUARY 2020

10

VALENTINE’S DAY

It must be

love

— AND IT MAY BE ALL YOU NEED THIS VALENTINE’S DAY whether you’re single

or in a relationship, Valentine’s Day isn’t something you can avoid.

Even if it’s not something you and your partner celebrate, it’s all over socials and anywhere else you look — don’t even start with advertising.

If you do celebrate the occasion, or just want something to do with a group of girlfriends or your mates, here’s a list of things you can do this Valentine’s Day. And if you forgot to plan something for your partner and you were supposed to — you can thank us later.

Here’s some common and maybe some different options for anyone to try:

1. D INNER IS ALWAYS DELICIOUS Dinner is probably the go-to date night activity and something you really can’t go wrong with. If you’re a whiz in the kitchen, a beautiful candlelit dinner could be a winner.

But if you’re worried you’ll lose the whole house in a fire because of your lack of cooking skills, there’s always a meal out on the town.

And this isn’t just for couples either! If you and your girls or guys want a nice night out or even a couple of drinks (or more) then why not?

It’s your night too.

2. MOVIES ARE A STAPLE Now we may be stating the obvious here, but after you’ve enjoyed a nice dinner, why not take

FEBRUARY 2020

in a film? We know it’s just as easy to stay at home and curl up on the couch, but why not try something different?

As Valentine’s Day falls on a Friday this year, you will hopefully have some new movies come out the day before, adding more to your choices.

If you happen to be a first date and there may not be as much talking and vibing as you’d hoped, a movie is either a place you can enjoy someone’s company without having to converse with them or it can be great for you to try some of your high school moves on (aka hand holding and arm-around-shoulders action).

3. M USIC CAN SOOTHE YOUR SOUL If you’re living in a place like Echuca-Moama, you’d already know how passionate everyone is about live music.

Places around the towns like the American Hotel and 1895 The Royal always have live bands or solo artists crooning in their venues, so why not have a few drinks while you listen.

You and your significant other (SO) or friends might even be able to have a bit of a boogie.

If you’re someone who either goes hard or goes home, we may have an option for you.

Riverboats Music Festival is a big weekend in Echuca-Moama’s calendar and they have a huge lineup coming Valentine’s Day weekend.

Bernard Fanning, Kate Miller-Heidke and Troy Cassar-Daley (do I need to go on?) will be on stage and I don’t think this could be a better date.

Although most tickets have sold out, there are still a few floating around for the Friday night, so join Troy in a night of great music if you can.

4. TAKE IN THE SIGHTS Wherever you are, we’re sure you have somewhere nice and secluded or a nice view.

Echuca-Moama has the mighty Murray, every town along the coast has the ocean, Halls Gap has waterfalls, so why not take things to the next level and take a trip?

The good thing is, Victoria has so many beautiful sights and places to take in so you’re spoilt for choice.

There’s also nothing wrong with going interstate or maybe further if you really want to kick things up a notch.

We wouldn’t say no to a girls or boys trip to Europe to be honest, but maybe take longer than the weekend if you can.

5. KEEP IT SIMPLE If you’re trying to think of something to do with your partner, a lot of the time there’s nothing wrong with keeping things simple.

The fact that you’ve considered what they like and have planned a nice night in for the two of you is more often than not better than going all out.

You don’t need to spend your savings trying to impress them. A small gift, flowers, a nice dinner and movie on the couch can make anyone’s heart flutter if you pull it off well, so don’t feel like over-the-top is the only option.

HEALTH

12

OVARIAN CANCER:

ELUSIVE,

MISUNDERSTOOD

AND DEADLY Cancer isn’t something anyone really wants to talk about, but it must be done. Ovarian cancer isn’t an exciting topic, but in light of ovarian cancer awareness month this February, we sat down with Dr Jess Hetherington to make sure we have the facts right a pretty picture.

Whether you survive or not, the journey you took to get to remission was harrowing — not only for you but others around you as well.

And it’s not a topic anyone wants to talk about — but we must.

Ovarian cancer may not be the most common form affecting women, but it is one of the deadliest.

As the name suggests, ovarian cancer is a general term used to describe a cancerous (malignant) tumour starting in one or both ovaries.

The ovaries are made up of three main kinds of cells — epithelial, stromal and germ cells — and each cell can develop into a different type of tumour.

Although it’s most common in women over the age of 50, it can be detected in women of any age. cancer is never

FEBRUARY 2020

“Each year in Australia, about 1400 women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer. A woman’s chance of getting ovarian cancer is about 1 in 85 by the age of 85,” Echuca Moama Family Medical Practice’s (EMFMP) Jess Hetherington said.

But unfortunately, a diagnosis can be hard to come by.

“Many believe by having cervical screening or a pap smear, they’ve been checked for ovarian cancer, but this isn’t the case,” Jess said.

“Pap smears only look for cervical cancer, not ovarian or uterine cancer.”

Telling what symptoms could be connected to the cancer aren’t any easier.

“One of the reasons that ovarian cancer is often found late is because the symptoms can be things women experience every day,” Jess said.

“They can include bloating, abdominal pain or pressure, a change in bowel habits, vaginal bleeding after sex or after menopause, weight gain or loss, to name a few, they’re not things women will immediately think ‘oh it must be ovarian cancer’.

“Often women won’t come to doctor early about these symptoms because they are things that most women experience a lot of days throughout their life. But any new and ongoing or severe symptoms should be checked out.”

HEALTH

LY AL

45 YEARS

D R

When it comes to our health, prevention is much better than cure.

OWNE

FO

Prevention Is Better Than Cure

country of any screening program. So far, there is no great screening test but hopefully in the future there will be.”

If you’d like more information, you can find it and links to more resources on the Cancer Council Australia website at cancer.org.au If you are worried about a possible diagnosis, see your local GP or visit the staff at EMFMP.

C

will protect them from the cancer, but this just isn’t true.

There’s also more than 50 per cent of people still believe a cervical screening can detect the cancer, but again, it can’t.

“And as lovely as it would be to able to screen for it, the government has to assess the benefits and the risks of a screening program for individuals as well as analyse the cost to the

LO

Unfortunately, according to ovariancancer. net.au, 75 per cent of women are diagnosed at an advanced stage when the cancer has spread and is difficult to treat successfully.

The overall 5 year survival rate for ovarian cancer is 45 per cent, but for the quarter of women who are diagnosed early, this increases to 80 per cent.

“If a woman comes in with symptoms that could indicate ovarian cancer, we will ask further questions about her symptoms and risk factors, before doing an abdominal and pelvic examination and sending her for an ultrasound and perhaps blood tests,” Jess said.

“Risk factors for ovarian cancer include being over fifty years of age, having a family history of ovarian or breast cancer, never having had children or having children late, experiencing early puberty or late menopause as well as smoking or being overweight.”

If the results do come back positive, the patient will then be referred to a specialist for further testing and the start of treatment if need be.

“The type and grade of cancer that a woman has will determine what treatment is appropriate. The options will include surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.”,” Jess said.

But there are a number of myths general practitioners and doctors need women to be aware of.

Ovariancancer.org.au said more than 70 per cent of Australians don’t know or believe the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine

13

Doctors at the clinic: Dr BK Pillai Dr Peter Nesbitt Dr Clare Bottcher Dr Claire Goodman Dr Suzanne Harrison Dr Samuel Kennedy

Dr Jessica Hetherington Dr Cameron Taverna Dr Nyree O’Connor Dr Deborah Martin Dr Dominic Karunanayake Dr Christopher Leow

Dr Jerry Wong Dr Lara Mucha Dr Vindana Gamage Dr Erwin Wong Dr Shammi Akther Dr Esther Tan

Echuca Moama Family Medical Practice, providing quality primary healthcare for over 45 years to the rural community in a professional, caring and compassionate manner.

179–183 Annesley St, Echuca (03) 5480 6001 1 Martin St, Moama (03) 5480 2933

FEBRUARY 2020

TIME HEALS WOUNDS, but meditation can do it better

After living through some of the worst life can throw at you, Bronwyn Buller turned to meditation to get her through her grief. ALEX GRETGRIX sat down with her to discover the true power of mindfulness. people in many ways.

Some say you go through stages of emotions and some don’t ever really come out the other side.

Bronwyn Buller is far too familiar with the feeling. And she knows just how all-consuming it can be.

It would be foolish to say she’s the same person she was before the death of her brother and also her husband.

But she has discovered one thing — the person she is meant to be.

After all she has been through, she has dedicated her life to being mindful and practicing meditation and wants to help others follow the same path.

“I used to get panic attacks after my brother died,” Bronwyn said.

“Even just about little things, it wasn’t a good time in my life. grief can affect

FEBRUARY 2020

“I remember sitting in one of my psychology lectures at university and my lecturer was talking about meditation.”

This was eye opening for Bronwyn as it wasn’t something she had ever given much thought to previously.

“He was explaining the benefits of the practice and I know it sounds corny, but it felt like he was directing the lecture at me,” she said.

“I remember going home and I decided to give it a try.

“I sat on my bed and started to meditate and I felt this rising happening and I immediately shut down.

“In the moment it scared me because I didn’t know what was going on.”

Bronwyn had trained to be a drug and alcohol councillor and while she continued to heal, she spent much of her life working in her chosen field.

After meeting her late husband, she spent her years moving with him and spent six-and-a-half years in Italy where their son was born.

But coming back to her home country didn’t bring good news.

“Once we came back to Australia, my husband was diagnosed with cancer,” she said.

“Three-and-a-half years ago, when our son was eight, he sadly passed and again I experienced the grief I’d felt once before.”

But Bronwyn had a tool this time to help her in healing.

“I knew I had to be strong for my son and once we settled back here in Echuca and my son settled into school, I wanted to start working again,” she said.

“Meditation had been a big part of my healing and I wanted to look into making it into a career.

“It was also my belief that I should stay home

WELLNESS with my son, so I needed something that would allow me to do that.”

She was able to find a course and studied to become a registered meditation teacher.

She soon discovered that meditation had a whole number of benefits such as an improvement of memory and sleep, reduction of stress and anxiety, enhancement of attention and concentration as well as sporting ability, just to name a few.

After discovering this coping mechanism — and what some would almost consider a superpower — for herself, she knew she had to share it with her community.

“After everything my husband went through, I wanted to help those with cancer,” she said.

“That’s when I started conducting the classes at Echuca Regional Health.

“Meditation is known to have so many benefits and I wanted to help people where I could to get through these tough times.”

Every Wednesday she runs classes for cancer and palliative care patients and for some it’s more than a calming meeting with Bronwyn.

“I’ve found it’s become a safe space for people to come and talk about how they’re going and everyone can share their story,” she said.

This year she has decided to start running classes from home meaning she will be able to reach more people in the community.

“I’ve finally felt like I was confident enough to go from just working at the hospital and start my own sort of business,” she said.

She offers classes such as ‘free yourself from anxiety’, ‘learn to meditate’ and ‘body relaxation’.

“But I’m not just open to working with people who are sick,” she said.

“I’m happy to work with anyone wanting to better their focus or anyone wanting to learn how to stay more focused throughout the day.

“And if anyone isn’t quite sure if they want to go down this path, they’re more than welcome to give me a call.

15

“My aim is to be flexible, creative, compassionate and caring in this business.

I want to share mindfulness techniques to individuals and groups within the community.”

If you’d be interested in talking to Bronwyn and booking in for a session you can call her on 0474 146 582.

Anxiety, Depression & Stress Reduction, Improve Focus & Clarity, Guided Meditation Programs, Mindfulness…

Life too busy? Feeling worried, anxious and stressed? Or, perhaps you’d like to improve your memory or your ability to focus on that task.

Whatever the reason, learn to relax your body and your mind through relaxation and or meditation.

Groups on offer during February and March 2020 Body relaxation • Commences Monday 10th February • 9am – 9:45am • Ongoing throughout school term, come when you can • Cost: $12 per session (Concession: $10) • Venue: Moama Sound Shell • Bring chair or cushion to sit or mat and pillow if wish to lie down

Free yourself from anxiety • Body relaxation, mindfulness techniques, plus much more • Commences Friday 7th February • 9.30am – 11am • 6 sessions, duration 1 ½ hours • Cost: $108 (Concession: $90)

Learn to meditate • • • •

Commences Tuesday 4th February 9:30am – 10:45am or 5:30pm – 6:45pm 6 sessions, duration 1 ¼ hours per session Cost: $96 (Concession: $80)

Body relaxation for cancer patients • • • • • •

Commences Wednesday 5th February 10am – 11am During School Terms Echuca Regional Health FREE Contact Cancer Support Nurses ERH or R & MH

Body relaxation for palliative care patients • • • • •

Commences Wednesday 5th February 11:30am – 12:30pm Echuca Regional Health FREE Contact Relaxation & Meditation Hub

I also offer private one-on-one sessions teaching people to meditate and assisting individuals who suffer mild depression, sleeping problems, body pain, stress, anxiety and worry how to relax using mindfulness techniques and body relaxation focusing on progressive muscle relaxation.

Individual & Group sessions available to Businesses & Schools in Echuca Moama.

0474 146 582 | /Relaxation&MeditationHub

Registered Meditation Teacher

FEBRUARY 2020

HEALTH

16

BUNDLES OF SAFER

babies

Of everyone in our society, the youngest and oldest members are the most at risk when it comes to illness and, unfortunately, death. But thanks to people such as Holly Simonsen and others from Echuca Regional Health, the number of safer babies is looking to be on the rise having a baby is supposed to be the happiest time in a family and, of course, a new mother’s life.

From that first breath to a mother’s first contact, it can be a magical experience.

But sadly, for some of those mothers-to-be, they don’t get to have that happy experience.

There are many reasons, some preventable, many not. But the dedicated team at Echuca Regional Health is committed to making those cases as few as possible.

ERH midwife Holly Simonsen has devoted her time and thrown herself into a challenge, all in the name of learning, so she can bring that expertise — and hope — back to the twin towns.

In November and December last year, Holly completed a two-week placement at a teaching hospital in Lusaka, Zambia.

“I attended through a company called Work the World, which facilitates overseas placements for students and recently graduated health professionals, and as they only take limited numbers each year and I was lucky to be one of six chosen for this particular midwifery placement from around the world,” she said.

She spent her time working with Zambian midwives and doctors in an environment radically different to ours.

As there is a lack in antenatal care in Zambia, there are often complications in labour and birth, and Holly said it was very interesting to see how they manage these situations without the resources we take for granted.

“There were some truly amazing experiences, the number of births each day could be from 10–20. Of course, there were also some really hard aspects, maternal death is something that can happen frequently and due to a lack of resources I experienced one myself,” she said.

“Foetal death is also very common and due to certain cultural beliefs; some believe that babies that pass away under the age of six months cannot be mourned as this will curse the woman’s next pregnancies.”

FEBRUARY 2020

The cultural differences and lack of equipment and resources was difficult.

Holly was able to take some supplies with her, including various medical equipment and scrubs.

This was possible from fundraising Holly did in the lead up to her leaving through a GoFundMe page, which raised around $3000.

“All in all I am glad I went and my beautiful bright uniform was quite the hit. I left a few with the sisters in charge,” she said.

With her new knowledge and experience, Holly came home to try combat problems at ERH. Remarkably, in the past 20 years, the number of still births has remained constant — 6 per cent of all births in Victoria are stillbirths.

That’s 473 out of 78,700 babies born.

But now ERH is on a campaign to combat this with its implementation of the Safer Baby initiative.

By working with local GPs, the hospital is rolling out the Safer Baby bundle education package, as well as team members using their knowledge to reduce these numbers.

A small group of midwives and other staff from the hospital came together to start up the project in May 2018.

“We’ve been able to pull together a number of helpful resources as well as implement necessary measures to help reduce these statistics in our area,” Holly said.

Staff are working to inform pregnant women of factors that pose a risk to the health of an unborn baby.

“We encourage expectant mothers to quit smoking while they’re pregnant and we’ve introduced a Smokerlyzer to help us with that,” she said.

Every pregnant woman uses the machine, and from that point the baby’s risk is rated before midwives and doctors help the mother reduce these risks.

“We’ve seen a lot of success with the machine and we want to keep adding to the project.”

Communication is key, with the team encouraging mothers to keep track of the growth and movements of their baby and speak with their doctor or midwife if something isn’t right.

“We want mothers to know sleeping on your side is safe for the baby, in fact it actually helps reduce your risk of stillbirth if you sleep on either side after 28 weeks,” Holly added.

Holly shared her top tips for pregnant women and mums with young babies in extreme heat and fire conditions: 1. Avoid going outside and spending a lot of time in bushfire affected areas.

2. Avoid the heat, especially on really hot days.

3. Avoid doing any unnecessary exercises.

4. Keeping up plenty of fluids.

5. Resting when possible.

For babies 1. Keeping them away from unnecessary exposure to smoke.

2. Never leaving babies in the car.

Sleep deprivation is, at times, worse than being intoxicated. If you have to take your baby in the car on hot days, especially if it is just a quick trip to the shops or to get coffee etc, put your left shoe in the back with the baby if you are on your own. It can only take a minute of a baby being left in a hot car when a sleep deprived parent walks inside and momentarily loses track of them, for something to become very serious.

This is a great way to plan ahead.

NUTRITION

GIVE VEGIES “Eat your greens.” It’s a universal incantation belted across the dinner table by parents and care-givers alike, usually met with groans and eyerolling from the recipient. to a well-rounded diet, meat and potatoes just don’t cut the mustard anymore; no longer is it acceptable to slide the vegies off the plate to save room for dessert.

As a dietician, Rebecca Monk from Ripe Health knows the ins and outs when it comes to nourishment and notes the integration of green vegetables into meals every day as the key to a healthy diet.

“All fruits and vegetables are really important; we talk about having a rainbow on our plate, in particular with vegetables,” she said.

Brimming with micronutrients, the benefits of greens are almost endless according to Rebecca.

“They can be beneficial in terms of weight loss because they are low calorie, the fibre component makes you feel fuller for longer and can help improve satiety levels,” she said.

Consuming green vegetables was once seen as a chore-like duty, with “they’re gross” used as the rationalisation for segregating them to the ‘not for consumption’ section of the dinner plate.

But with fancy new recipes emerging daily that use vegies in ways previously when it comes

17

the green light

unimaginable, that excuse needs be tossed in the bin next to all the processed rubbish stopping you from leading a healthier lifestyle.

SUPER FOODS Dark, leafy greens such as silver beet, kale and cabbage have been branded with the ‘superfood’ label in recent years.

Some may call it a marketing ploy, but it is no myth; greens are crammed with nutrients which can help keep away various illnesses and diseases.

“Vegetables are very important … for lowering the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, strokes and some types of cancers,” Rebecca said.

“They are high in folate, high in iron and high in phytochemicals, which are anti-cancer properties.”

A diet rich in greens can also assist in lowering blood pressure, eliminating risk of digestive problems and keeping your appetite in check.

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH? As a nation, it has become crystal clear that we aren’t up to scratch when it comes to meeting our dietary requirements.

A recent national survey showed 90 per cent of women were not consuming enough vegetables, with most hovering around 50 per

cent of the recommended level.

Rebecca recommended having five serves of vegetables a day to meet that daily quota and keep you feeling full of beans.

“A serve of vegetables is equivalent to a half cup of cooked vegies like broccoli, or a cup of salad vegies such as capsicum, lettuce, cucumber, etc,” she said.

DRESS ‘EM UP Greens are widely regarded as belonging to the dinner plate’s domain, but there is nothing stopping you from supercharging a run-of-themill breakfast or lunch with a handful of fresh produce.

Rather than isolating your vegies, Rebecca advises to look for ways to incorporate greens into all daily meals and snacks such as adding them to salads, stir-fries and curries.

“You can blanch them, steam them, add flavour to them, even adding extra virgin olive oil can improve the nutrient quality,” she said.

And if flavour is a barrier, Rebecca talked about ways to mask the taste such as putting frozen spinach through a bolognese sauce or tossing several silver beet leaves into soup.

“It is just overcoming and putting some flavour in, whether it be adding herbs and spices or olive oil, things like that can really improve them.”

FEBRUARY 2020

RECIPES

18

ROASTED SALMON WITH BACON,

rosemary & fennel

INGREDIENTS

SMASHED CHAT POTATOES WITH

garlic & herb cheese and prosciutto INGREDIENTS • 12 chat potatoes • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil • 1 large garlic clove, finely chopped • 2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped • 1 tablespoon basil leaves, finely chopped • 150 g fresh ricotta or cream cheese • 12 slices Italian prosciutto • 2 cups (50 g) watercress sprigs

METHOD 1.

Preheat the oven to 240°C. Line a baking tray with baking paper.

2. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan of salted water and bring to the boil over high heat. Boil for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Drain well.

3. Arrange potatoes on the lined baking tray. Using a potato masher, smash each potato so that it’s flattened but still holds together. Brush with the olive oil and season well with salt and pepper.

4. Bake the potatoes for 25 minutes or until crisp and golden. Cool slightly.

5. Meanwhile, mix garlic, parsley, thyme, basil and cheese together in a bowl. Place a spoonful of the herbed cheese on each potato, then finish with a slice of prosciutto piled on top. Serve the potatoes garnished with watercress.

Recipe from taste.com.au

FEBRUARY 2020

• 60 ml (1/4 cup) olive oil • 1/2 bunch fresh rosemary, leaves picked • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar • 2 garlic cloves, crushed • 2 (500 g) salmon fillets, halved lengthways • 250 g middle bacon rashers, rind removed, cut crossways into thirds • 2 baby fennel, trimmed, quartered • 250 g cherry truss tomatoes • 4 slices sourdough bread

METHOD 1.

Preheat oven to 220°C. Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Combine the oil, rosemary leaves, vinegar and garlic in a jug. Season. Reserve 1 tablespoon of oil mixture.

2. Place the salmon, bacon, fennel and tomatoes on the prepared tray. Drizzle with the oil mixture. Toss to combine. Season.

3. Roast for 10 minutes for medium or until the salmon is cooked to your liking. Transfer salmon to a plate. Cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Roast the vegetable mixture for a further 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender and bacon is golden.

4. Place the bread on a baking tray. Brush with reserved oil mixture. Bake for 5 minutes or until crisp and golden. Serve with the salmon, vegetables and bacon Recipe from taste.com.au

RECIPES

19

CHOCOLATE

strawberry martini

Meringue hearts

INGREDIENTS

WITH BOOZY BERRIES

• 500 ml Baileys Original Ice Cream • 200 ml vanilla ice cream • 250 g strawberries, coarsely chopped • 1/2 cup (125 ml) crème de cacao liqueur • 1/4 cup (60 ml) strawberry-flavoured liqueur • 1 cup crushed ice • Chocolate fudge sauce, to serve • Thinly sliced strawberries, to serve • Shaved dark chocolate, to serve

METHOD 1.

Place the combined ice cream, chopped strawberry, crème de cacao, strawberry-flavoured liqueur and ice in a blender. Blend until smooth.

2. Pour a little chocolate fudge sauce into the base of each serving glass. Arrange strawberry slices around the side of each glass. Pour strawberry mixture evenly among glasses. Top with chocolate. Serve immediately.

Recipe from Coles Magazine

INGREDIENTS • 2 egg whites • 100 g (1/2 cup) caster sugar • 200 g strawberries, hulled, sliced • 2 tablespoons strawberry liqueur • 1 tablespoon icing sugar mixture • 125 ml (1/2 cup) thickened cream • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste • Icing sugar, to dust

METHOD 1.

Preheat oven to 130°C. Draw six 10 cm-long, 9 cm-wide heart shapes on a sheet of baking paper. Turnover and place on a large baking tray.

2. Use an electric beater to beat egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until soft peaks form. Gradually add the caster sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is thick and glossy.

3. Transfer the meringue mixture to a piping bag fitted with a 1 cm plain nozzle. Pipe an outline around inside of heart shapes, then pipe a little into centre of each heart and use a palette knife to spread to the edges. Bake for 40 minutes or until crisp and dry.

Set aside to cool completely.

4. Meanwhile, combine the strawberries, strawberry liqueur and icing sugar in a bowl. Set aside for 30 minutes to macerate.

5. Use an electric beater to beat the cream and vanilla in a bowl until firm peaks form. Place 1 meringue heart on each plate. Top with the cream and strawberry mixture. Top each with another meringue heart. Dust with icing sugar Recipe from taste.com.au

FEBRUARY 2020

At ERH we have welcomed 210 babies in the current ďŹ nancial year, which is an increase of 20 babies compared to same time last year and growing!

To have your baby at Echuca Regional Health it is necessary that you book in between 12–24 weeks gestation. Please contact the Maternity Unit on 5485 5310 for an appointment.

Visit www.erh.org.au/maternity-unit for more information.

5485 5000 | www.erh.org.au | @echucaregionalhealth