Cancer related question? Dial 0861-ASK-NOW

‘€œWhen you are diagnosed with cancer it’€™s not a case of checking in one day and checking out the next,’€ says Eldre Strydom, one of the energetic partners behind the creation of the 0861-ASK-NOW helpline.

A breast cancer survivor, Strydom represents People Living with Cancer, who joined forces with Campaigning for Cancer, an advocacy organization launched last year with the aim of giving those affected by cancer a voice.

Campaigning for Cancer lobbies for the promotion and protection of the rights of patients and those affected with regard to policy, healthcare costs and healthcare services. They work in close collaboration with a law firm, actively engaging around cancer patients’€™ rights and the law.

The other partner, People Living with Cancer, was established seven years ago by two cancer survivors Carl Liebenberg and Linda Greeff and has developed volunteer counseling guidelines resulting in several volunteer psycho-social programmes in the country.

They offer a free buddy support network ‘€“ Cancer Buddies ‘€“ enabling cancer patients to interact with and receive practical advice and support from survivors who have been through a similar situation in terms of the disease and treatment.

Strydom, a vivacious woman, was diagnosed with breast cancer just over four years ago. ‘€œI went for a check-up every year, but that year I skipped,’€ she recalls. Strydom woke up one morning and noticed a lump under her arm which turned out to be malignant. ‘€œMy family doctor initially told me not to worry as I didn’€™t fit the profile ‘€“ I was young, there was no family history ‘€“ so we were all shocked when the diagnosis came,’€ says Strydom.

‘€œIt’€™s been a long journey, a long road and it changes you, you do assess where you are in your life and where you want to go,’€ she says.

Strydom got involved with the cancer buddies project and eventually joined them full-time.

She believes that much more has to be done to reach people living with cancer in the rural areas. ‘€œThey have very little access to services and almost no access to support and advice,’€ she says.

‘€œSometimes you need to know simple things like when and how will I lose my hair? Everyone tells you that you are going to lose your hair, but nobody tells you that it literally happens overnight, that you wake up one morning and you are sitting with clumps of hair in your hand,’€ says Strydom.

‘€œYou are dumped into this strange world of cancer and you have no clue.’€

The call centre will be manned by a trained counselor who has herself been affected by cancer and will be able give input and refer callers whether their needs are medical, palliative or simply to gain more information.

Strydom explains that what sets them apart from other help lines and organisations is that patients can access support and advocacy at the same time. There is also no affordable and reliable central place where cancer patients can get all the information and support they need.

The call centre has been set up with the support of the American Cancer Society.

Links: www.plwc.org.za and www.campaign4cancer.co.za

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  • healthe

    Health-e News is South Africa's dedicated health news service and home to OurHealth citizen journalism. Follow us on Twitter @HealtheNews

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