Hannah's blog

Integrated healthcare needs integrated thinking

One story is about schools, the other hospitals; one focuses on children, the other adults; one is about going back on old guidelines and the other is about considering new ones. But these stories are intrinsically linked.

The cervical cancer screening debate

Hannah's Blog
Following the recent and tragic death of her 25 year old daughter Cathy, Wendy Campbell has been admirably and tirelessly campaigning for the age of routine cervical smear tests to be lowered in England.

There is no dispute that death of a young person is particularly heart breaking and leads to grief, a sense of injustice and as in this case, the desire to make a change for others. Unfortunately, the changes needed are rarely clear. Too often when discussing cancers we debate how and when we screen to find the disease, not how we prevent it happening in the first place and what can be done to ensure treatment is considered, appropriate and caring.

New year. New you?

Hannah's Blog
Happy fresh lovely and sprightly 2012 to you all. Did you make any resolutions? And have you stuck to them? Because that is the thing with resolutions, they require sticking to. Break them and it can seem you've failed, and all too quickly you're back to your old- and not as shiny good- habits. Which is why instead of hard and fast resolutions and rules, the new year can be a great time to reflect and consider the principles by which you live. Guidelines, if you will. And here's a few I recommend you get started.

1. Be positive. Mind really can work over matter, so be as positive as you can be to help you achieve things more easily every day.
2. Be outdoors. This is self explanatory. Try to spend some time outdoors every day.
3. Be considerate. Of yourself, others and your environment in everything you do.

Collecting our thoughts

Hannah's Blog
This morning, I came to work and, amongst the envelopes on my desk, was one containing a cheque for £100. This- and the thank you notes from people we have helped- is the post we love to receive. It is the post that lets us know that what we are doing is striking a chord, that you think donating to us is worthwhile, and that you see the real need for our services and your help to keep them going.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month comes to an end

Hannah's Blog
And, apart from promoting the ongoing love affair between breast cancer and pink, what have we achieved?
The history and mammograms
According to Wikipedia, Breast Cancer Awareness Month was founded in 1985 with the aim of promoting mammography as the most effective weapon in the fight against breast cancer.

We are now in a time when mammograms and their effectiveness in saving lives are being brought into question- Prof Sir Mike Richards, the government’s cancer chief, is launching an investigation into our screening programme; its benefits and the risks it poses. You can read Breast Cancer Partnership’s views here.

Walking The Talk - The Exercise Challenge - Week Three and Four

Hannah's Blog
So it has been a month, and I have managed to do a significant exercise at least one a week, with my final activities a 10 mile bike ride and a game of tennis.

How it worked out (ha ha) and could for you too:

- fit it into your every day life: I've made exercising fit around my life, rather than my life fit around it. The bike ride was the return trip to a meeting, and the tennis match was by the sea on a weekend away and not at all planned

- exercise with friends: It definitely makes it more fun and involves lots of laughter. Plus if you arrange to do a class with friends you're less likely to cancel

Walking The Talk - The Exercise Challenge - Week Two

Aerobics
Girls just wanna have fun
Week 2, and thanks to a good friend joining the cause, I was booked in and ready to go to a class by Wednesday.

Classes freak me out. I am about as far from coordinated as people come and utterly allergic to instruction. The whole group thing? Can only serve to show how abnormally bad at these things I am.

Given all of the above, the class we chose had to offer a bit more fun than a normal class. And when I say that, I mean 80's girls just wanna have fun style fun.

Here's what I learnt:

1. Never believe someone who encourages you to go neon/theme dressed to a class. Everyone else will be in monochrome.

2. Dress in neon anyway. Pretend you're going to a fancy dress party. Dance like it too.

Walking The Talk - The Exercise Challenge - Week One

Hannah Sawing Wood
Here is a photo of me sawing wood... and the wood I sawed
An exercise a week? No problem. At least that's what I thought... But it was coming towards the end of the first week and I still hadn't decided what exercise to do. Or when I was going to do it. It came as a shock that now I was finally open and willing to welcome exercise, it wouldn't just come find me.

So, there we have lesson no. 1:

Exercise can't just be welcomed it has to be found.

As I read the papers in bed on Saturday morning, I debated a run. But excused myself as there was just so much to be done at home. Cleaning, laundry, playing with the cats. The usual. And along came lesson no. 2:

Exercise does have to be found, but it can be found at home.

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