Bendigo Health Oncology Unit Clinical Director, Dr Rob Blum quote: “Connectedness and positive experiences make you feel good about the world. The Gobbé Wellness Centre’s focus is about what things we can do to make someone feel better about their current situation”
Jodie Stirling was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2018 and a second primary cancer in 2019. Jodie underwent chemotherapy and radiation treatment for a total of 14 months over a 2 year period, but she was able to stay close to home – her treatment was carried out in Bendigo. Jodie’s mother in law was not so lucky, 25 years ago she underwent treatment for cancer in Melbourne which she found quite draining and required support from family and friends to drive her to treatments and back - a stressful 8 hour day per treatment.
Jodie credits the Bendigo Health Gobbé Cancer Wellness Centre with playing a crucial role in her recovery, “the yoga was really beneficial for me to begin to find feeling in my feet and trying different exercises, it’s been amazing. I’ve also done the mindfulness sessions which is something I would never have got involved with until I was diagnosed a second time, then you really need to work on getting your head into the present. Not living about the past or future, but living for today”.
“In my world, I used to think that you got cancer, you did your treatments and everything was fine, not realising the side effects. People don’t realise that once you have your chemo or your radiation or surgery, it’s not over. The (Wellness Centre) program is about being able to go to yoga and mindfulness to help you to try to learn to use your feet again and to get back the strength into your body, and to do it in a supportive area where other people are going through the same thing, so we can laugh and help each other. This is one of the happiest places I go to”
“I would never have done yoga in a million years…….Now I see the benefits. You’d also never gotten me to do a mindfulness session in a pink fit. Now, every morning I do my meditation. It changes you. I understand why people don’t get out of bed while cancer consumes your life; to have something that helps you balance that is really good”.
Oncology nurse and Bendigo Health Cancer Wellness Coordinator, Jenna Sing has been with the centre for over 2 years now, with the funding for her position coming directly from Dry July fundraising. Bendigo Health Oncology Unit Clinical Director Dr. Rob Blum said that Jenna has an exceptional ability to cater to all the patients who use the wellness centre, with support and a listening ear. “She has great connectedness and energy and her compassion to people allows her to appreciate what they need. This is a place of safety and that’s really important”
Jodie is grateful for the Bendigo Health Gobbé Wellness Centre and the support she received through her involvement with the Centre. “You are continually inundated with requests for donations for lots of worthy causes, but the Dry July funds that are raised, they are used locally to provide support for people dealing with a cancer diagnosis”
