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HOME | Generations Newsletter
Message from the Co-ordinator
The outbreak of SARS in 2003, the tsunami disaster in South East Asia in December 2004 and the occurrence of the various influenzas (including avian flu) all over the world reminded us of the vulnerability of life, the importance of mutual support in facing difficulties and the need to treasure each valuable moment in our life. With all these in mind, the Registry further reinforced its mission and service in the year 2004.
Mutual trust and support are indispensable elements in communication. It was very encouraging to see some “inactive families” of the Registry began opening up themselves in 2004 by participating in various activities organized by the Registry. Through timely in-depth education and counselling as well as repeated contacts and sharing, individuals within these families are more willing to accept prophylactic surgery and to comply with our recommended surveillance protocol for the prevention of cancers of the large bowel and other organ sites.
The rapid growth of FAP Self-help Group is also worthy to be mentioned. The FAP Executive Committee held regular meetings and informal gatherings with the Registry coordinator to discuss various issues and the plan for future activities. In addition to hospital visits, they also extended their care to other FAP family members in the form of telephone calls, hand-made greeting cards and other social activities. All these efforts have expanded our holistic care towards these families and have strengthened the cohesion between the Registry and its members.
Two of the Registry activities held in 2004 are particularly worth mentioning. For the first activity on 14 August 2004, we were grateful that Ms. Ivy Leung, a registered dietitian, gave a talk titled “Preoperative and postoperative nutrition and health care for FAP individuals”. The valuable information and suggestions given at the talk were well received by the participants. The second activity was the “Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction” program which was a joint workshop of the Registry and the Cancer Centre in Queen Mary Hospital. We received positive feedbacks from the participants. The Registry will review the need to determine if we should organize more workshops of similar nature in the future.
The Registry had also organized an outing to Lamma Island on 25 April 2004 as well as a barbeque gathering at Clear Water Bay Park on 31 October 2004. All of the participants enjoyed the harmonious moments and the good chance of sharing with each other.
I am proud to announce that, once again, the Registry obtained the highest donation among the hospital groups and hence won the Hospital Cup in the “Hong Kong Cancer Fund’s 9th Annual Stride for a Cure” on 14 November 2004. The award definitely reflects the efforts of all our Registry members who participated in
the event.
Registry is entering its 10th year in 2005. After a decade of evolution, the Registry has developed into its current mature form. Let us continue with our effort and work together towards the aim of preventing colorectal cancer in high-risk families through early detection, timely treatment, education and ongoing research.
The current issue of the Newsletter is here
March 2006 - PDF 2.7Mb
Older articles can be found on the Archives Page
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