Maintaining Hope - Nell Hanbury

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This is the second blog in a series of blogs written for us by Nell Hanbury – cancer survivor and registered nurse. You can read more about Nell’s story in her first blog post here.

Nell in March 2016 at her graduation ceremony.

It is totally okay to not have a positive attitude 100% of the time. However, it is important to maintain hope, whatever that might mean for you. This can be challenging if you have suffered a lot of setbacks, have a poor prognosis, or are struggling, emotionally or physically, with treatment. Coping with a cancer diagnosis is a delicate balance of being positive or hopeful, and also being realistic.

Reading stories about other people who have had cancer may be helpful…
http://www.redkite.org.au/real-stories
https://www.canteen.org.au/how-we-help/about-us/member-stories/
http://www.scarstories.org/our-scar-stories/

I am a devotee of an awesome podcast called Jesse vs Cancer which is about a 29 year old stand-up comedian who is diagnosed with stage IV bowel cancer. Jesse talks about other stuff as well and is pretty funny.
Get it on the iTunes Store or here: http://jessevscancer.com/

Follow cancer ‘survivors’ on social media…

Delta Goodrem
Hodgkin’s lymphoma
18 at diagnosis
https://www.facebook.com/DeltaGoodremMusic/
https://www.instagram.com/deltagoodrem/?hl=en
https://twitter.com/deltagoodrem?lang=en

Tessa James
Hodgkin’s lymphoma
23 at diagnosis
https://www.instagram.com/tessacharis/?hl=en

Adam Deans
Osteosarcoma
17 at diagnosis
https://www.instagram.com/adam_deans/
https://twitter.com/adam_deans?lang=en

Ben Bravery
Bowel cancer
28 at diagnosis
https://www.instagram.com/benbravery/?hl=en
http://benbbrave.blogspot.com.au/
https://twitter.com/benbravery?lang=en

It may be helpful to think about some kind of fun activity that you’d really like to do, or an experience you’d like to have, to lift your spirits and maybe cross something off that bucket list. You might like to meet your idol, travel somewhere or have a makeover and photoshoot. For my wish, I would have opted to meet a panda, sing with Delta Goodrem, or visit the Great Barrier Reef. Here are some organisations that can help make your dreams come true…

Dreams2live4
Ph: 0400 914 375, email: info@dreams2live4.org.au
Adult patients with any of the following…

Metastatic cancer – meaning any cancer which has spread from its original site
Advanced Glioma Stage 3 and 4
Relapsed lymphoma
Relapsed leukaemia

Starlight Children’s Foundation
Ph: 1300 727 827

seriously ill children and young people aged around 4-21

Make-A-Wish
Ph: 1800 032 260, email: enquiries@makeawish.org.au

under 18 at time of application
life threatening medical condition

An important note from Nell: “While you’re reading these posts, please bear in mind the suggestions I have made are only suggestions and based on my personal experience. My blogs do not imply any endorsement, non-endorsement, support or commercial gain by the Behavioural Sciences Unit or by the Kids Cancer Centre, Sydney Children’s Hospital. I, and some other young people I know have found them helpful, but you may not. I hope that you do find something here beneficial, and that reading my story has made you feel like you are not alone in this battle.”