To all my friends

After close to five amazing years, providing free in-home counselling to children and adults affected by cancer, I’ve decided to make a few changes to boob buddies.

One of the changes will be to have regular posts, written by myself and others, to provide invaluable information that will help people navigate their way through their treatment and beyond – sadly, many people find that once their active treatment has finished, they feel even more stressed! This is such an important time in the healing process, and yet up to date little research has been conducted on it. So once again I decided not to stand on the periphery and merely talk about something that I believe should change, but rather to actively do something to implement the change.

Hence, at the moment I’m in the midst of conducting research and writing a medical journal with Dr Chinedu Simeon Aruah – current Head of Department Radiation and Clinical Oncology National hospital Abuja Nigeria and Lecturer at the University of Abuja, who I met in 2016 when I spoke at a medical conference in Dubai. Our paper is titled ‘Self-management: The umbilical cord between the cancer survivor and their allied medical team has been cut…now what?

Our collaborative research will enable us to do a comparative analysis between Nigeria (referred to as a third world country), and Australia (referred to as a first world country), to show the difference between the self-empowerment/self-management of the respective cancer survivors. The very factors that play a huge role in alleviating stress beyond treatment.

* For the purpose of this research the term ‘cancer survivor’ refers to a cancer patient who is no longer receiving active cancer treatment.

If you would like to help, and be a part of this invaluable research, please contact me.

This recent photo of Doctor Chinedu Simeon Aruah was taken at the 63rd United Nations General Assembly in Vienna, Austria September 2019, where he represented Nigeria.

Some of our future posts will discuss:

• libido and sex,
• gratitude…being grateful and how this allows you to celebrate the ‘present’ even when life is really challenging,
• relationships…with others, but most importantly the relationship you have with yourself,
• words and their effect…this will probably be a lengthy blog as I have so many thoughts about this and,
• happiness…the happiness set point you’ve subconsciously set for yourself.

*Please contact me if you have a topic, you’d like us to talk about.

As I mentioned to someone the other day, I believe that the more people who ‘join together’ to try to help others the more effective it can be.

More news on other changes to come!

So, for now, thank you for taking the time to read my first post for 2020.

And above all, I want to thank the people, affected by this insidious disease, who have invited me into their lives. I feel beyond blessed. Not only does each one of you remind me just how precious time is, you also show me the what the true meaning of ‘gratitude’ is.

Xx

Barb Wood

Founder & CEO boob buddies
Oncology Psychotherapist
Global Keynote Speaker
Author
Educator
International Award Recipient