October 1 marked the start of Breast Cancer Awareness Month and at Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) the theme is “Living Well, Your Way”. With 20,458 women and 217 men expected to receive a diagnosis in 2023, raising awareness around the different support and resources available to help people live well with or beyond breast cancer is essential.

The theme recognises that many people struggle to ‘live well’ following a diagnosis of breast cancer and that a quality lifestyle looks different for different people.

“Living well looks different for everyone, and it is likely that people affected by breast cancer will require different types of support at different times,” said BCNA CEO Kirsten Pilatti. “It means seeing the whole person, rather than the disease.”

Throughout Breast Cancer Awareness Month, BCNA will share information about different resources available, across topics such as psychosocial support and exercise. They will also share personal stories from members about what helps them to live well.

BCNA offer trusted information and a variety of resources which can all be accessed via BCNA’s newly refreshed website at www.bcna.org.au.

Parkes IGA Store Manager Steven Langlois, and popular employee Joyce Sefonte dressed in Pink to support Pink Up Parkes.

Businesses, schools and organisations across Parkes are showing their support, and getting involved in Pink Up Parkes for the month of October to help raise money for the McGrath Foundation who support Breast Care nurses across Australia. 

At IGA in Parkes the Store Manager Steven Langlois is putting it all on the line to raise as much money as he can for the cause. Steven has set a fundraising target that they will donate to Pink Up Parkes, and once the target is raised he is committing to shave his head. So head on into IGA and support a great cause.

Spring is not always a time for celebration, it can sometimes be a time of sneezing, mucous and the dreaded itchy eyes. Visit the team at Hansen’s Optometrist in Parkes to discuss how they can assist you.

20% of Australians suffer with hayfever. Allergic conjunctivitis is the bane of many a hay fever sufferer so what is the best way to manage your itchy eyes?

1. Avoid your allergy triggers. If you know the types of plants, grasses or pollens that trigger your allergy symptoms then do everything within your power to avoid them. This might mean taking your daily walks in the evening or just before dawn when the pollen count is lower.

2. Keep allergens away. Regularly washing your face, hair and around your eyes, frequently changing your clothing and linen can help to remove the little allergen particles that accumulate over time.

3. Treat your itchy eyes with medication. There are a host of over the counter antihistamine eye drops to provide relief for the symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis. Try several to find the one that works best for you. Avoid using the “red eye” drops as these do little more than temporarily hide the redness of your eyes without addressing the underlying cause. For persistent allergy, use a mast cell stabiliser eyedrop leading up to and during spring to act as a preventative. These are available as a combination drop alongside an antihistamine.

4. Treat any concurrent dry eye disease. Having dry eyes will exacerbate your allergic conjunctivitis symptoms and our tears act as a natural means of flushing allergens out of our eyes. Watch out with taking oral antihistamines as these can cause dry eyes.

If you suffer from itchy eyes, then book an appointment at Hansens Optometrists where we can formulate a plan specific to you. We can prescribe more effective eye drops then what is available over the counter and treat any dry eye or other eye problems that might be masquerading as allergy or making your itchy eyes worse.

In a ground breaking move towards more accessible and effective mental health care, Virtual Psychologist is proud to announce the launch of its free virtual mental health services. The service is funded through the WNSW PHN Ministry of Health Grant – Central West Mental Health and Wellbeing Flood Recovery Package in response to the recent floods. However, we acknowledge that the floods may be only part of the problem or may have exacerbated existing issues for people and we are here to help regardless.

Mental health support is evolving rapidly, as part of the RU OK Day campaign, the platform is now offering individuals the unique opportunity to assess their mental well-being through text-based conversations with qualified and experienced mental health practitioners with ongoing text, video, and audio services available for up to 12 months as part of the WNSW PHN funding.

Virtual Psychologist is introducing text-based mental health services along with video and audio services that allow users to engage with professionals through a medium that suits their comfort and lifestyle.

“Virtual Psychologist is not just a platform; it’s a movement toward democratizing mental health care. We believe that everyone deserves access to professional support on their own terms, and our text, video and audio-based services provide exactly that. With the generous funding from WNSW PHN and the RU OK Day campaign approaching, we are excited to extend our services to help individuals take a proactive approach to their mental well-being,” said Dervla Loughnane, CEO of Virtual Psychologist.

To participate in the RU OK Day campaign simply text or WhatsApp 0488 807 266.

Kids Helpline is seeing a significant increase in suicide related contacts requiring an urgent “duty of care” response. yourtown CEO, Tracy Adams, said Kids Helpline provided 4,608 duty of care interventions between 1 July 2022 to 30 th June 2023. 

“Of these duty of care responses, 2,000 were undertaken where young people were at immediate risk of suicide and required emergency intervention. This is higher than we have ever experienced,” Ms Adams continued. 

“A duty of care intervention is where Kids Helpline contacts police, child safety or ambulance when a child or young person is deemed to be at imminent risk,” said Ms Adams. 

“We need to take this opportunity to raise awareness of suicide and to promote action that will reduce the number of suicides and suicide attempts by children and young children. “Our hope is to encourage conversations and spread awareness in an effort to prevent youth suicide,” Ms Adams continued. 

Kids Helpline is Australia’s only national 24/7 counselling and support service specifically for children and young people aged between 5 and 25 years. Free call 1800 55 1800 or visit www.kidshelpline.com.au