RECENT EVENTS

October being the month dedicated to breast cancer internationally, the Bangkok Breast Cancer Support Group held our Well Women's Workshop at The Arnoma Hotel on the 10th of Oct. 2007. The event was well attended with over 350 guests participating in an all day function, held to spread awareness about breast cancer and to showcase the BBC's and the work we do. This day was special, as the idea was to spread the message of breast cancer awareness in such a manner as to make it as non threatening as possible. So a holistic approach to women's health was taken with just this in mind. Though there were four major hospitals of Bangkok represented that day, providing a wealth of medical information, there were also alternative therapists present, who helped make the event a wholesome experience for all who attended. Khunying Finola Chatamra kindly offered to open the event and Ms Catherine Harsano, a trained opera singer, took our breath away with her perfect rendition of the King's Anthem. Apart from saying how important the work being done by the BBC's is, Khunying Finola also went on to talk about the slum outreach projects that she is involved with and that the BBC's are happy to support as well. She stressed how important it was for women to take their health into their own hands, empowering them to be well armed with information needed to allow them to make cognizant decisions. There were doctors from different hospitals talking on subjects as varied as hypertension management, HRT, and breast cancer, to cosmetic procedures, weight management, and lifestyle choices etc. The subjects for the workshops were varied too, from massage as therapy, to feng shui (for harnessing and understanding CHI, the essential life force), nutrition for optimum health and fitness, meditation to ease stress and manage pain, yoga, reiki healing, therapeutic natural therapies and salsa dancing!.. the last being a good and enjoyable form of exercise! The hospitals also provided information with tests for bone density, BMI readings, blood tests for diabetes and other information a woman needs to lead a full and healthy life. Dr Kris Chatamra, one of Bangkok's leading breast surgeons, gave an informative and interesting talk on breast cancer, the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. He, in his own inimitable way, guided us through the various complexities of the cancer and reassured the women present that he was confident that breast cancer, if caught in the earlier stages, was completely curable. But he also stressed the need to be aware of ones own body so that it is possible to detect subtle changes when they occur and so if a lump or change in breast tissue is felt, that was the time to consult a specialist. It is every woman’s right to get the right information and treatment when diagnosed with breast cancer. He also stressed that yearly checkups with your specialist and mammograms and ultrasounds of the breast is the first step towards arming oneself against this disease. All in all it was a great day where women from every walk of life were treated to informative talks by leading doctors, so many exciting alternative therapies to consider, great food and wonderful music provided by the ensemble from the Royal Thai Navy. Last but not least our most heartfelt thanks to the doctors, hospital staff, technicians and all alternative therapists and their helpers who so willingly gave of their time and helped us, the BBC's, make a success of our Well Women's Workshop.