Cancer support meeting

The first meeting of a support group for women who have, or have had, breast cancer will take place a week today.

Southwell Pink Ladies, founded by a group of friends, will meet upstairs in Gossip’s coffee house, King Street, Southwell, at 10.30am.

Mrs Tricia Bowie (56) of Dornoch Avenue, Southwell, formed the group to help women from the Southwell area who were in a similar situation to her own.

Mrs Bowie was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1995. She had a hip replacement in 2000 after secondary cancer was found in her hip and has regular check-ups at hospital.

Mrs Bowie gave up her job as a childminder after the hip operation and now works on the check-out at the Co-op on Ropewalk.

Southwell Pink Ladies has designed its own logo featuring a pink Bramley apple and ribbon.

Mrs Bowie said there was no specific agenda for the first meeting. The idea was to have informal monthly get-togethers.

She said the group’s long-term aims had not been decided and would depend on what other women wanted.

A questionnaire will be distributed at the first meeting asking for ideas on what the group could do.

Mrs Bowie said the group might decide it wanted to raise money for charity or might want to invite guest speakers to some meetings.

“When you go to hospital you meet people and get support but after that you can be on your own,” said Mrs Bowie.

“It is nice to know there is someone to talk to who has been through the same sort of thing.”

Mrs Julie Astill (64) of Stenton Close, Southwell, is a group member.

She was first diagnosed with breast cancer about 12 years ago.

It returned 18 months ago and she had further surgery and radiotherapy.

Mrs Astill said there were similar groups in Nottingham, Newark and Mansfield and she knew a lot of women in the Southwell area who had breast cancer.

“Very often in the early stages you feel you need support,” she said.

“Even in the later stages it is good to be able to talk to people who have similar sorts of problems.”

Mrs Enid Dewing (69) of Farthingate, Southwell, discovered she had breast cancer four years ago. She had radiotherapy and surgery and still has regular check-ups.

“It is nice to have people to talk to who have come out the other side,” she said.