We would like you to meet the team who has curated this material to support your recovery journey.
Introduction to Recentre
Introduction to Recentre
STEP ZERO | WEEK ZERO
Welcome to Recentre, previously the Women’s Wellness after Cancer Program. You are about to undertake a 12-week program that will set in place positive lifestyle habits that will allow you to focus on supporting your health and wellbeing.
We have gathered the latest research-based information on exercise, healthy eating and health promotion, as well as information on managing late and long-term side effects of your diagnosis and your treatment to create an easy-to-follow program. Using a 12- week time frame, we introduce you to a range of health topics in a structured way with practical tips and guidance.
Your Team
Expandable Sections
Every little detail counts. We’ve organized the upcoming content into manageable sections, making it easier to absorb key information. Be sure to not miss a thing and to expand each section. Your wellbeing journey is just beginning.
Next - Step-by-Step
Step-by-Step
The program will guide you through the process step by step, giving you daily or weekly focus points to support healthy lifestyle habits and manage other concerns. In this way you can gradually include the various components and ideas into your life each week. We hope the program will provide structure, support and information to help you to maximise your health and wellbeing.
The program is divided into four steps, each taking approximately three weeks to complete. Read more about each of the steps in the expandable sections below.
Next - Your 4-step Program
Your 4-Step Program
In Step 1, we give you information on what Life with and Beyond Cancer might look like for you and deal with some common concerns. We aim to improve your overall quality of life through looking at ways to manage your strength and vitality during and post treatment, such as incorporating simple movement into an exercise regimen and by expanding your skills and knowledge base for healthy meal preparations. We also provide strategies to manage common treatment side effects such as fatigue, poor sleep and mental health concerns.
Step 2 focuses on Supporting your Wellbeing to help establish healthy habits including more advanced movement, the importance of bone health and managing menopausal and sexual symptoms. We also focus on goal setting to help spur on progress.
Step 3 focuses on Maintaining Wellbeing including how to maintain a healthy heart and diabetes prevention.
Finally, Step 4 is about Looking Forward and focuses on the importance of regular health screening as we aim to promote independence in maintaining your new healthy lifestyle behaviours for the long term.
Next - Your 4-step Program (Continued)
Your 4-Step Program
The steps will guide you through the program day by day then week by week, encouraging you to reflect on your health and make positive changes. As you work through the days and weeks there will be information for you to read followed by activities for you to complete and your reflections to record.
Before you set your Start Date, have a browse through the Program Agenda in your Wellbeing Hub to familiarise yourself with the topics and to get an overview of the program. We suggest you start the program on a Sunday or Monday, when you have some time to read and plan for the week ahead.
If you require extra clinical support during the 12 weeks, please contact our study team to arrange a clinical consultation with our Recentre specialist nurse, at recentre@griffith.edu.au. At th end of each Step you will also be asked to check-in with the Recentre Thermometer. The Recentre Thermometer is required and it is crucial to answer, in case you require any help during the program, as this is the avenue to receive that help.
Recentre Hub
When you first logged in, you would have discovered your Wellbeing Hub. This is your centre within Recentre. Here, you’ll find an overview of the program, as well as snapshots of your progress and summaries of the healthy lifestyle habits you are about to learn. We encourage you to complete quick check-ins regularly to keep your progress trends up-to-date. It is important to stay consistent with the 12-week content, and your Hub is the tool you will use to support that goal.
Hub Tools:
- Program Agenda
- Progress & Healthy Habit Trends
- Needs Assessment
- Start Date
- Additional Resources
- Wellbeing Journal
Within the Hub, you will also find your Week 0 tasks. You are expected to submit the Needs Assessment and set your Start Date once you have finished reading today’s content. You will be redirected to the Wellbeing Hub later to complete these.
Next - Your Wellbeing Journal
Wellbeing Journal
As you work through the Steps, you will see sections of activities dedicated to the Wellbeing Journal. Your answers could be many forms; specific, broad, multiple choice or an open-ended safe space for reflection.
Examples of journal entries:
- short-term goals
- long-term goals
- personal reflections
- reading notes
- workout plans
- healthy habit trackers
If you travel to the Wellbeing Journal now, you will see it’s quite barren. As you begin and continue through your journey your Journal will begin to fill week by week. Your first reflection will be today.
Responses which we hope you will be completing more consistently are your “Healthy Habit Trackers”. Your Habit Trackers will calculate your Healthy Habit Trends, whether their your dietary intake or your active movement minutes. It’s important that you’re consistent with your check-ins, as this is the easiest way for you to see your own progress.
Engaging with the Content
Within the first 3 weeks of the program new information is covered every day – try to commit to reading some content every day and if possible, undertake the suggested activities. From weeks 4 to 12, the content is provided in a format that can be easily modified to suit your wants and needs. You can skip content if it doesn’t apply to you and you can expand on content you want to learn more about. We have also added some videos if you prefer to watch something rather than read all the time. Every week we will also add new information in the form of a blog or podcast, to keep you updated with the latest wellbeing information.
Engaging with the content means
- Reading
- Reviewing
- Listening
- Watching
- or Doing
Remember, our study team is here to help you, or if you require the support of our specialist nurse, you can reach out at any time by emailing Recentre@griffith.edu.au.
Next - Small Changes
Small Changes
Many women who have been diagnosed and treated for cancer say they are given lots of information at the time of diagnosis and during treatment but given very little information about how to cope with life with an ongoing diagnosis or at completion of treatment. They also say that having cancer has motivated them to make important changes in their lives and they need information about how to manage this safely and well.
Concerns such as managing long-term side effects; coping with body image issues and emotional, physical and relationship changes; reducing the risk of recurrence; staying healthy; and, importantly, managing their other usual roles in life. The Recentre program recognises these concerns and is designed to provide a simple, realistic and structured wellbeing program.
Next - Big Results
Big Results
Being able to change old habits and create new ones can be challenging. A diagnosis and treatment for cancer is tough going and can have a huge impact on your health, lifestyle, energy level and sense of wellbeing. The fact that you are reading this means you are interested in improving your health and wellness after your cancer diagnosis and treatment. This program will give you a positive focus and practical guidance for leading a healthy lifestyle. Regular exercise and healthy eating will benefit you in many ways and give you more energy and vitality.
The program will ask you to make changes to your lifestyle during a 12-week time frame, however we understand that women will have different health needs. Women will also be of different ages, have different levels of fitness, and lead different lifestyles. It is important to note that the program is a guide but can be tailored to your individual needs.
Try not to be discouraged if you feel you are falling behind, just keep going making small changes and at a minimum try to stay up with the daily and weekly reading. The 12-week program is not a test or a competition; it simply aims to give you structure and focus to help you establish healthy lifestyle habits now and into the future.
Next - Louise's Story
Louise's Story
Breast Cancer Stage 2
Hi, my name is Louise. I am a 32, and I was diagnosed and treated for breast cancer! I was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 30, I had noticed a small lump in my breast but as my husband and I were trying for a family I was hoping and thought that it was a change in my breast due to falling pregnant. My doctor sent me away for testing and on 18th June 2013 I was told I had breast cancer.
Everything happened so quickly after that, I had appointment after appointment with doctors and was scheduled in the following week for my first lumpectomy, followed by another one the next week. After this my husband and I underwent IVF, this was the biggest struggle for me, wanting my own family and then being told that I may not be able to unless we do IVF. Nine embryos in the freezer later, our babies are on ice!
Now came the fun part – CHEMO! Exactly 2 weeks after I began chemo, I was bald. I became a pro at drawing on my own eyebrows and rocked some wigs that would fool even friends. I felt like my healthy body and mind was a distant memory and menopause was taking me over. I finished chemo on December 16th, 2013, and began endocrine (hormonal) therapy which would entail medication to shut down my ovaries and to stop my body’s production of oestrogen. And so, the menopause that began in chemo, continues!
Because of my strong family and genetic history, I was once again in for surgery, this time for a prophylactic double mastectomy followed by the beginning stages of reconstruction. With this surgery I had tissue expanders placed under my chest wall, and I would go back to hospital weekly to get the expanders slowly filled. This process was a testing one on my body, but I got there, and then 5 months later I had the tissue expanders replaced by implants. My goal – all done within a year! I celebrated my one year being cancer free in hospital with some new boobs!
Since then, I have been on the road to recovery, and my body gets stronger every month. One of my biggest issues has been managing some of the menopausal side effects of the hormone or rather ‘anti-hormone’ therapy. Luckily my breast care nurse suggested I do the Women’s Wellness (now Rcentre program) it really helped guide me through all the tricky annoying left-over side effects and started me on my new plan to rebuild my health and vitality. It was so easy to follow, and I felt so supported and motivated to do this. This program has helped me regain my confidence and I feel I have come through the dark tunnel of treatment stronger, healthier and happier.
Next - Angela's Story
Angela's Story
Stage IV Gynaecological Cancer
My name is Angela, I’m 62. My husband and I just retired and were about to go on the trip of a lifetime when I noticed I had some bleeding from the vagina, which was very odd as I’d gone through menopause many years before. I had an ultrasound scan which showed the lining of my uterus had thickened and my gynaecologist felt it should be looked at before we went away. I had a curettage to clear the thickening and as a matter of course some of the tissue was sent away for testing. Turns out it was an aggressive endometrial cancer which had spread into the walls of my uterus and to my bladder. So instead of heading to Italy, I was booked in for a hysterectomy and then radiation and chemotherapy followed.
A pretty rigorous few months followed, and I felt so tired and uncomfortable. The radiation had caused irritation to my bowel and bladder and the ‘unmentionable’ I had really uncomfortable vaginal dryness. Luckily my husband and friends were a great support throughout all of this especially on my ‘down’ days. I was talking to the clinic nurse about my concerns one day and she suggested I look at undertaking the Women’s Wellness after Cancer (now Recentre) Program. I am so glad I did! It was so good to find solutions to those problems I mentioned before, and also to get myself back on track and feel fitter and healthier through eating well and some sensible exercise. Oh and just to finish off…. We had a very romantic holiday in Rome……
Watch the Recentre Introduction video below to set the stage for your 12-week wellbeing journey.
Next - Your First Reflection
Your First Reflection
Before you get carried away with what Recentre has to offer, we would like you to sit quietly, reflect and take time to consider the following question. This is to help you establish what your priorities are before you get bogged down in the detail.
Many women experience challenges during and at the end of treatment. What are the biggest challenges for you?
Log in to save your response.
Next - Your Needs Assessment
Your Needs Assessment
Think about the response you have just given in your first personal reflection. Try to categorize these challenges into the areas listed below. You’ll use these to develop your personal goals for the first 6 weeks of the program. This is called the Initial Needs Assessment. We will revisit this list at Week 6 of the program.
- Physical Wellbeing and Activity
- Lifestyle and Self-Care
- Emotional Wellbeing
- Social Connection
- Meaning, Sexuality and Moving Forward
- Late and Long-Term Side Effects
The purpose of the Needs Assessment is to help you self-identify any areas of concern or interest that you might want to address as you work through the program. You submit the Needs assessment in the Wellbeing Hub. You’ll be redirected there after completing this page.
The program content is designed to help you address and manage the areas you highlight. However, if you require extra clinical support during the 12 weeks, please contact our study team to arrange a clinical consultation with our Recentre specialist nurse, at recentre@griffith.edu.au.
Next - Set Your START DATE
Set Your START DATE
We have provided a checklist of what you might require to get started. The most important item is a clear START DATE. Think forward to the next three months (12 weeks), are there any planned surgeries, or extended holidays that might interfere with your ability to complete the program at this time? We recommend that you start on a Sunday or Monday. Once you have a clear START DATE in mind, you must set it in the Wellbeing Hub. You’ll be redirected there after completing this page.
Your Checklist:
- your NEEDS ASSESSMENT
- a clear START DATE
- stable internet connection
- access to a PC/laptop/tablet/smartphone device
- walking shoes
- a hat
- a water bottle
- extra support from family and friends
- blocked out 'me time' in your family/work schedule
Click COMPLETE to move on.
You’ll be redirected to
the Wellbeing Hub
to submit your
NEEDS ASSESSMENT
& set your START DATE.