Lesbians & Cancer - Free Forum

The first ever BC Cancer Agency education Forum specifically on Lesbians and Cancer.

This ground breaking half day event is for lesbians with or without cancer and focuses on prevention.

Please register now as seating is limited, registration includes breakfast.

This is a Free event

The Forum is called "Living the Dolce Vita in Comfortable Shoes." Leading professionals and experts from the BC Cancer Agency will inform you of the way to healthy living, break down the myths regarding cancer screening and detail the signs and symptoms to be aware of. Learn how to take care of your health and reduce your risk of cancer. A special screening of a 25 minute video based on the journey of women with breast cancer ends the morning.

Are you entering the age where living healthy has become a high priority in your life? What constitutes a healthy lifestyle and how can lesbians engage in this?

Speakers include:

• Dr. Karen Gelmon, Past Chair, Breast Tumour Group, BCCA
• Dr. Dianne Miller, Chair, Gynecology Tumour Group BCCA
• Cheri Van Patten, Registered Dietitian & Clinical Researcher

Moderated by Dr. Elizabeth Whynot, Past President, BC Women's Hospital

Saturday March 14, 2009, 8:00am - 11:30am at the BC Cancer Research Centre 675 West 10 Avenue Vancouver.

Registration is limited so please call 604.877.6000 ext 2194 or email livingthedolcevita@gmail.com.

Please register by March 10/09.

Carolyn Walters

WALTERS Carolyn Louise (Blythe) August 19, 1945 - February 22, 2009

It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our dear Carolyn - a life-long entertainer and delightful "free spirit" who refused to let her 13 year battle with cancer take away her love of life or her quirky sense of humour. Born Carolyn Louise Blythe (Montreal) she was billed as "Canada's youngest ventriloquist" by the age of 11 and became well-loved as the child-host of the 1962 - 1965 CBC television show "Sandy and Company". She made numerous guest appearances on television and radio, including the Juliette Show, Talent Caravan, CBC's Doubletalk, and Montreal Matinee. She later co-hosted (with Peggy Austin) TV's Cartoon Corner and at 19 was a regular on CBC's "Time of Your Life" as well as writing for CTV's Hi Diddle Day children's show (Ottawa).

As a young adult she was briefly married and had a son - Christopher Jonathon Walters. She became a puppeteer with the Waterville Gang, a weekly television show that aired in the early 1970s by CTV Toronto. In 1973 she founded the Wobble, Lump and Squeak Theatre, a children's rod-puppet theatre company based in Toronto from 1973 - 1975. Some of her puppets and activities from that time are found as part of the Canadian Museum of Civilization's archive on Canadian puppetry.

She then turned her talents to film and worked on a number of film and entertainment projects. By 1991 Carolyn was with the Nelvana Animation Company where, among numerous projects, she was the Production Manger for the Steven Spielberg/Tim Burton co-production "The Family Dog" released in 1993.

In 1995, at the age of 50, Carolyn was diagnosed with terminal cancer and was given 18 months to live. Outliving all predictions, Carolyn spent the next 13 years living with and battling cancer while never losing her sense of fun and wonder at the world. While she could no longer work, she channeled her determination and creativity on other projects, as her health allowed. While living on the west coast she made the short film, "The Apple Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree" with her partner Ina Dennekamp, which had its premier screening at the Vancouver "Out on Screen" gay and lesbian film festival. The film also screened at the Toronto and Ottawa gay and lesbian film festivals. She also took up ocean kayaking and "extreme knitting".

In 2005, and true to form, Carolyn marked her decade of living with terminal cancer with a celebration she dubbed "10 years past expiration". Throughout her long stubborn battle with cancer Carolyn celebrated her life, always had a project "on the go" and taught those around her how much fun and delight can be had from life. Carolyn wanted to acknowledge, with deepest love and gratitude, her beloved partner Ina Elisabeth Dennekamp, and the amazing community of women who have loved and supported her throughout her life, and particularly during her 13 year battle with cancer. Sincere thanks must go to Dr. Karen Gelmon of the BC Cancer Institute for the wonderful care she gave Carolyn, and the "angels" who are the staff and volunteers at the St. James Cottage Hospice in Vancouver.

Carolyn is predeceased by her mother Marjorie Murielle Preston, and survived by her father Thomas William Blythe. She is also survived by siblings William (Billy) Thomas Blythe, Catherine Susan Sedlacek, Derrick Anthony Blythe, Drake Alderson Blythe and their families.

A celebration of Carolyn's life will be held Sunday, March 15, 3pm at Callanish Society, 2277 W. 10th Ave., Vancouver, BC. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the St. James Cottage Hospice, the Callanish Society or the BC Cancer Agency.

Cancer Film

Vancouver Courier: 2009 February 13

Documentary film director Pat Taylor hosts a screening of her film Chasing Rainbows: Young Adults Living With Cancer, a film she created on behalf of her daughter Sara Taylor Gibson, March 5 at 7 p.m. at the Dunbar Community Centre, 4747 Dunbar St. The event includes a post-film discussion with young adult cancer survivors Anna Peled and Vikram Bubber and B.C. Cancer Agency family counsellor Sarah Sample, as well as live music by singer-songwriter (and Chasing Rainbows co-producer) Michael Booth Palmer.

For information, visit www.chasingrainbowsproduction.com.

Manitoba lesbian couple says doctor refused them because of sexual orientation

Canadian Press: 2009 January 27

WINNIPEG — A Manitoba lesbian couple rejected by a family doctor from Egypt for religious reasons says Canada must better educate foreign-trained physicians.

Andrea Markowski said she and her partner Ginette were stunned when the Winnipeg doctor told them during a "meet-and-greet" appointment she was uncomfortable accepting them as patients and had never treated "people like you" before.

The doctor said she only treated "husbands and wives," said Markowski, who is legally married to her partner of 18 years.

"It was like a kick in the stomach," said Markowski, who just moved to the city from the Northwest Territories. "It was definitely a traumatic and unexpected experience ... She is a doctor who is paid with public funds.

"I have a really hard time understanding how her religion affects her ability to care for me as a human being."

The couple have lodged a complaint with the province's human rights commission and the Manitoba College of Physicians and Surgeons.

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms ensures no one can be denied health care on the grounds of sexual orientation, Markowski pointed out. The bodies regulating doctors in Canada must therefore take more responsibility to ensure foreign-trained physicians are ready to practise here, she added.

"We've stumbled upon a pretty serious problem and we want to make sure that it gets fixed. In some ways you feel a bit like a prisoner. There are so few doctors, it's hard to see one, but they still are accountable to provide good service," Markowski said.

"The College of Physicians and Surgeons in Manitoba and other places in Canada has to broaden the way that it assesses the skills - particularly of foreign doctors who may be coming from places where beliefs and norms are quite different - to make sure that they really are able to practise the physical, mental and emotional care of patients."

Dr. Kamelia Elias did not return phone calls seeking comment. But she told the Winnipeg Free Press that she has no experience treating gays and lesbians who have "sexual problems" and "a lot of diseases and infections."

"I said it's better to find someone who has experience and will take this type of patients," she told the newspaper.

Gay-rights organizations are calling for better programs specifically aimed at nipping prejudice in the bud.

The registrar of Manitoba's physicians college said foreign-trained doctors do undergo an orientation before they can practise in the province. Bill Pope said doctors coming from other countries suffer from culture shock when they come to Canada. Some of them have never done a pelvic exam on a woman or put on a plastic cast, he said.

"How much of a change do you think it would be if you or I were put down somewhere in a Muslim Arabic country or Uzbekistan? It would be a shock," Pope said. "We would hope that we would be forewarned about areas where we could potentially create problems without our knowing it."

The province's college has recently extended its orientation for foreign-trained doctors from one week to a month, he said. There is also some discussion of holding a session with the Manitoba Human Rights Commission so doctors get a briefing of the expectations of them under the charter.

The head of Canada's gay-rights organization said transgendered people are sometimes denied health care. But Helen Kennedy with EGALE said this is the first instance she's heard of involving a lesbian.

As the number of foreign-trained doctors in Canada increases, it's incumbent upon colleges and the country's Immigration Department to ensure they accept gay, lesbian and transgendered patients, she said.

"This is really sad. It really shows a bigger problem with people who are medically trained coming to Canada from other cultures. There is nothing in place to assist them to make the adjustment and to get the training that they need when they come here."

Still others say all doctors would benefit from a better understanding of gay and lesbian health issues.

"All physicians need to get more training on this," said Gens Hellquist, executive director of the Canadian Rainbow Health Coalition. "What little they get tends to be focused on HIV and AIDS, which is only one of the range of health issues."

Hi all,

At our last session we discussed the future for support for lesbians living with cancer here at the Cancer Agency. It seems to me that the world is changing and perhaps we can look at a different kind of support. Our numbers are quite low and I am stretched beyond my limits but still want to offer something for our community.

We discussed perhaps a peer support program. This would mean at least there would be a visual presence in the form of a poster etc for lesbian support. At this time Vancouver Centre is piloting a navigational program for Chinese speaking people. Through this process our volunteer co-ordinator has developed a training program for those wishing to volunteer. This could be adapted for women wishing to volunteer for lesbians beginning their journey with cancer.

I am wondering if this could work for us. Ie. Having a peer support/outreach program through volunteer services with me being a consultant to the program.

In addition perhaps the odd special educational program for lesbians.

Another option for future is an on-line support group.

I would like feedback on this as there were just three of us involved in this discussion. AT this point I have not cancelled the group yet. I will go ahead with the FEB group for now.

Sarah

Articles

Advocacy for Women’s Health Includes Lesbian Health (Journal of Women's Health: 2004 13:2)

A CONVERSATION WITH/Kate O'Hanlan; Promising Judgments That Are Purely Medical (New York Times: 2006 June 2)

Health Concerns of Lesbians, Bisexuals, Transgendered and Intersexual People (Video)

Health Policy Considerations for Our Sexual Minority Patients (Obstetrics and Gynecology: 2006 March)