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David and Barbara Shreeve organise a monthly drop in session for members of the Leeds Regional OPA at the Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre at Harrogate Hospital.  It is an informal occasion and gives members the opportunity to discuss issues in a relaxed and friendly environment.  Part of the session is to enjoy light refreshments home baking, local cheeses and pies.

At the drop in session on Thursday 18 February members were delighted to welcome HRH Prince Charles and Camilla Duchess of Cornwall.

Prince Charles is the Patron of Macmillan Cancer Care, a key partner of the OPA,  that provides assistance in awareness campaigns, accommodation for meetings, literature, training and online information for oesophageal cancer patients.

The Royal visitors were very interested in the work of the OPA and particularly in how patients and carers support one another.   John Taylor, Chairman of the Leeds Regional Group had the opportunity to speak at length to Prince Charles on the nature of the disease and the effects of the treatment.  Prince Charles was also interested in the impact on the carer and questioned carers on their experiences.

Camilla talked with David Shreeve about the problems being encountered by survivors of oesophageal cancer, and those still undergoing treatment, particularly in regard to eating. She also recognised the value to both patients and carers of belonging to a support group.

Joan Bardsey, who had her surgery over 10 years ago, brings local pork pies to every session and was delighted when Prince Charles accepted her last pie!

This GERD friendly “hot off the grill” recipe sizzles with the rustic flavour of fresh sage leaves.  We tuck the sage leaves and other seasonings under the skin of the bone-on breasts, which keeps the meat flavourful and juicy. You can enjoy grilled chicken with the skin on – or you can remove it if you are looking for a lower calorie main course.  It’s perfect for a spur of the moment get together, not just in the summertime, but also throughout the year!  It’s delicious too – so expect some rave reviews!

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds split chicken breasts
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1 TBSP margarine
• 1 TBSP fresh sage leaves

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together margarine, sage and turmeric
2. Separate skin from meat with fingertips and rub equal amounts of seasoning mixture under skin of each breast
3. Sprinkle each breast with salt and pepper
4. Place chicken on grill over medium heat, and cook about 25 to 30 minutes, flipping over once or until temperature reaches 170.

Nutritional ingredients per serving:  Calories 325, Sat Fat 4 g, Sodium 390 mg

Let us know how your grilled chicken turns out and post a photo on our Facebook page.

Courtesy of http://www.refluxmd.com/

Be a patient case study!

Core, a charity that focuses on diseases that affect the gut, the liver and pancreas, are looking for people who will be able to share their experiences about digestive disease with interested groups such as potential funders or the media.  Please email Daniel Garnett using the email link below to let us know if want to know more.

In particular Core have an urgent need for people who have experience of iron deficiency anaemia and any linked digestive conditions – but we’d like to hear from anyone with a story to tell!

dgarnett@corecharity.org.uk

The Anaesthesia and Perioperative Care Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) is an initiative commissioned by the NIAA to identify important topics for future research and help direct the future research agenda.

Why was this PSP needed?

The rationale behind the PSP was simple: research budgets are finite, and research funders need to demonstrate the impact of their research. This entails not only producing academic publications, but also choosing topics for research funding that are important and relevant to clinicians and patients. This PSP’s aim was to identify those topics for anaesthesia and perioperative care, and was the largest consultation exercise conducted within the specialty to date.

Read the full PSP Survey Results document (PDF)

The OPA are looking to create a new recipe book and we are looking for recipes from our patients, carers, friends. Ideally the recipes will be ones that you have tried, and ones that may have helped with your Reflux, digestion etc.

If you have any recipes that you would like included in our publication please send them to enquiries@opa.org.uk with your name and address.

See more on our Facebook page

The Astellas product De-noltab® tablets (tri-potassium di-citrato bismuthate) is being discontinued from 31st December 2015.

De-noltab tablets will be available until 30th December 2015.

Appropriate alternatives should be discussed with your doctor or medical professional.

Emmerdale’s, Fiona Wade who plays Priya Sharma in the series, is joining the UK’s leading patient support charity, The Oesophageal Patients’ Association as Patron, in the charity’s 30th anniversary year and the tenth anniversary year of her father’s death through oesophageal cancer.

Chairman of The OPA, Professor Bob Mason said: ”We are delighted to announce that Fiona Wade has agreed to become Patron of The OPA. This is an especially significant year both for Fiona and for our charity. To have Fiona, who has offered such enthusiastic support, as Patron and Ambassador will be enormously beneficial to our campaign to promote public awareness of the importance of early diagnosis of this lesser known but rapidly increasing cancer. Many more lives could be saved through earlier diagnosis and better treatment”.

Fiona Wade said: “I am so honoured to be Patron of The OPA and to support this wonderful charity that helps to create awareness and raise money for this little known but dangerous disease.  Early diagnosis by spreading awareness is absolutely key in saving lives from this cancer, so I hope we can carry on doing all we can to make more people aware and hopefully prevent others from going through what my father endured. Ten years ago I lost my Father to oesophageal cancer. It was a huge shock to us all and was all very quick. He was such an amazing person, the best father I could ever wish for and so very loved by everyone who knew him. He was also very healthy throughout his life which is also why it was so sad and shocking when he was diagnosed with this very sad illness.

I had never heard of this type of cancer before, which is also the sad thing about it all, as I feel to this day that if we had been more aware of oesophageal cancer or reflux disease, which leads to cancer of the oesophagus, then for sure earlier diagnosis would have made a difference and maybe saved his life”.

The Oesophageal Patients Association has supported many thousands of patients during the past thirty years. As an independent registered charity its aim is to improve survival and quality of life for patients with oesophageal and gastric cancer by increasing awareness and encouraging early diagnosis. Through its network of regional branches, former patients and experts from the medical profession work voluntarily to support and reassure patients, families and carers having to cope with one of the worst forms of cancer.

Read more about how you can leave a gift in your will

The OPA’s 2015 AGM will be hosted by our Derby Branch this year and you are invited to attend, meet the Committee, especially our new Chairman, Professor Robert Mason, and to take part in various question and answer sessions and hear from various experts in oesophageal illness and cancer support. We have a full and interesting programme with speakers including Professor Mason (Bob), Trustees, Maggie’s Centre Nottingham, a donation from the local Scout Group and Cancer 52 and we have arranged things in the village hall so that we have a full time coffee and breakout area.

This is our 30th Anniversary year and the AGM is being held close in time to our Anniversary event. You are welcome to attend both!  We have set ourselves ambitious targets for the 30th anniversary and this includes a step change in fundraising and in activity. Our target for additional funds is £120000 and we intend to use those funds as follows. I hope that we will be able to have a discussion with you, at the AGM, on the proposed patient centred research project.

1. Widening of Branch network – ensure national coverage of patients by the OPA – £50000
2. Confidential database development for communication and future research purposes – £25000
3. Possible wedge (support pillows) distribution for 1000 patients – £30000
4. Patient support videos – £5000
5. Creation of training courses specific to support for oesophageal patients – £10000

It would be very helpful if you could advise us that you are coming and how you will get there. If numbers are sufficient we should be able to organise a shuttle from Derby City Centre to Hilton.

We anticipate being able to report that we have turned a corner and that two years of deficits in our finances are behind us. Active support from many of you, super work in the office by Maggie Robinson, our Operations Manager and Jacqui Wood, our fundraiser, enable us to be confident in the OPA’s future.

Download the AGM 2014 Minutes as PDF

Download AGM 2015 Information as PDF

The OPA have recently joined Virgin Money Giving which is a fundraising platform for our supporters to create pages and/or send donations.

https://www.opa.org.uk/virgin-money-giving.html