We had a great turn out for the Living Well with MND day held in Wollongong on 17 October. Over 50 people attended and the Wollongong Golf Club was the perfect location with sea and golf club views, but everyone managed to stay inside and listen to the local health care professionals who presented on the day about MND, even with the picture perfect weather.
A big thanks to Dr Geoffrey Murray, Divisional Director Rehabilitation Medicine, Illawarra and Shoalhaven who presented twice, and to Dr Zivai Nangati, Staff Specialist, Palliative Care, Port Kembla Hospital who dispelled some myths about palliative care. Also presenting were Jessie Nicholls, Dietitian, Heather O’Brien, Occupational Therapist and Anna Fulford, Physiotherapist, all from Port Kembla Hospital. And a special thanks to Alexis McMahon, the head of Speech Pathology at Sutherland Hospital who spoke on swallowing, saliva management and communication. Ana Petrovic the new MND Advisor for the area and Sam Potter, the new MND Coordinator of Support for Illawarra also attended and spoke to many of the participants.
One participant summed it up nicely - “The day clarified quite a few matters and it was a chance to talk to others in the same boat”.