By the time you read this I will have had surgery and started (what feels like it will last forever) recovery period. I know it won’t last forever but 6-8 weeks feels like forever right now.
This surgery marks the final phase in the aggressive treatment for breast cancer.
I remain encouraged and affirmed that all the medical specialists (of which there have been at least 10) continue to talk cure rather than management. I am incredibly grateful for all the people who have walked this cancer treatment journey before me so that I have this cure option available.
We at Purple Co continue to share the joy and excitement of our client’s who are finishing training, being offered employment and making changes to the way they think about themselves and what they can do.
We continue to support people via video, telephone and face to face where this is necessary. Something you may not know is that we have been providing service via video since 2014. I made the decision to start doing this so that:
- It reduced the unnecessary costs on insurers and employers;
- It increased the accessibility for people who did not live near one of our Consultants to receive services;
- It reduced the demand on the team members who were doing a lot of interstate travel. I was one of them and it might look like fun but a lot of interstate or regional travel can be wearing.
I must admit that I was skeptical that an online delivery would be as effective as face to face. It is, and the research that has been done since 2014 certainly supports our lived experience.
We remain available for face to face consultations in Sydney metro and Newcastle where appropriate, but we remain focused on doing as much work as we can online.
One of the unintended consequences of doing so much work with clients online is that through our ‘work’ with clients they are increasing their technology literacy. We have even been able to connect one client with his grandchildren through Facetime, because of the skills he needed to be able to work with us.
He wasn’t referred for technology literacy skills, he was referred to participate in our Purpose for People program, the technology skills were an added benefit of program participation.
There are a couple of things I wanted to make sure you were aware of:
The Christmas and Holiday season is going to be upon us very quickly. If you are looking for a gift for clients colleagues, suppliers, friends or loved ones then consider the Book of Evidence. This is a journal with a difference. It’s a book that I designed to use with clients to help remind them of all the things they can do as they progress through their recovery, and do things the didn’t think possible.
What has been incredible for me to learn is that so many health professionals themselves use this book to remind them of the good we do. Each book is gift wrapped, and we can send it directly to the person you would like to receive it.
Earlier this year I was asked if I could relaunch the FaceBook group Consultant Plus. I originally started this Private group back in 2011. The group aims to bring together Consultant Rehabilitation Professionals in a safe way for us to talk about the work we do. The overall intention of the group is to inform, educate and empower our work as a collective, aiming to raise the standards of care, and elevate our position the community.
FYI it is not a pitch fest and I have crafted some quite specific community rules. We are now at over 50 members, so if you are looking for a place to learn and collaborate, to be inspired and encouraged then come and join us. You can request to join here.
We’ve updated our current website to include FREE resources. There are over 10 years worth of blogs along with three tools specifically to help people with their return to work, recovery and rehabilitation journey. All these resources are free. And most of them have a short training series delivered by email to teach you how to use the resources. Check them out here.
Again, I want to thank all of you who continue to reach out and check in, who send me private messages, who comment on Linked In posts (talk about vulnerability hangovers) send coffee porn, who send gifts and cards and offer assistance with managing Purple Co!
Thank you,
Until next time – here’s to making work work well.
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