The crucial role of the breast care nurse

Local McGrath nurse shares the battle for Limestone Coast breast cancer patients
Speak to anyone who has had to navigate their way through a breast cancer diagnosis and invariably their breast care nurse is always credited as such a key person in their journey.

It is why the McGrath Foundation has such a focus on funding breast care nurses and the Limestone Coast is fortunate to have a strong history of breast care nurses and more recently the McGrath Foundation support.

Dana Mulraney (pictured inset) has been working within the Limestone Coast Local Health Network as a breast care nurse for five years and as the McGrath Breast Care Nurse for the past three.

“It’s a very rewarding position. I have met some wonderful resilient people and their families whilst supporting them and their families through their breast cancer journeys and treatment pathways,” Dana said. “I am an advocate for my patients and help them navigate their way through their treatment pathways and needs. I work closely with the cancer care team and lymphedema therapists Shelley Jevtic, Jess Lewis and Alison Napper.”

And while the role Dana and other members of the locally based cancer care team play in the role of patients and their families is undeniably critical and so valued, Dana also finds the role, even with its challenges, as rewarding.

We have been able to grow our services locally to provide better outcomes for our patients and our community,” she said. “Basically we are just trying to make a difference however big or small, working to the best of our ability with adequate resources to do so and the most rewarding is meeting amazing patients and their families.”

Working in conjunction with health care providers and local support groups, Dana not only looks perform her breast care nurse role to the best of her ability but also to continually evolve and improve service, rising to the challenges that both she, and patients, face.

Travel is a constant challenge for regional patients, COVID and the accompanying limits on travel were extremely challenging and the fact Dana is the sole breast care nurse servicing the Limestone Coast Local Health Network all add to the degree of difficulty but Dana believes things are slowly on the improve and the positives of her role significantly outweigh the negative.

“We are seeing positive changes in the community and additional services within the region to support regional patients with their cancer journeys and we are continuing to close and identify gaps in service,” Dana said. “We are fortunate to have McGrath funding for our region, providing support for women, men and their families in our community. diagnosed with breast cancer. I am also so fortunate to work within a dedicated cancer care team in such a supportive community and we also live in a community where there are dedicated support groups locally where funding and support stays locally.”

And it is the work of those groups, both in fundraising and advocacy that has seen great strides taken in the provision of lymphoedema services locally and hours and funding available – most recently seeing the purchase of a SOZO lymphedema diagnostic machine at community health, assisting with diagnosis and treatment of what is a debilitating condition.

Lymphedema is a condition that can cause significant swelling of the arm or leg due to extra lymph fluid build-up. This can occur when the lymph system, which normally drains excess fluid, is damaged. CONT. OPP. PAGE

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Lymphedema can be caused by a number of different reasons. Cancer related therapies can be one of them.

Lymhedema can be very debilitating for people, resulting in physical inactivity, a loss of confidence in the body, poor body image, psychological distress, a lack of self-confidence in social activities, recreational activities, and in performing self-care, social anxiety and avoidance and sexuality concerns.

The SOZO machine is designed to detect small lymphedema- related fluid changes in the limbs and LDex compares the fluid in a limb at-risk for lymphedema to a healthy limb in order to help detect lymphedema.

“We are now able to take baseline readings before our patients have their surgery which is great because it will allow us to identify early post op changes which can be detected and immediate conservative treatments can be put in place to try and minimise the effects,” Dana said. “Baseline measurements are important for ongoing surveillance after surgery which then allows us to identify any risks earlier and earlier detection can lead to better health outcomes and better management.”

In the case of the critical SOZO machine, it was the Mount Gambier Breast Cancer Awareness Group that donated the machine to the Limestone Coast Local Health Network Country Health Connect.

“The support of the group and the fundraising efforts locally are phenomenal,” Dana said. “We are very fortunate to have such a dedicated group who through their fundraising efforts locally have been able to purchase the machine.”

The cost of the machine and licencing was $15,000 and with the machine up and running, the LDex screening will become part of pre op education and screening. Baseline assessment will be included and early referral to the lymphoedema therapists for high risk patients for ongoing monitoring and management post- surgery (pictured).

The lymphoedema therapists will also have access to the machine for all their lymphoedema patients and their requirements not just breast ladies.

“I work very closely with the lymphoedema therapists locally Shelley Jevtic, Jess Lewis and Alison Napper, based in Naracoorte,” Dana said. “Additional funding to expand these services would be ideal moving forward, however grateful that we are slowly closing the gap and able to provide services locally to those in need.”