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Centralian Advocate, Friday, February 14, 2014 — 17 DEPARTMENT OF SPORT, RECREATION AND RACING Every enrolled, school-aged child across the Territory is entitled to receive a Sport Voucher up to the value of $75 to help with the cost of playing organised sport. Vouchers are available from your school during February or by phoning 1800 045 678. Have you received your $75 Sport Voucher for 2014? www.sportvoucher.nt.gov.au Alice Springs residents are advised that as of Monday 3 March 2014 the speed limit along Gap Road between Traeger Avenue and Stott Terrace will be reduced to 40km/h. A map is available from the Council website www.alicesprings.nt.gov.au For more information please call Council on 8950 0500. GAP ROAD SPEED LIMIT CHANGE COMMUNITY NOTICE Phone: (08) 8950 0500 Web: www.alicesprings.nt.gov.au Rex Mooney &KLHI([HFXWLYH2I¿FHU “A town like Alice” NEWS Morgan’s one who knows ‘MEN DO GET CROOK’ HEALTH REPORTER Sasha Petrova Morgan Flint has headed to Adelaide for treatment to battle cancer Picture: PHIL WILLIAMS I don’t want men to have the same experience I had MOST men diagnosed with prostate cancer will die with it. Sadly, Morgan Flint says he will be one of the few ‘‘to die from it’’. ‘‘I’m not afraid to say that,’’ Morgan’s voice breaks as he raises his glasses to wipe his eyes. A teacher of history in Alice since 1999, Morgan is well known figure in town. ‘‘Hello sir,’’ a young man waves as he walks past the coffee shop. ‘‘It’s not sir any more,’’ the now retired Morgan laughs before his friendly face be- comes serious again. ‘‘I don’t want men to have the same experience I had,’’ he says. It was in 2008 when Morgan was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Now, at the age of 69, the cancer has spread to his hips, ribs, spine and recently, he found out, his jaw. This is despite the radical prostatectomy he had after the first diagnosis. The can- cer had already ‘‘got out of the capsule’’ and the re- moval of Morgan’s prostate did little to fix things. ‘‘They found the cancer had in fact escaped from the prostate gland and there were signs that had clearly indicated that. ‘‘As a consequence, I had secondaries: hips, ribs and spine and now we know it’s gone into the jaw and prob- ably the adrenal glands.’’ Morgan’s strongest plea to men who have been diag- nosed is to insist on being referred to an oncologist. Most men, he says, are sent by their GP straight to a urologist, a surgeon who usually recommends the re- moval of the prostate. ‘‘There are other options. There isn’t just one path directly to the surgeon.’’ He recommends either seeing an oncologist or a referral to a teaching, public hospital where there is the option to be seen by a team of specialists: a dietician, a urologist, a radiotherapist and an oncologist. On Monday, Morgan took a self-funded trip to Ade- laide for eight days of radio- therapy. ‘‘After a few more tests, the next step for me is another round of chemo- therapy for four or five months. If it knocks the sh- t out of me, then I’ll stop. ‘‘I want my future to be a good one. As short as it may be. I love travelling. I love Europe. I love art. ‘‘I’ve always had a positive attitude to life - I love it. ‘‘If I can’t go camping. If I can’t do ushering at Araluen Arts Centre and have my blokes lunches. If I have to stop those things, life is not worth living. ‘‘The future is now. I’m in love. I’m surrounded by wonderful friends who have been, and will continue to be very supportive,’’ Morgan says. ‘‘Men have to realise they do get crook. Men and part- ners need to take their health seriously.’’ Help at hand for prostate cancer victims THE Alice Springs Prostate Cancer Support Group met this Thursday and will con- tinue to meet on the second Thursday of every month. Member Morgan Flint said there were about six active members of the group. But there were many people diagnosed with pros- tate cancer who did not attend. He encourages everyone who has the problem to attend, to know the facts and to have support. ‘‘We’re an expert group,’’ Mr Morgan said. ‘‘We know more about prostate cancer than many people.’’ Prostate cancer is the leading cause of death among non-Indigenous men in the Northern Territory and the second leading cause of death in Australia, after lung cancer. The risk of diagnosis in- creases with age. By the age of 75, one in eight men will have cancer of the prostate. The risk increases to one in six by the time a man reaches the age of 85. The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia re- ports that diagnosis of pros- tate cancer doubled be- tween 1998 and 2008, from 10,113 to 20,750. It estimates 120,000 men in Australia are living with prostate cancer. The Alice Springs Pros- tate Cancer Support Group meets from 6.30-8pm in the conference room at General Practice Network NT, 5 Skinner St. Nurses’ awards entries to close IF you want to nominate an outstanding nursing pro- fessional in the Northern Territory for the 2014 HESTA Australian Nursing Awards, the deadline is fast approaching. Nominations close on Fri- day, 28 February. HESTA CEO, Anne- Marie Corboy, is urging the public to get their nomi- nations in as soon as poss- ible to avoid missing their chance to acknowledge an individual or team. ‘‘These awards are now in their eighth year, and they ensure the professionalism and dedication of nurses, midwives, personal care at- tendants and assistants is recognised and celebrated,’’ she said. ‘‘We want to highlight the truly inspiring work per- formed by those working in nursing roles, hear from col- leagues, patients and em- ployers about the excep- tional nurses they know.’’ Nominees will be in the running for a $30,000 prize pool, generously provided by ME Bank, to be shared among the winners in three categories: Outstanding Graduate, Team Innovation and Nurse of the Year. Outstanding Graduate and Nurse of the Year Award winners each receive a $5,000 ME Bank EveryDay transaction account and $5,000 towards further educ- ation. The winner of the Team Innovation Award re- ceives a $10,000 development grant to help implement their program or initiative. Members of the public and those working in the health and community serv- ices sector can nominate a Nurse of the Year, while Outstanding Graduate nominations must come from Graduate Nurse Coor- dinators. Nursing teams can nominate themselves for the Team Innovation Award. Finalists will be an- nounced on April 15, with interstate finalists flown to Sydney for the awards din- ner on Thursday, May 8 where the winners will be announced. HESTA is the leading super fund for health and community services, with more than 760,000 members.

NEWS Morgan’s one who knows Nurses’ ‘MEN DO GET CROOK’ …€¦ · Morgan’s strongest plea to men who have been diag-nosed is to insist on being referred to an oncologist

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Page 1: NEWS Morgan’s one who knows Nurses’ ‘MEN DO GET CROOK’ …€¦ · Morgan’s strongest plea to men who have been diag-nosed is to insist on being referred to an oncologist

Centralian Advocate, Friday, February 14, 2014 — 17

DEPARTMENT OF SPORT, RECREATION AND RACING

Every enrolled, school-aged child across the Territory is entitled to receive a Sport Voucher up to the value of $75 to help with the cost of playing organised sport.

Vouchers are available from your school during February or by phoning 1800 045 678.

Have you received your $75 Sport Voucher for 2014? www.sportvoucher.nt.gov.au

Alice Springs residents are advised that as of

Monday 3 March 2014 the speed limit along

Gap Road between Traeger Avenue and Stott

Terrace will be reduced to 40km/h.

A map is available from the Council

website www.alicesprings.nt.gov.au

For more information please call Council on 8950 0500.

GAP ROAD SPEED LIMIT CHANGE

COMMUNITY

NOTICE

Phone: (08) 8950 0500 Web: www.alicesprings.nt.gov.au

Rex Mooney

&KLHI�([HFXWLYH�2I¿FHU

“A town like Alice”

NEWS

Morgan’s one who knows‘MEN DO GET CROOK’HEALTH REPORTER

Sasha Petrova

Morgan Flint has headed to Adelaide for treatment to battle cancer Picture: PHIL WILLIAMS

‘I don’t want men to

have the same

experience I had

’MOST men diagnosed withprostate cancer will die withit. Sadly, Morgan Flint sayshe will be one of the few ‘‘todie from it’’.

‘‘I’m not afraid to saythat,’’ Morgan’s voicebreaks as he raises hisglasses to wipe his eyes.

A teacher of history inAlice since 1999, Morgan iswell known figure in town.

‘‘Hello sir,’’ a young manwaves as he walks past thecoffee shop.

‘‘It’s not sir any more,’’ thenow retired Morgan laughsbefore his friendly face be-comes serious again.

‘‘I don’t want men to havethe same experience I had,’’he says.

It was in 2008 whenMorgan was diagnosed withprostate cancer. Now, at theage of 69, the cancer hasspread to his hips, ribs, spineand recently, he found out,his jaw.

This is despite the radicalprostatectomy he had afterthe first diagnosis. The can-cer had already ‘‘got out ofthe capsule’’ and the re-moval of Morgan’s prostatedid little to fix things.

‘‘They found the cancerhad in fact escaped from theprostate gland and therewere signs that had clearlyindicated that.

‘‘As a consequence, I hadsecondaries: hips, ribs andspine and now we know it’sgone into the jaw and prob-ably the adrenal glands.’’

Morgan’s strongest pleato men who have been diag-nosed is to insist on beingreferred to an oncologist.Most men, he says, are sentby their GP straight to aurologist, a surgeon who

usually recommends the re-moval of the prostate.

‘‘There are other options.There isn’t just one pathdirectly to the surgeon.’’

He recommends eitherseeing an oncologist or areferral to a teaching, publichospital where there is theoption to be seen by a teamof specialists: a dietician, aurologist, a radiotherapistand an oncologist.

On Monday, Morgan tooka self-funded trip to Ade-laide for eight days of radio-therapy.

‘‘After a few more tests,the next step for me isanother round of chemo-therapy for four or fivemonths. If it knocks the sh-t out of me, then I’ll stop.

‘‘I want my future to be agood one. As short as it maybe. I love travelling. I loveEurope. I love art.

‘‘I’ve always had a positiveattitude to life - I love it.

‘‘If I can’t go camping. If Ican’t do ushering at AraluenArts Centre and have myblokes lunches. If I have tostop those things, life is notworth living.

‘‘The future is now. I’m inlove. I’m surrounded bywonderful friends who havebeen, and will continue to bevery supportive,’’ Morgansays.

‘‘Men have to realise theydo get crook. Men and part-ners need to take theirhealth seriously.’’

Help at hand for prostate cancer victimsTHE Alice Springs ProstateCancer Support Group metthis Thursday and will con-tinue to meet on the secondThursday of every month.

Member Morgan Flintsaid there were about sixactive members of thegroup.

But there were many

people diagnosed with pros-tate cancer who did notattend.

He encourages everyonewho has the problem toattend, to know the factsand to have support.

‘‘We’re an expert group,’’Mr Morgan said.

‘‘We know more about

prostate cancer than manypeople.’’

Prostate cancer is theleading cause of deathamong non-Indigenous menin the Northern Territoryand the second leadingcause of death in Australia,after lung cancer.

The risk of diagnosis in-

creases with age. By the ageof 75, one in eight men willhave cancer of the prostate.

The risk increases to onein six by the time a manreaches the age of 85.

The Prostate CancerFoundation of Australia re-ports that diagnosis of pros-tate cancer doubled be-

tween 1998 and 2008, from10,113 to 20,750.

It estimates 120,000 men inAustralia are living withprostate cancer.

The Alice Springs Pros-tate Cancer Support Groupmeets from 6.30-8pm in theconference room at GeneralPractice Network NT, 5Skinner St.

Nurses’awardsentriesto closeIF you want to nominate anoutstanding nursing pro-fessional in the NorthernTerritory for the 2014HESTA Australian NursingAwards, the deadline isfast approaching.

Nominations close on Fri-day, 28 February.

HESTA CEO, Anne-Marie Corboy, is urging thepublic to get their nomi-nations in as soon as poss-ible to avoid missing theirchance to acknowledge anindividual or team.

‘‘These awards are now intheir eighth year, and theyensure the professionalismand dedication of nurses,midwives, personal care at-tendants and assistants isrecognised and celebrated,’’she said.

‘‘We want to highlight thetruly inspiring work per-formed by those working innursing roles, hear from col-leagues, patients and em-ployers about the excep-tional nurses they know.’’

Nominees will be in therunning for a $30,000 prizepool, generously provided byME Bank, to be sharedamong the winners in threecategories: OutstandingGraduate, Team Innovationand Nurse of the Year.

Outstanding Graduateand Nurse of the YearAward winners each receivea $5,000 ME Bank EveryDaytransaction account and$5,000 towards further educ-ation. The winner of theTeam Innovation Award re-ceives a $10,000 developmentgrant to help implementtheir program or initiative.

Members of the publicand those working in thehealth and community serv-ices sector can nominate aNurse of the Year, whileOutstanding Graduatenominations must comefrom Graduate Nurse Coor-dinators. Nursing teamscan nominate themselvesfor the Team InnovationAward.

Finalists will be an-nounced on April 15, withinterstate finalists flown toSydney for the awards din-ner on Thursday, May 8where the winners willbe announced.

HESTA is the leadingsuper fund for health andcommunity services, withmore than 760,000 members.