Page 2 - Scleroderma Support Group NZ Newsletter Autumn 2017 - Issue 31

President's Report with the health system for the common good of scleroderma
patients in regards to developing a national monitoring
programme. This will be a big experience I'm sure, but it I will
Greetings to you all for 2017 have a very positive outcome for us all.

In the mean time I am very fortunate to have a GP and
It has been a very unsettled summer so far specialist immunology team to help monitor my bloods for
and I am keeping my fingers crossed for kidney function and blood pressure.

some more heat for February. This means every three months I will head off to the GP for
the checks, this is interim, between my usual annual specialist
checks. Some of you may already have these checks due to the
We have had a small taste medications you are on, but some of us are stable and may
of it here in Wellington not be on any monitoring tests between specialist visits.
this week. It has been a
busy time for Gordon and I highly recommend that you organise this with your GP if you
me on a personal note are in this situation. As you all know it is very important to
with four flower shows keep an eye on our blood pressure and kidney function along
since September with our with liver function, thyroid etc. A good relationship with your
last one on the 4th & 5th GP and practise nurse is worth its weight in gold.
of February, which was a
begonia, fuchsia and dahlia On the 28th of February it will be Rare Disease Day check out
www.rarediseaseday.org.nz/ for details.
show, a lot of work and
support from all the good
Thank you all again for your ongoing support and friendship,
folk in Wellington and we have a special caring group, which is much appreciated.
Lower Hutt and beyond.
President Diane and Hami
Barbara Spavin did very Looking forward to seeing you all in May.
at Wellington's February
well in her flower and citrus
meeting.
classes too! Take Care and Good Health to you all.
Judy Trewartha has been Dianne
very busy raising funds for Scleroderma NZ with her beautiful
quilt-making - a huge thank you to Judy for all her efforts,
which are very much appreciated, and to all of you out there
who supported buying raffle tickets.

Gordon and I were one of the very lucky ones to receive a
winning lap quilt. It is full of lots of cheerful colours and
heart-filled shapes, which makes it a very comforting quilt
indeed, and it will be treasured always.

2017 Seminar

We are looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible
at our seminar on the 6th of May here in Wellington. We have
a very good line-up of speakers, good food and of course a
perfect chance for us all to meet up again.

We have World Scleroderma Day coming around the corner
too, this year our Wellington group is joining the Palmerston
North group in an art exhibition at Square Edge in Palmerston
North from 21st of June to the 18th of July. Wellington will
also have a display at the Wellington Hospital between 26th of
- 30th of June. We will be raffling a quilt to raise funds for an Paul Klee, a renowned painter whose death in
MRI machine at Wellington Hospital. 1940 marks World Scleroderma day. He died on 29
June from scleroderma and is buried near Bern in
This year my main focus will be starting a lengthy process
Switzerland.

www.scleroderma.org.nz