VACO
VULVA AWARENESS CAMPAIGN ORGANISATION
Welcome!
Hi, My name is Carol and in 2001I was diagnosed with vulval cancer at the age of 47!
To date I have been 8 years cancer free!
I decided to set up a support group when I was 5 months post op as I felt isolated, scared and very frightened after I had just had such extensive surgery.I badly needed to talk with other Ladies who had been through the same diagnosis and surgery as I had been through, hence VACO was born in August 2001. It all started with a few posters and cards which were circulated to hopsitals in the
When I received that very first call little did I realise this would be my first step to making a far better recovery than I had ever thought possible. To date over 1,300 Ladies have been in contact with me for support and information, all whom has been through the same or similar surgery as myself and the numbers keep on growing.
VACO is now Internationally recognised and supported, and supports Ladies from all over the world.
The VACO website was set up out of respect for all ladies who have struggled with vulval cancer, and the other vulval diseases and disorders, and have also had to go through vulva surgery, to all you ladies I say...
There is Hope! Please do not ever give up. We are here to support you!
I am coming up to my 8th Anniversary of being cancer free on the 24th April this year, and still doing very well.
You can beat this as many other Ladies are also beating this too!
To contact VACO please email vacouk@yahoo.com and we will do our best to get back to you as soon as possible, usually within 2./3 day but if your enquiry is urgent you can call VACO on 0161 747 5911 where there is 24 hour helpline available for Ladies in desperate need of help and support. The helpline is available 365 days a year, including all Bank holidays and during the whole of the Christmas period.
We are happy to call you back if you need us too, but please ask us to do this when you call us.
Please do not misuse this valuable service, you could prevent a Lady in desperate need of support accessing support
Thank you.
Carol
Please check out the new Biospy Aftercare Information at the following link:
http://www.vaco.co.uk/biopsyaftercareinfo.htm
&
Information for Carer's at the following link:
Health Leader Award 2007
Health Leader Awards 2007 are currently being presented to websites that lead the way in patient education. In particular, we look for websites that:
The awards were created because of demand from visitors to our own website, Irritable Bowel Syndrome Treatment. Many visitors wanted to recommend health websites that they have found useful.
We therefore decided to set up the Health Leader Awards to reward websites that are squarely on the side of the patient.
Read what the experts say!!!
Cancer of the vulva is relatively rare, affecting in the main, women over the age of 60, although younger women can still present with pre-invasive and invasive vulval cancer.
The exact cause of vulval cancer is at present unknown, but several risk factors have been suggested including: chronic inflammatory vulval disorders, benign inflammatory conditions, Human Papilloma Virus infection, advanced age, smoking and environmental factors.
Vulval cancer can present with a number of symptoms. Whilst itching is the most common indication of an early cancer, it can also signify a number of other, non-malignant vulval conditions and as such requires the early attention of a medical practitioner. The most common symptom of vulval cancer is a mass or a lump, associated with itching.
Other symptoms may include bleeding, discharge and a degree of vulval pain and/or painful intercourse. As a result of recent Government policy all women suspected as having a vulval cancer by their General Practitioner must be referred to a Gynaecologist and an appointment made, to be seen within two weeks.
Treatment for vulval cancer includes surgery, radiotherapy and occasionally chemotherapy, and is dependant upon the clinical stage of the cancer. Treatment is planned on an individual basis, taking into account the wishes and concerns of each woman
The overall prognosis for cancer of the vulva is very good, particularly if diagnosed early. Women should therefore be encouraged to undertake self examination and to seek early medical advice should they become concerned of any physical change in the vulval area.
Mr Richard Slade FRCS MRCOG
Consultant Gynaecological
Annette Halliwell RN BSC(Hons)
Gynaecology Oncology Clinical
Written for VACO © 2003
The Venus Appeal
Please take a few minutes to have a look around the venusappeal website, which is an excellent website and has information for all the gynae cancers, including signs and symptoms of all these cancers, and what kind of treatment you can expect and lots more important information, including links to the relevant support groups.
Thank You
Legal Disclaimer
Legal disclaimer
Always consult your own GP if you're in any way concerned about your health.
If in doubt, Please have it checked out!
New Information
VACO would like to thank Shewee for their very recent generous donation and continued support http://www.shewee.com/lessmobile-surgery.html
All the Ladies from VACO would like to thank http://www.shewee.com/ for succeeding in making the Shewee available on prescriptions from your GP or you can also ask the ward which you will be admitted too to order you one.
They can easily order one for you and the order No for Shewee on the Drug Tariff is SW01
Do not allow anyone to fob you off when you request one, although you may have to wait a couple of days for the order to come through.
Shewee are, at this moment taking measures to make sure all GP's PCT - hospitals are aware this is now available for them to order for their patients on the NHS and the drug number for ordering them is being circulated to them all.
It is worth noting, if you do have to pay for your prescriptions it will be cheaper to order your shewee from the order line at http://www.shewee.com/buyonline/products.php Also check this page out for suppliers up and down the country http://www.shewee.com/stockist.html
After April 1st all cancer patients will not have to pay for their prescriptions. You can obtain your exemption corticated by filling in form FP92A from your GP and handing it back to your surgery where you Doctor will sign your form and then post if on for you.
For more information please see
If you live outside the
http://www.shewee.com/worldstockist.html
Please take some time out to read Sheilas updated experience which can be found at the following link....
http://www.vaco.co.uk/sheilasexperiencepdt.htm
Thank You!
Donations
Donations
Please help us to continue to raise awarweness of vulval cancer, by providing self examination leaflets to Ladies, and the importance of Ladies doing a vulva self exmaination, by making a small donation or purchasing one of our pins, you will be helping us to continue to educate Ladies all over the world.
This is safely and easily done with Paypal Button below
Thank you
Your Support is important to us!!!
