THE PURPLE LUPIN KIT
The Purple Lupin Kit is a small white box designed for the woman newly diagnosed with breast cancer in Newfoundland and Labrador. It is distributed by health practitioners across the province, typically general surgeons, but the kits are also available through cancer centres and hospital preadmission departments.
Contents of the Purple Lupin Kit
- Intelligent Patient Guide to Breast Cancer: All you need to know to take an active part in your treatment. Ivo Olivotto MD, Karen Gelmon MD and Urve Kuusk MD. Vancouver: Intelligent Patient Guide, 1998.
- Questions and answers on breast cancer: A guide for women and their physicians. Ottawa: Canadian Medical Association, 1998. This booklet is based on Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Care and Treatment of Breast Cancer: a Canadian Consensus Document.
- Breast Cancer: Questions You Might Ask. PEI: Atlantic Breast Cancer Information Project, 1995.
- Breast Cancer Support and Services in Newfoundland and Labrador (pdf). St. John's: The Purple Lupin Project, 2005.
- Lymphedema: A Guide for Women with Breast Cancer, 2008.
- The Path to Diagnosis (pdf). Eastern Health.
- Letter to the recipient of the kit (see below)
Introductory Letter
Because you have recently been diagnosed with breast cancer, you may have a lot of questions and concerns. Perhaps you are finding it hard to make decisions about your treatment. You may have questions but do not know where to find answers.
This information package has been prepared with the advice of women who have been in the same position you are in now. They know from experience that information helps to control feelings of anxiety. The information in this package may help you to cope.
The books and pamphlets were chosen to provide you with as much detail as possible. Please do not feel you have to read everything from cover to cover. Start with the information you need most. Ask your family and friends to use this information package as well to help find answers to your questions.
Today, the majority of women survive breast cancer. If you need to talk with a woman who has also been diagnosed with breast cancer, look at the information about support groups in this package.
You may also want to read one or two chapters in the book "All You Need to Know to Take an Active Part in Your Treatment". This may help you to talk to your family doctor, surgeon or oncologist about your treatment and recovery. We sincerely hope you find this information package useful. You are not alone.