Calamvale Family Practice

Happy National Blood Donor Week

Kids deserve a life in colour. To roll down green hills and splash in blue oceans. To pick a yellow flower. To choose their favourite colour (and change it twice a day). Sick kids maybe even more so. Your 10 donations make life possible for children with serious illnesses and injuries.

National Blood Donor Week is all about you.
You deserve a life in colour, too.
So, Lifeblood wanted to do something special to celebrate you and your donations.
Lifeblood is celebrating National Blood Donor Week with a bandage by Aussie artist David Booth, inspired by drawings by kids in hospital, until 19 July.

David went to visit the kids at the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide and asked them to draw what they love about life. Even with all they’ve been through, they still shared so much.
Their joy. Their passions. The drawings were silly, creative, fun. And vibrantly colourful.

Donate 8 June – 19 July for a special donor bandage.
You'll leave your next donation with a special donor bandage featuring a wonky frog, a dapper dog and a crocodile with a smile. Based on drawings by sick kids.

JUNE 8 is WORLD BRAIN TUMOR AWARENESS DAY.

Generalized Symptoms:
These are common because the skull cannot expand to accommodate a growing mass or swelling (increased intracranial pressure).
Headaches: Often the most common symptom. They tend to be worse in the morning, wake you from sleep, or worsen when coughing, straining, or bending over.
Nausea and Vomiting: Especially when waking up in the morning.
Cognitive Issues: Unexplained fatigue, drowsiness, confusion, memory loss, or difficulty concentrating.
Personality Changes: Sudden shifts in mood, anxiety, depression, or uncharacteristic behaviours.

Localized (Focal) Symptoms:
Signs vary drastically depending on which lobe or area the tumor is affecting:
Frontal Lobe: Weakness on one side of the body, balance issues, and changes in personality or judgment.
Parietal Lobe: Sensory issues, difficulty understanding language, or spatial/visual problems.
Occipital Lobe: Partial or complete vision loss.
Temporal Lobe: Memory problems, seizures, or experiencing strange smells or tastes.
Cerebellum: Clumsiness, loss of balance, or difficulty walking.

Other Common Signs
• Seizures: Can be a first sign and include convulsions, twitches in limbs, or brief staring and unresponsive episodes.
• Sensory Changes: Blurry or double vision, hearing loss, or ringing in the ears.
• Motor Weakness: Numbness, tingling, or weakness in specific limbs or parts of the face.
While many of these symptoms can be caused by other less serious conditions, you should consult a healthcare professional for any new, unexplained, or worsening neurological symptoms.