Have you attended support groups sinc... - SHARE Breast Canc...
Have you attended support groups since your diagnosis?
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I attended a self led group for women with metastatic breast cancer that had broken off from a general bc group at West Michigan Cancer Center for several years. It was a wonderful group of mostly women from their mid 40's to early 60s that met monthly. Unfortunately, the WMCC social worker who had referred most of us to the group left and we quit getting new members and eventually the group ended as members died. I think I am the last one living of all the women who attended the group. I miss members both as individuals and as group members. We attended funerals and wept for our losses. I probably have more "inner resources" than most as I am a former social worker who left that profession to become an Episcopal priest and did alot of pastoral care including with the dying and those with cancer.
I did, but it was kinda awful. . . the lady who led it obviously was using the group as a platform for telling her story (with great dramatics and flourish) and she wasn't interested at all in listening to or supporting anyone else. Even worse she would play little doctor and diagnose people (without having seen any of their lab tests, MRIs, X-Rays, nothing - - and get people super upset when she would exclaim "I can't imagine why they would do that!!!" to unsuspecting guests. I went once, it was more than enough. She asked way too many nosy questions and talked down to me the whole time
I'm sorry to hear that, it sounds awful. Hopefully you'll be able to find a better one if you need it.
Gilda's Club as a lifesaver. The moderators broke the rules and allowed people who were no longer in active treatment to remain in the group - YAY!! Then Life Transitions took over and the group was reduced because some were not in active treatment...it was very traumatic to lose people for that reason! Eventually there weren't enough people to maintain a group and they closed. Wouldn't it have been better to keep the group going for all of us rather than have nothing???
Even those of us who are in remission need support because we still feel like we have the ax hanging over our heads. We can also encourage those who are in recovery.
I had to hunt for a support group, since my hospital doesn't have one. The one at a nearby hospital welcomed me!
I really could use a support group but I've been dragging my feet. Every time I read of someone dying of breast cancer it scares me, these women were fighting the disease for years and they died!!
