Group support

I joined a support group at my local Wellspring Centre. Its a wonderful place with varied activities from group discussions to journaling to art therapy. There is also a lending library.

I was nervous about attending the group meeting. I was afraid of what I would discover about others and about my own condition. I'm still feeling that I've been handed a death sentence. Its a tough feeling to shake off. There is a culture around (breast) cancer and I don't want to be part of it but here I am.

The support group is lead by a very skilled facilitator. Each member of the group has a chance to speak if they want to and share their personal experience - age, type of breast cancer, treatment progression, outcomes, fears, concerns, whatever.

I was the only one who hadn't started my treatment yet. The others were much further ahead, some had already finished. Two people were being treated for the second time as the cancer had returned. Two people were now receiving Herceptin as their tissue samples had been re-tested now that this drug is available to them.