Support Groups: Worth Your Time

Having breast cancer is like having a part-time or full-time job – going from clinic to doctor’s office to labs to surgeon’s appointments, in addition to your regular activities – takes quite a bit of your time. I felt like I was living in a new country, which I called “Doctor-Rama” and “Chemoville” and from which I wanted an exit visa as soon as possible! Holding down a full-time job and doing the cancer patient gig was more than I felt like I really had time for. But a friend at work suggested, just before I started treatment, that I look into a support group.

“Oh really? How can I possibly fit that in? And anyway, I never know what to talk about in a roomful of women. What’s a support group good for anyway?” My friend explained that there could be educational benefits (I’m a fact junkie) and possibly emotional support. And she knew of a place near our office where I could attend a support group. So I went to a group for newly-diagnosed breast cancer patients, and learned a good deal about the disease, different kinds of treatment, wigs, skin care, financial arrangements, and about the benefits of just going to a support group. And I also learned that I was not facing this alone.

Here’s an article about the benefits of in-person and on-line support groups.