Tuesday, August 7, 2012

My first breast cancer support meeting


I’m not sure what I expected when I attended my first breast cancer support group but I don’t think that was it.  I did like the devotional and the opening prayer.  I did like meeting new people that have been, or are going, through the same things I have been through.  I did like the lady in the back of the room that smiled the entire time as she updated the group on her Stage IV diagnosis and that even though she just started getting her hair back it will be gone again soon as she starts her 3rd set of chemo.  She inspired me. 
Do you sense a “but” coming?  While everyone was nice I felt like most of the ladies were there to discuss the upcoming banquet and BC conference and yard sale.  It seemed if you weren’t going through treatment then you didn’t speak.  And no one spoke of how they were feeling, handling things (other than the physical demands of chemo), how their spouses are handling things, etc.
Where’s the emotional support?  I could get what they had going on at any group meeting where fundraising is discussed.  It saddened me that there were 18-20 women in the room there was no support.  I take that back……when someone mentioned that they had a scan coming up and they were anxious about it the moderator told everyone to pray for her. 
I don’t know if I will go back again or not.  I do know that I’d like to go to a support group meeting where I can feel the emotional support and not all the fundraising.
Just my 2 cents.

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