Westlake Village group an oasis for people with cancer
By Tom Kisken, Ventura County Star, Calif. | |
McClatchy-Tribune Information Services |
Purple, decorated with dangling wine corks and part of a Cups of Courage project, it sat on a table surrounded by eight women, all diagnosed with breast cancer.
Like everything else at the
"On 12-12-12, I was diagnosed with breast cancer for the second time," Buchanan told a newcomer to the group, running her hands through hair she once dyed blond but is now a balance of salt and pepper. "I'm 16 months after chemotherapy and I love my mane."
Once known as the
It serves 3,200 people from
They come for workshops on radiation side effects and the swelling called lymphedema. They come for yoga, watercolor painting, anxiety reduction and a class on the Chinese healing art
During a June picnic, butterflies are released in a garden in a flight called "Wings of Hope." People with a disease that can be isolating gather for ice cream socials, karaoke and comedy nights.
Every event carries the same message as the sign in the lobby warning visitors not to wear perfumes or scented lotions.
"A lot of times when people are going through chemotherapy, they have strong reactions to odors and smells," said President
Some of the organization's many support groups are aimed at people with cancer in early stages. Others are for people with malignancies that are spreading. There are groups for all cancer survivors, people diagnosed with prostate cancer and children who have parents or siblings with cancer. A new program was formed for men who are caregivers.
A year ago, the
Many of the groups meet at the organization's home on
She set up an appointment with a surgeon and then, not knowing what else to do, finished her business meetings. She spent the night in a hotel room researching cancer on her laptop.
Every click made her more overwhelmed, more scared.
"I should have gone to a bar," she joked at a Monday night meeting for women diagnosed with early-stage cancer.
They sat in easy chairs and a sectional sofa, sharing stories, advice and empathy about everything: migraines that may be linked to radiation; night sweats that cause one woman to sleep with a full-body ice pack; and uncomfortable conversations with doctors.
They talked about not telling co-workers about their cancer. They shared stories about radiation, scars, reconstructive surgery and the T-shirt that says, "Yes, they're fake. My real ones tried to kill me."
She took care of herself. She spent time with her husband and their two boys, ages 5 and 9. She baked bread. She practiced meditation at a Buddhist center.
"I have changed so much," she said, thinking of a life before where she juggled work, volunteering and family. "I thought I had my priorities in order and now I realize I had them all wrong."
The perspective makes her look at her cancer in a way that makes "the others" look at her like a deer mesmerized by an oncoming car.
"It's a gift," she said of her cancer. "It gave me the lesson but without killing me in the process."
Others in the group said the same thing. Cancer took their hair and, in some cases, parts of their body. It brought fear that will never completely recede.
But the disease also gave them a chance to look at their lives and to change. They said it empowered them.
"Absolutely," said Trudel.
CANCER OASIS
Brand:
History: Nurses Marty Nason and Beth Kin started raising money and planning for the support organization 26 years ago, modeling it after the
Operation: Runs as an independent nonprofit but is affiliated with an international network called the
Services: Serves about 3,200 people through educational workshops, events and support groups. Provides programs in
Programs: https://www.cancersupportvvsb.org/program-calendars/
More: To learn about the
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(c)2014 Ventura County Star (Camarillo, Calif.)
Visit Ventura County Star (Camarillo, Calif.) at www.vcstar.com
Distributed by MCT Information Services
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