Survivor Stories: Participants Speak
At The Wellness Community, we believe that we can encourage and inspire each other through sharing our stories.
Stacey Hartmann: Why emotional health is more than
just a positive attitude.
A better quality of life
While my doctors and nurses take care of my physical needs, my support group provides emotional strength. Cancer and cancer treatment can be so overwhelming that it takes over your life but Wellness has taught me how to manage the stress and fear that inevitably comes up. Going to a weekly support group has enhanced my quality of life, without a doubt.
Feel safe enough to share all your emotions
At the Wellness Community, I’ve learned that coping successfully with cancer is more than just having a “positive attitude.” It’s important to recognize and acknowledge all the emotions that come up – even the negative ones. Sometimes it’s hard to share those feelings with friends and family members. But at TWC, I feel safe discussing any of my fears or concerns – no topic is taboo. My group members really do understand everything I’m going through.
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Wolfgang Heinritz: Still thriving after 23 years
Meeting the right people is everything
I was given the big C sentence in 1984 and here I am still thriving. Since illness is supposed to be the night side of life, TWC has kept me awake for 23 years and the treatment goes on. TWC saved my life and made it bearable. I will be forever grateful. It allowed me to meet the only people I can really discuss my disease with, my fellow cancer survivors, who I meet with every Thursday evening at TWC.
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Don Fitzgerald: There is life
after cancer and it can be great
For the first time in my life, I’m proud to be among a group of people referred to as NERDS – No Evidence of Recurring Disease, in my Life After Cancer Group. This is my second bout of cancer, and The Wellness Community is like a second family to me, now. I am a newcomers’ meeting leader and I’ve been a TWC spokesperson for the Tour of California, and the Strike Out Cancer campaign. I will give back as much as humanly possible – TWC means that much to me.
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Diana Longacre: Oncology nurse and veteran
fundraiser celebrates five years of being cancer free
Celebrating a life filled with meaning
In March 2006 I celebrated my five year anniversary of being breast cancer free! It is especially meaningful because I work for Kaiser Walnut Creek Clinic as an Oncology Nurse. Initially, I felt an obligation to participate in every cancer-related fundraiser, to make a difference. After years of raising funds for cancer organizations, I became curious about where and how these funds were being used. My research revealed the monies were not always being spent as I thought they should have been.
Taking a hands on approach brings rich rewards
I shifted my focus to local organizations where I could use a “hands on” approach to help and raise funds. I am very proud to be affiliated with The Wellness Community. I love sharing the knowledge I’ve gained from this vital organization, recognized as the premier provider of psychosocial support services. The Wellness Community is a truly outstanding and cost-efficient organization offering a beacon of hope in our diligent fight against this dreaded disease.
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Stu Klitsner: A prostate cancer survivor copes with
the death of his wife
A husband and wife gain knowledge and support
Stu Klitsner, a prostate cancer survivor, started coming to The Wellness Community shortly after his wife, Rhoda, was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 1997. “We came the first time because a doctor was speaking about multiple myeloma,” Stu says. “We wanted to learn as much as we could about prognosis and treatments. We kept coming back for the support groups. We went every week. It gave us a focus and they gave us total support.”
His wife joined a support group for cancer patients and Stu joined one for caregivers. “We learned what sort of questions to ask the doctor, and what treatments to explore with our medical team,” Stu says.
When his wife died, Stu kept coming to The Wellness Community. He explained that he didn’t feel so alone. “You could explore your feelings – shared heartbreaks and hopes – together,” he says. “I got close to a lot of wonderful people I wouldn’t have known otherwise. Later, when I was diagnosed with cancer, I felt I was already part of a true community of helpful people.”
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Lois Phelps: Patient and caregiver groups support an
entire family
Wellness Community volunteer is also a recipient of services
The Wellness Community’s volunteer librarian, Lois Phelps, experienced the death of both her husband and her son to cancer. “My husband didn’t want to attend a support group at first, but my daughter and I insisted he try it,” she says. “He was a strong, obstinate individual. He ultimately found the group to be very helpful in dealing with his own issues. The separate group for caregivers helped me to know how to support my husband. When he went into remission he became a leader in the Newcomer Groups for years, until his cancer returned. After losing my husband and my son, I went to the Family Transition group. I found it so helpful to be involved with people my age, in the same situation.”
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Ali Desiderio: Making friends with the ‘new normal’
Finding out what is important
"The experience of having cancer changes your perspective" explained Ali Desiderio, a five-year lung cancer survivor and longtime Wellness Community volunteer. "All the stuff that might have upset you before just rolls off your back now. There comes a point (after cancer) where you resume your life, but it's not quite the same. Just below the surface, it is always there — when you go in for CT or PET scans — the anxiety about what they might find. It takes you right back to that first diagnosis."
A sense of connection can improve your quality of life
Ali said that "normal is not quite the normal it was before." It's what her facilitator, Sue Rose, called the "new normal". Surviving is also about appreciating and enjoying life. She added, "If emotionally you cannot continue to go on, then the cancer has won. With the Wellness Community, once you become involved, it mushrooms. I felt a sense of connection and received lots of caring, concern and valuable information from my support groups. Members of my original group have stayed in touch over the years. Along the way, I realized that if I am surviving, then I want to help someone else. I wanted my life to have meaning. As a volunteer, I have found that meaning."
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