Why is Having a Good Support Network So Important?

SEPTEMBER 2017

National Ovarian Cancer Awareness

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Inside this issue:

Why is having 1 a good support network so important?

Speaking,

2

Woman to

Woman

Upcoming 4 Events

Coping with Cancer

Managing a cancer diagnosis

Why is Having a Good Support Network So Important?

Did you know that having a circle of close friends and family who make you feel hopeful, encouraged and supported can improve your physical and emotional health and wellbeing?

There have been many studies conducted over the past 20 years that demonstrate positive associations between supportive, nurturing relationships and improved health outcomes. In fact, some studies indicate that having a good relationship with someone not only has a positive biological effect on our bodies, but can help us live longer - even with chronic diseases like cancer.

In other words, a healthy relationship can reduce stress levels and improve our immune systems, which helps us fight diseases better.

Healthy relationships can also have positive effects on the health choices we make. For example, members of our friends and family circles may prompt us to get regular checkups or to participate in health

screening programs so that cancer can be diagnosed, and treated, earlier.

Members of our social network may also encourage us to eat healthier, exercise more, abstain from health-damaging behaviors such as cigarette smoking or drinking too much alcohol,. They can also encourage us to attend all scheduled followup visits with oncologists and primary care providers.

On the flip side, social isolation or having unhealthy relationships can cause us enough emotional distress that we feel worse and may even have poorer health. And, if stress starts to build in a relationship, it could be a signal that its time to get help from a licensed social worker or counselor.

Some people may find that being with others who are experiencing similar physical or emotional challenges can be helpful too. For instance, joining a support group is a good way to find people who understand what you're

going through.

Having someone who shares a similar experience, especially when it comes to managing a health condition like cancer, provides a sense of belonging and connectivity, and a way to share and receive information.

No matter how you choose to do it, having a safe place with people who make us feel accepted, supported, valued and validated as we try to cope with cancer, move beyond it, and heal.

To learn more about the cancer support groups that can help you get through a cancer experience, go to UAB's Comprehensive Cancer Center website at:

http:// c.uab.edu/ cancer-center-supportgroups/

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To learn more about the

Woman to Woman program, Call

(205) 934-5761 or email

sharma87@uab.edu

Woman to Woman: Support for women with gynecological cancer "We're here to help, listen and discuss your concerns, and sometimes, just to hold your hand."

In 2014, when the UAB's Division of Gynecologic Oncology received a $50,000 grant from the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund to start a new, one-on-one support program for women with gynecologic cancers, Beverly Martin, RN, and nurse coordinator of the division's infusion clinic was elated. "Having a program where our patients could talk to someone who has walked the walk, made all the difference in the world," says Martin. "We can provide our patients the best care in the world and much information they need to manage their cancers. But, for a patient to hear from another woman who has actually experienced the same physical symptoms and emotional challenges that she's facing is powerful medicine."

Ayushe Sharma, program coordinator for Woman to Woman, says that she feels inspired everyday by

the both the new patients she meets and the women she trains to be volunteer mentors. Sharma says that it was her own personal health crisis that helped her understand how much a patient can need to be with others who know what she's going through. "I felt very much alone, especially being so young. My family was helpful, but I really needed someone to hold my hand, answer my questions and tell me it was going to be all right. I just felt so alone."

Continued on Page 3....

UAB's Comprehensive Cancer

Center. Visit us on the web at:

"Is my relationship breaking down?"

Some of the warning signs that a relationship in your network may not be providing what you need can be:

Frequent misunderstandings or disagreements. Use of criticism, sarcasm or name calling. Fewer expressions of love and affection. Feeling hurt by things that person says or does. Feeling overwhelmed by the emotional needs of others. Physical and emotional withdrawal by you or your loved one. A reluctance to ask for needed help or support.

Coping with Cancer

Page 3

Woman to Woman, continued from page 2

Woman to Woman was founded to give women hope, and the special insights that can only come from having a personal, gynecological cancer experience. Volunteers, who have completed their own cancer treatment, are trained to serve as mentors, advisors, and friends. And, they are dedicated to stay with a patient throughout the duration of the diagnosis, or as long as they are needed.

"When you're faced with your own mortality, and don't know what to expect, it's overwhelming," says Cheryl Bourn, speaking about her own experiences with ovarian cancer. Bourn is a trained Woman to Woman mentor and served as president of Can Survive, a support group for women with gynecologic cancers. She also mentioned that sometimes women, who are so accustomed to being the caregiver, often don't know how to ask for help. "Talking with someone who has been there really does make all the difference in how you feel and what you believe about how you can cope and manage."

The Woman to Woman program is free and available to UAB gynecological patients. New patients can request a mentor during a clinic visit or call for more information. Once the coordinator knows what a patient needs, she is matched to a mentor with a similar age and life experience.

To learn more about the Woman to Woman program,

Call: (205) 934-5761, or

Email: sharma87@uab.edu

"She gives me so much hope."

Here is what some of the patients of UAB's Gynecologic Cancer Division are saying about the Woman to Woman support program:

"I was afraid to ask my care team about what I should expect with treatment because I wasn't sure I really wanted to know. Talking with someone who's been there just makes me feel stronger by the day."

"I just didn't know how my surgery and treatment would affect my work, social and family life. It was good to hear how someone else is coping."

"I didn't know where to turn for information or what to read. I was even afraid to get on the internet because there's just so much scary stuff out there. My mentor suggested I just wait until I'm ready to know more. And, she let me know that what I was feeling was perfectly normal."

"It was so inspiring to have someone who has been where I am right now and to see them doing so well. She gives me so much hope."

UAB COMPREHENSIVE CANCER CENTER

Wallace Tumor Institute

1824 6th Avenue South

Phone: 205.934-5772 E-mail:

tgw318@uab.edu

We're on the Web!

Page 4

Writing Through Cancer: When life hurts, writing helps.

Cancer survivors can find solace and purpose in writing about their experiences with cancer.

Researchers have found that writing about traumatic, stressful or emotional events, like coping and managing a cancer diagnosis, can improve our physical, emotional and spiritual wellbeing.

And, now UAB's Comprehensive Cancer Center is offering patients, survivors and caregivers a free opportunity to learn how to write to feel better equipped to cope over the course of a 6-week program.

Lead by professional writer, Lucy Jaffe, and storyteller, Elizabeth Vander Camp, you'll learn how to use expressive writing as therapy to get through the trauma, pain and anxiety of a cancer diagnosis. You do not need experience or materials. Space is limited, so register soon!

When:

Wednesday Evenings from 5:30 ? 7:30 pm September 27? November 1

Where: UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, ROOM WTI 220

To Register: tgw318@uab.edu

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Mind Body Techniques to Cope with the Stresses of Cancer

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