Lee Health’s Cancer Support Community

FORECAST FROM GULF COAST WEATHER. >> CANCER IS A DIAGNOSIS THAT NOBODY WANTS TO GET. BUT MILLIONS OF PEOPLE ARE DIAGNOSED WITH IT EACH YEAR. AND AS ANY CANCER SURVIVOR WILL TELL YOU, IT TAKES A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM YOUR COMMUNITY FROM YOUR FAMILY TAKES A VILLAGE TO MAKE IT THROUGH. AND THAT’S REALLY HEALTH IS STEPPING IN TO HELP OUT WITH THEIR CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY. JOINING ME IN THE STUDIO IS MELISSA SUMMERS AND THE MANAGER OF THE PROGRAM AS WELL AS THAT CHILDRESS, ONE OF THE CANCER COMMUNITY SUPPORT MEMBERS. THANK YOU BOTH. LADIES FOR BEING HERE. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THIS IS A WONDERFUL REESE’S. I WAS JUST SAYING MY FAMILY, MY FATHER IS GOING THROUGH CANCER AND IT DOES TAKE A VILLAGE AND I DIDN’T REALIZE THAT THESE TYPES OF RESOURCES WERE HERE FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY GOING THROUGH IT. ABSOLUTELY. YES, WE ARE OPEN TO ANYBODY IMPACTED BY CANCER IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. >> SO THAT INCLUDES PATIENTS WHO ARE GOING THROUGH A CANCER JOURNEY. SURVIVORS THAT HAVE COMPLETED TREATMENT AND AS WELL AS THEIR CAREGIVERS AND SUPPORT PEOPLE. OUR SERVICES ARE FREE NO COST TO PARTICIPATE IN ANY OF THE PROGRAMMING. AND IT’S REALLY THE ONLY PROGRAM OF ITS TYPE BETWEEN SARASOTA AND MIAMI. WOW. AND IT JUST STARTED IN AUGUST. HE SAID, CORRECT, LACK CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY IS A GLOBAL ORGANIZATION. AND THEN WE OPENED OUR LOCATION AT LEE HEALTH IN AUGUST. SO SO HAPPY TO BRING IT TO SOUTHWEST FLORIDA. IT’S WONDERFUL BEST. UNFORTUNATELY, YOU HAVE HAVE >> GOTTEN THAT NEWS AND I CAN’T IMAGINE GETTING YES, BUT YOU ARE PART OF THIS COMMUNITY, IF YOU COULD TELL US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE, AM. SO I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH METASTATIC CANCER IN 2019 AND UNFORTUNATELY, THROUGHOUT THAT JOURNEY, I HAVE QUITE OFTEN VERY ALONE. SO WHEN I WAS INTRODUCED TO THE CANCER SUPPORT COMMUNITY A COUPLE NTHS AGO, I REALLY HAVE FELT A SENSE OF BELONGING AND THEY OFFER A MYRIAD OF CLASSES AND SUPPORT GROUPS. I’VE TRIED TO PARTICIPATE IN EVERYTHING THAT I CAN AGREE. THEY HAVE EVERYTHING FROM YOGA TO THESE SOUND FULL HEALING, BREATH, MEDITATION AND MULTIPLE SUPPORT GROUPS. SO THIS IS JUST BEEN A WONDERFUL PROGRAM. I KNOW THAT WHEN YOU’RE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING LIKE THIS, YOU LOOK AT EVERYBODY ELSE LIVING THEIR LIVES NORMALLY IN YUKON. I’M GOING THROUGH CRISIS OVER HERE. IT MUST BE NICE TO BE ABLE TO BE WITH OTHERS WHO UNDERSTAND I WOULD THINK BEING TOGETHER, MAYBE THE BIGGEST BENEFIT. YES, ABSOLUTELY. SO I AM PROVIDED WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO INTERACT WITH MY PEERS ON A DAILY BASIS. YOU KNOW, INTERACTING WITH MY PEERS IS WHAT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I HAVE A SENSE OF BELONGING NOW AND IT REALLY IS A WONDERFUL BENEFIT OF THIS PROGRAM. IT IS A WONDERFUL RESOURCE. YOU MENTIONED SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE AVAILABLE. IT SOUNDS LIKE IT’S IT’S AGAIN, A WHOLE MYRIAD OF THINGS FOR FOR REALLY ANYBODY, ALL AGES, ALL INTERESTS. ABSOLUTELY. YES, WE HAVE MONTHLY EDUCATION CLASSES. >> DIFFERENT CANCER RELATED TOPICS THAT ARE TAUGHT BY VARIOUS HEALTH CARE PROFESSIONALS. WE HAVE SUPPORT GROUPS LIKE BETH MENTIONED AND INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING AS WELL. WE HAVE SOCIAL ACTIVITIES LIKE WE HAD LEARN TO PLAY. MY JEAN CLASS LED WHAT WE A BRACELET MAKING BEATING ALL DIFFERENT TYPES OF A BOOK CLUB. WE ALSO HAVE OUR HEALTHY LIFESTYLE ACTIVITIES, WHICH A VARIETY OF EXERCISE CLASSES, PAHLAV LYMPHATIC FLOW, YOGA. THIS AFTERNOON. WE HAVE ACHIEVED ON CLASS. THAT’S AMAZING. SO, YES, IT’S A LITTLE BIT OF EVERYTHING FOR EVERYBODY. I KNOW SO MANY PEOPLE OUT THERE. I THINK ALL OF US HAVE BEEN TOUCHED BY CANCER. HOW CAN WE FIND OUT MORE ON HOW CAN WE GET INVOLVED? YES, WE ARE LOCATED AT THE REGIONAL CANCER CENTRE WITH LE HEALTH CANCER INSTITUTE, WHICH IS RIGHT OFF OF COLONIAL CENTER DRIVE. OUR WEBSITE IS LEE HEALTH DOT ORG FORWARD SLASH CSC OR YOU CAN GIVE US A CALL AT 239-343-9310. AND WE’RE HAPPY TO GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION AND GET YOU SIGNED UP AND SUCH A WONDERFUL RESOURCE. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY. YOU LOOK FANTASTIC, I’M GLAD ISLAND GLOWING. YOU’RE DOING PUT ALL OF THIS INFORMATION ON OUR WEBSITE AS WELL AS OUR GULF COAST APP. >> CERTAINLY A GREAT RESOURCE HERE LOCALLY FOR REALLY ANYBODY IN YOUR FAMILY OR ANYBODY WHO MAY BE G