Why you should join a support group!

The thought of joining a support group to talk about all of your feelings and deepest fears with strangers can definitely be frightening, but it will also be extremely liberating and positive. Personally, joining my young adult cancer support group was the best thing I ever did before, during, and after cancer treatment. From first phase of diagnosis until being deemed cured, I was so thankful that I was surrounded by the most supportive group of people who actually understood me and what I was going through.

You’ll find that when you are first diagnosed with cancer as a young person, nobody around you tends to know what to do or say and it can feel really isolating. Even though you may be physically surrounded by loved ones, family, and friends, you can still feel really lonely because nobody actually understands what you’re going through emotionally, mentally, or physically.

My mom found my support group through the amazing Cancer Support Community and I was so thankful she did and forced me to go. In the first meeting, surrounded by 7 young beautiful strangers, I broke down and cried explaining why I was there and what my diagnosis was - Stage 2 Hodgkins Lymphoma. Although a very positive diagnosis compared to what the other group members had gone through, there were no comparisons or judgements, they all completely understood the wild rollercoaster I was on. There was another woman there who had the exact same diagnosis as me and she had recently finished treatment! It was so inspiring to see these young women on the other side, having already gone through all their treatments, and now in remission.

For the next 7-8 months that I went to meetings, we cried, laughed a ton, met each other’s families and really truly connected over an experience that we could all relate to. I looked forward to that group meeting every other week, it gave me the comfort that I was about to be surrounded by people that I could relate to more than anyone else during that time. They helped prepare me for what was to come, brought me cute headbands when I lost my hair, and expressed how much they appreciated me during our last meeting before I moved back to Texas.

My support group helped me so incredibly much and I really encourage anyone going through cancer treatment or any other difficult experience to join one. It may seem scary at first, but it’s so comforting to know that there are other humans going through a similar experience as you are.