Title                 “Write Through Cancer to Healing”

Frequency       Weekly Wednesday, 4 to 6 pm

Duration          90 minutes-2 hours

Cost                 $12 per session (no charge for first group attended)

Sign up with Debra Maxey by calling her @ 303-506-0110 or email her at writethroughcancer@gmail.com

“You’re not alone” is one reassuring statement cancer survivors need to hear.  Each cancer survivor’s story is important. A beneficial way for survivors to express their own experience is through writing. “Write Through Cancer to Healing” writing group will provide cancer survivors, at any stage of diagnosis and treatment, a safe and supportive setting to write and share their stories. Cancer centers across the country are providing writing classes in an effort to improve the comfort level and quality of life of the survivor.
 
Summary of Goals of “Write Through Cancer to Healing” Writing Group

·    Give a voice to the stories of cancer survivors

·     Promote physical, psychological, and emotional healing of cancer survivors

·    Provide a community of support and encouragement

·    Provide a safe sharing environment

·    Celebration of survivorship

BENEFITS OF “WRITE THROUGH CANCER TO HEALING” WRITING GROUP FOR SURVIVORS

·    Keeping a journal makes cancer survivors feel better say researchers at UCLA after observing breast cancer survivors who wrote about their cancer experience in a positive manner and who also included journaling about their relationships, their interests, and their life values. The researchers noticed those survivors had fewer symptoms than those who wrote only about cancer as an illness.  

 “Having cancer is stressful” is an understatement but journaling may lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol.  “Just letting it out” is stress reducing. 

Writing through cancer in a group setting provides strong emotional support. Studies show having a network of support can improve chances of survival fourfold of breast cancer survivors compared with those with breast cancer who keep their emotions and experiences to themselves.
 

·    Journaling about cancer can begin at any stage of diagnosis and treatment and is a celebration of survivorship. A five-year survivor can benefit from writing about their experience as well as a newly diagnosed survivor. Connection to others who are going through or who have survived something similar to one another is beneficial in healing.
 

·    Writing helps to process emotions, to externalize experience, to make sense of what is happening, to pinpoint fears resulting in self-discovery and reflection and helps survivors to learn from their experience.
 

·    No writing experience required! The purpose of “Write Through Cancer to Healing” is not to critique participants’ writing styles but to provide an allotted  time and space to write about what is affecting them as they journey through cancer as well as a safe place to reflect and share what they’re thinking and feeling. It is important in the healing process for allowance to express negative emotions and thoughts as well as positive. No special equipment required! Just a notebook and pen or a laptop computer, whatever is easier for the participant.
 

“Write Through Cancer to Healing” is not a therapy group. It is more like a peer support group with similar ground rules: Confidentiality is Rule #1. What is shared in the group is not to be shared outside the room without expressed permission of the participant. Rule # 2 is there is no criticism of each other’s writing – or emotions or beliefs. Rule # 3 is there is no pressure on the participants to share what they write until they want to and feel comfortable to read. Eager sharing is a result of a supportive and safe environment.  Periodically we could have the participants to give permission to use excerpts from their writings for a print copy collection for area cancer clinics.

About Debra Maxey in her own words:

·    I was diagnosed with breast cancer in November 2003.  I want to help others going through their cancer journey and the best way I know how to help is through writing.
 

·    As a survivor, I have empathy and compassion for what others are going through.
 

·    I know each cancer survivor has a unique story to tell.
 

·    I have written extensively about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and for ten years advocated for children with ADHD.
 

·    I have extensive experience in facilitating small groups and understanding group dynamics.
 

·    I have public speaking experience giving in-services to educators and speeches to parents.
 

·    I am an English major and writing is important to me. I have published poems and nonfiction
articles and books.
 

·    I kept a journal and a website of my “Journey of Hope” through my cancer diagnosis and treatments.
 

·    Over the years, I have participated in many writing workshops and classes.
 

·    I have joy and enthusiasm for life, a positive attitude, and a great sense of humor. As a writer and a cancer survivor, I know firsthand how important writing is in the journey of cancer diagnosis and treatments and how keeping a journal significantly enhances coping skills and improves attitude.

Although survivors share some aspects of cancer, no two individuals’ experiences are the same. Each of us is unique in how our bodies respond to treatments, the side effects we experience, and the treatment’s effectiveness as well as in how we express ourselves, in how we cope, and in what we learn from cancer, but one thing is the same for most of us, we want to know we are not alone. We want support.  Each of us needs to know someone is listening to our story. 

When I floated the idea about the writing group past people who work with cancer survivors, I received great encouragement. One professional said, “I am very impressed by the idea, and think it's got a lot of merit. Journaling has actually been thought of as an adjunctive or complementary "treatment" for cancer because it truly has therapeutic benefits, and a large number of survivors/survivors have used writing in meaningful ways.”  Another said, “I think this is a wonderful idea and fills a niche that has not traditionally been filled.” A cancer survivor told me, “I think it’s a great idea! Sometimes I think survivors will keep things to themselves because they don’t want to be viewed as complaining. This would be a great outlet!”