“We don’t just talk about cancer…we talk about life. It is not just cancer support...it is life support!”

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Shelia was diagnosed with stage 3 C ovarian cancer in October 2005 at age fifty-five.  After researching and talking with her oncologist, she knew that she would have to be in treatment for the rest of her life.

Shelia discovered the cancer because of a simple distension of her stomach that her primary physician thought should be checked out.  This led to her diagnosis and being told that she needed surgery to remove two tumors.  Unfortunately, she had no health insurance.  Because of this and other complications, she was not able to have surgery until December 2005.  During this wait, Shelia thought carefully about quality of life issues and gave specific instructions to her physician, prior to surgery, that she not be kept alive by machines for more than three days. 

Shelia made it through surgery and was in the hospital for eleven days; two weeks later, she started chemo.  At one point, her white blood count was so low that she had to delay her last treatment.  She lost all of her hair and had to wear a compression brace to help her organs settle back into place.  All of this adversely affected her self-esteem, and she began looking for ways to boost it.  She attended a Look Good, Feel Better workshop at UCLA – a program that helps adults with cancer deal with changes in hair and skincare – and noticed TWC-WLA’s logo.  But Shelia didn’t want to do anything else “cancer related” -- the treatment was enough.  In May of 2006, Shelia was declared cancer free.  But eventually, she noticed her chemo markers rising. By January 2007, she had a CT scan that showed a recurrence of the cancer. 

Shelia realized when talking with a girlfriend about one of her side affects that she needed a support group.  She needed to talk about this “stuff” with others who understood what she was going through.  She needed to give her friends a break!  She found a TWC-WLA offsite group near her home, but it was a Thai-speaking group.  She then searched the Internet and found out about The Wellness Community-West Los Angeles’ main site in Santa Monica.  Shelia does not have a car, but so determined was she to deal with the emotional aspects of her cancer and improve the quality of her life that she began taking the bus to Santa Monica every week from her home in Hollywood.  Every Wednesday evening that she is able, Shelia settles her mind in a Relaxation/Visualization group at 6:00p.m and then participates in her support group at 7:00p.m.  At 9:00p.m. she heads home using Access Transportation.

Since Shelia’s been at TWC-WLA, she’s met others like her; their diagnoses may be different, but they all have cancer.  Everyone shares their feelings and thoughts and experiences -- they all ‘get’ each other.  They talk about everything, not just cancer.  The group is diverse and dynamic, and she really enjoys it.  Shelia laughs a lot and refuses to be bitter about the cards she’s been dealt.  Instead, she gets on the bus every Wednesday and takes the long trip from Hollywood to Santa Monica and back again to experience the support of people who understand.  And by giving her friends a “break”, she has made new ones.