Getting diagnosed with cancer is world-shattering. Many people, though, often don’t realize that cancer survivors may still struggle. Physical, mental, neurological and financial after-affects linger, sometimes permanently. Cancer survivors need continued support and they need it from those who understand what they are going through.
This is the guiding motivation for the Cancer Transitions, a four-week program to help cancer survivors move from treatment into active survivorship. Survivors will learn post-treatment skills concerning lifestyle, exercise, nutrition and coping. Perhaps most importantly, the program will be attended by other survivors with whom they can share and share alike.
“This program is funded through a state grant that we applied for with the Cancer Coalition,” says Kristi Gylten, Director Cancer Care Institute at Rapid City Hospital. “One of their strategic goals is to increase the number of survivorship visits in the state, but the resources and the attention around survivorship can pose a challenge for a variety of reasons, and there isn’t a great understanding of what transpires after treatment.”
Cancer Transitions Instructor Doris Cardwell was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2007 at age 38, so she has insight on the challenges of being a survivor.
“Cancer treatment is very individualized; it’s different for everybody. You can put three people with the same diagnosis on the same drugs, and they can have three completely different side effects and different outcomes,” says Doris. “There’s so many pieces to cancer survivorship that people don’t know about unless they walked really closely with somebody who has been open about what they’re experiencing.”
The program starts at the Cancer Care Institute on Feb. 16 and will afterward be offered in Sturgis and Custer. Any cancer survivor may attend.
“From my perspective, as a cancer center and health care organization, we have a role and responsibility in preventing cancer, treating cancer and providing care and support to survivors,” says Kristi. “This program allows us to do that through providing workshops so survivors can learn how to improve overall quality of life.”
Cancer Transitions is free for CCI patients and their support person(s), though registration is required: monument.health/cancertransitions
Rapid City Feb. 16 – March 9, Mondays, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. CCI – Community Room 1
Sturgis March 23 – April 13, Mondays, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Sturgis Clinic Community Room
Custer April 20 – May 1, Mondays, 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. Custer Clinic Community Room
Story by Kory Lanphear
Photo by Erika Cianca