Support Groups
You may think you have plenty of friends and family to support you, but local support groups allow you to access the advice of others who have "been there" or are going through the same treatments as you are. Groups give you a chance to offer support to others as well, turning your own experience into a powerful tool to help someone else.
Newly diagnosed?
Check out a list of advice from area breast cancer survivors.
In Bloomington:
Every Monday
- The Olcott Center for Cancer Education support group for people with all types of cancer and their caregivers is every Monday, 3-5 p.m. Call 353-5669 for details.
Some Tuesdays, Bloomington
- New Mission of Hope group meets at 6:30 p.m. the last Tuesday of each month at the Fireside Room at Sherwood Oaks Christian Church, 2700 E. Rogers Road. For more info, contact jacque.finley@hotmail.com or log onto the group's Web site.
Some Wednesdays, Bloomington
- Step Ahead, a group for women have completed breast cancer treatment, or have recurrences or survivorship issues, meets monthly to discuss general health and welfare. Location is Bakehouse East in Bloomington, 6 p.m. For more info, e-mail Webmaster@BreastCancerFYI.org.
- Caregivers Care Circle meets the first and third Wednesday, 3:30-5 p.m. at the Alzheimer's Resource Center, 431 S.College Ave. Anyone struggling with caring for people with illness is welcome.
Some Thursdays, Bloomington
- Bloomington Hospital's Olcott Center for Cancer Education breast cancer support group meets the first and third Thursdays at 7 p.m. Call (812)353-5669 for more info.
- Families Facing Cancer, second Thursdays, 6:30 p.m. at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 4200 West Third St.
Reach to Recovery
- Contact the local ACS for details about Reach to Recovery, a program that facilitates contact between a woman facing a diagnosis of breast cancer and a breast cancer survivor. All visitors are trained and certified by Reach to Recovery standards. (812)336-8423.
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In south central Indiana:
Mitchell Cancer Support Group
- The Mitchell Cancer Support Group meets the last Monday of every month at the Mitchell Presbyterian Church at 7 p.m. The contact person is Nancy Roberts, (812)849-6357. People with any type of cancer and their friends and family are welcome.
Morgan County
- The Morgan County Breast Cancer support group meets at 7 p.m. the first Monday of each month in the education room at St. Francis Hospital-Mooresville, 1201 Hadley Road, Mooresville. Call (317)782-4422 for details.
Owen County
- The Owen County Cancer Support Group meets the second Tuesday of each month, 6 p.m. at the Owen County Public Library. Survivors of all types of cancer are welcome. Call (812)829-4483 for details.
Breast Care for Life, Support and Education
- 526 South Fourth Street, Vincennes, IN 47591, (812)885-3443.
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In Indianapolis:
Ask-A-Nurse
- Sponsored by the Breast Health Awareness League, this hotline offers advice and direction to resources. Call (800)333-3656 (TDD for the hearing impaired) or (317)923-2873.
Cancer Information Line, (800)421-4555.
Little Red Door Cancer Agency, (317)925-5595.
The Wellness Community, (317)257-1505.
United Way Referral Network, (317)921-1305.
Uplifter's Breast Cancer Support Group, (317)355-4848. (Community Hospital)
St. Francis Hospital
- St. Francis Hospital hosts a breast cancer group the second Thursday of each month, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at St. Francis Community Relations, 3145 E. Thompson Road, Indianapolis. Call (317)782-6704 for details.
Metastatic Breast Cancer Networking
- The Wellness Center in Indianapolis hosts a meeting for those living with metastatic cancer on the third Wednesday of each month, 6-8 p.m. The center is at 8465 Keystone Crossing, Suite 145, Indianapolis. Phone is (317) 257-1505.
Komen for the Cure, Indianapolis
- Komen for the Cure (formerly Susan G. Komen Foundation), Indianapolis affiliate, hosts programs in the Indianapolis area regularly. To keep up with activities, check out Komen Indy Web site or call (317)638-CURE.
Young Survival Coalition
- Breast Friends Indy and the Young Survival Coalition meet the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Logan's Roadhouse, 4825 E. 82nd St., Indianapolis, for fun and fellowship. Call (317)682-4673 or e-mail the central Indiana chapter at ysccentralindiana@youngsurvival.org. Or, check out the group's Web site to sign up or get more information.
Cancer 101
- Cancer 101, a program for patients and caregivers also sponsored by the Wellness Community, meets the fourth Friday of each month in Indianapolis to discuss a changing list of topics. Call (317)257-1505 for details, or visit the Web site for details.
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On the Web:
- ACS provides free educational materials and referrals for low-cost and free mammograms, wigs and prostheses. Also provides support groups. Call 800-ACS-2345. Also, check out CancerNews online.
Cancer Care Counseling Line
- Free emotional support, information and practical help for cancer patients, their families and professionals working in the cancer field. Call 800-813-HOPE or visit CancerCare.
National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations
- NABCO publishes the Breast Cancer Resource List. Call 888-806-2226 or visit NABCO online to find a group in your area.
- This site is for young (under 40) breast cancer patients, offers info specific to this age group and their concerns.
Mothers Supporting Daughters with Breast Cancer
- Contact 21710 Bayshore Rd., Chestertown, MD 21620-4401. (410)778-1982. Email: msdbc@dmv.com.
Mothers Supporting Daughters With Breast Cancer: online book
- These booklets, now available online, outline ways mothers can help daughters (and vice versa) fighting this disease. This group also is listed on BC:FYI's "support group" pages or you can link directly by clicking here.
Our Mom Has Cancer
- The Ackermann sisters, Abigail, 12, and Adrienne, 10, wrote Our Mom Has Cancer at first for themselves, to help nagivate the rough waters when their mom was diagnosed and treated. Then, they decided to help other families facing cancer by publishing the book. It's available in most bookstores for $12.95 and on the American Cancer Society Web site.
Well Spouse Foundation
- Contact 640 Lexington Ave., New York, NY 10022-6005, (800)838-0879. E-mail: wellspouse@aol.com. Visit online.
Network of Strength
- The National Breast Cancer Organization staffs two 24-hour hotlines by trained peer counselors (breast cancer survivors), provides information, and offers a wig and prosthesis bank. Call 800-221-2141 (English) or 800-986-9505 (Spanish), or visit Network of Strength online. Or, link directly to the Your Shoes Web site to talk to a survivor.
Cancer Survivors.org
- This site provides community activities such as a message board, chat room, photo album and links. Covers issues of emotional, physical and financial support. Visit online.
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Online chats, forums offer info and support
Many Web sites offer interaction among readers with chat areas or forums. While BC:FYI doesn't have the "woman power" to devote to the maintenance of such a feature, I can recommend some sites that appear to do a good job of this (that means, easy to use and with useful information). In most, you don't have to register and all are free to use. You can simply read through the postings, or add your own questions and comments. Some of the forums have searchable archives. Here is a sampling:
- BCSupport.org has been around since 1998 to offer online exchanges.
- About.com's breast cancer forum
- BreastCancer.org's chat area (as you all know, this is one of BC:FYI's fave sites).
- Young Survival.org
- The Association of Cancer Online Resources provides 99 electronic mailing lists specifically designed to be public online support groups for a variety of diseases and conditions. This means you'll get information in the form of e-mail, not by logging on to a forum or chat area.
- This is ACOR's forum for those with metastatic breast cancer.
- OncoChat.org is a Web chat designed for anyone who has or has had any type of cancer.
