Support group reaches out to younger breast cancer patients

When Kelli Hall was diagnosed with breast cancer, she thought her battle would involve a surgery and be over.

But since May, she’s had nine surgeries including a preventive hysterectomy and reconstruction of her breasts. She’s had radiation and chemotherapy treatments. She expected to lose some hair — she even had a head shaving party at a local salon. She didn’t expect to lose her eyebrows and lashes, however. And she certainly didn’t expect her tear ducts to become so blocked that her eyes tear up constantly. She’ll have a 10th surgery later this month to fix her tear ducts.

“People don’t know,” Hall said of all the side effects from her illness and the treatments. “It’s kind of taboo ... You talk about it, but you don’t talk about it.”

So when Hall, 44, was asked to help organize a new breast cancer support group aimed at younger women, she decided to do what she could to help.

With three meetings behind it, the group — called “I’m 2 Young 4 Cancer” — welcomes all ages. There’s also support for children of cancer patients as well as their spouses, boyfriends, caretakers or other family members through the “We’ll Stand Beside U” support group. There’s a facilitator for men, who typically break off in a separate group. The gatherings are held the third Tuesday of each month and include activities for children if necessary as well as dinner.

No topic is too personal or taboo for discussion.

“My goal is we get very comfortable,” Hall said. “I want them to be so comfortable that whatever topic needs to be discussed can be discussed.”

Gatherings started out small with only a few attendees. But last month’s meeting had a full room gathered around a conference room table in the Women’s Center at Southeast Alabama Medical Center.

While Hall does not have children, many younger cancer patients are not only dealing with their illness and treatments, they’re often still working and taking care of their families.

LaDonna Danford, a registered nurse and breast health navigator with the Women’s Center at SAMC, said even though there was already an established breast cancer support group, the center’s staff felt another group was needed, especially since more younger women are being diagnosed.

“Younger patients usually have different issues they’re dealing with,” Danford said. “They’ve got family, work, kids and cancer is usually the last things on their minds.”

During the most recent meeting, attendees discussed what shampoo works best to help cancer patients thicken their hair up quicker following treatment as well as how their hair can change as it grows back after chemo. They discussed wigs, hot flashes and whether the product Latisse was worth using to get their eyelashes back. There were questions about sides effects, such as nail splitting and brown spots on the skin.

Some, newly diagnosed, wanted to know what to expect following a mastectomy as well as the physical toll caused by radiation and chemotherapy. They heard from others with more experience that it’s OK to have a pity party as long as it didn’t last too long. Inner strength and a positive attitude, they were told, would be their best weapons.

They exchanged phone numbers and surgery dates so they could check up on each other.

“You’ve got all sorts of emotions going on,” said 48-year-old Jan Johnston, who was diagnosed in December. “ ... You look at life differently.”

When Hall was first diagnosed, she leaned on her family and closest friends. But, she said, talking to someone who has been through breast cancer helps in a way nothing else can.

“Just to be able to talk to each other and do it face to face, to actually sit down and see the emotions” helps patients, Hall said. “They just need to know somebody’s cheering them on.”