ok, first how is weight gain not a serious subject!?!   wauggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhh

and I had a cancer support group at Gilda's

I didn't think the facilitator did an especially good job, but

I do think it was a great place to talk quietly and emotionally about our feelings

several people died during the 7 months I attended

that s hard experience but one I value  

it's so hard for people to talk about the possibility of dying, and the fear of dying

I recommend the book from New York,   Start the Conversation

and all the books on death and dying and life after life

I am a person with " an overdeveloped sense of humor"

that is, it's no fun when you have to say, Joke, 

or worse, explain what was supposed to be funny

but I was able to lighten the mood in our group, and laughing was appreciated

we live, we laugh, we love, we die

it's very simple to me

every group that anyone joins needs to be evaluated for its appropriateness to that person,    as in AA, if it doesn't work for you, find another...

PJ Hamel

8/18/08 6:33am

Catharine, it's just because it's serious that we most have to laugh about it! As one of my friends said she told her oncologist, when he said she should stop worrying so much about losing weight, "I'm a woman first, a cancer patient second." I find that oncologists take weight gain much too lightly - probably because they're mostly men.

 

Thanks for your wise advice. I'm glad you were able to enhance your group with laughter, despite everyone's challenges- PJH