[Debbie L.]

I did this years ago. It was a nice relaxing weekend, with as much (or as little) social time as we wanted. The fishing and outdoor time is fun, it's typically in a beautiful place, and there are some educational sessions (quite basic) and official support sessions (plus all the informal story-sharing is a kind of support). It was not exactly life-changing or anything, but a good opportunity to take time for yourself, and be pampered a bit, too.

One thing that surprised me was how little some women knew about breast cancer in general, and their own in particular. Also how much emotion they had about their diagnosis, even many years later. I thank this forum for both educating us and helping us share and work thru the emotional bits.

Have fun, and report in when you're done, okay? I'm curious about how they grouped people. When I did it, there were women with all stages of breast cancer, but I've heard that they've since been doing separate programs for early stage vs. those with mets. I have mixed feelings about that separation. I would guess that it might be more supportive for those with mets to have their own group (they would be less likely to feel the need to censor themselves in order to shield the newbies). But on the other hand, there is something wonderful about a mixed group (like this one) where we learn the many ways people deal with all stages of breast cancer, and how to support that. I guess that's a question/topic for all support groups. Your thoughts?

Debbie Laxague