It’s time to reclaim your life from cancer

By Laura Bohnert

The Whitecourt Cancer and Wellness Society is sponsoring Reclaiming Your Life, a one-day workshop that is designed to help individuals and families live through and beyond cancer.

“It is a workshop that is specifically designed for cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, family members, and friends,” Gail Bablitz, Health Promotion Facilitator at AHS (Alberta Health Services), explains.  “We are trying to let them know about some of the issues they will go through and the resources that are available to help them.”

The workshop, which will feature an array of speakers from Edmonton and Calgary, will be held at Hilltop High on October 29.  Anyone who is interested will be able to attend from 8:30am to 4:00pm.  There is a 20$ fee to attend for the day, and lunch will be included.  If interested in attending, individuals must pre-register at the McLeod River Primary Care office by October 26^th.

“We are hoping to have a good turnout,” Bablitz adds.  “We have a good selection of speakers coming who will be able to make people aware of some of the issues that surround cancer, as well as give assistance and resources.  In addition to our sessions, the workshop will feature a survival panel in the last hour to talk about diagnosis and treatment, and to show that people survive cancer, and that they are still the same as they were before, except that they have gone through that trauma.”

Sessions will cover such topics as: “Reclaiming your life – Where does exercise fit in?” “Good bye Brain fog! Strategies to help get your thinking back on track!” “Caregiving: a Mutual Journey,” and Wellbeing: Wellspring Edmonton’s Innovative programs and Resources.”

A drum circle will also be introduced to help individuals find a way to relieve stress and communicate without having to use words, to find strength in community, and to have fun while doing it.

Friday night (October 28) will feature a free movie screening at 7pm at the Forest Interpretive Centre.  Keynote speaker Mike Lang, a cancer survivor and filmmaker, will be screening his latest movie project, “ How to Win a Tickle Fight,” as well as using short clips from his own film projects to speak about his own experience with cancer, as well as what it means to stay human throughout cancer’s trials.

Whitecourt’s cancer and wellness society raises money locally for local patients and families,” Bablitz explains, “but our role is also to provide education, and one way to accomplish that is to hold a general community workshop.

“We know some of the topics are ones that patients have been trying to find out more information about, so we are bringing speakers in from Edmonton and Calgary to give people an opportunity to ask the experts.”

“It’s also a way for us to show our support as a community to those who are going through or have gone through cancer,” Bablitz adds.

“It’s import that we as a community assist and support those who are going through difficult times.  Part of doing that is bringing in opportunities to educate people and make them aware of the resources that are available and the ways to find assistance when going through something as traumatic as cancer,” Bablitz concludes.