Life with Cancer encourages patients with hope, support, and community

Positive Connections

Life with Cancer encourages patients with hope, support, and community

Both Rebecca Wetherly (right) and her mom had breast cancer. Inova’s Life with Cancer program has helped Rebecca keep an upbeat outlook.

When Rebecca Wetherly had a routine mammogram during the fall of 2016, the results were normal.

But because of her family history — both her mother and maternal and paternal grandmothers had breast cancer — coupled with having dense breast tissue, she opted for additional screening offered by her imaging center. An ultrasound revealed a tiny 1-millimeter lump. When she returned three months later for a follow-up test, the tumor had grown to eight times its original size.

After the tumor was removed, Rebecca braced herself for 12 rounds of chemotherapy, 30 weeks of radiation and a lengthy regimen of targeted therapy infusions. Faced with a challenging journey ahead, the wife and mom of two teens knew she needed to reach out to others for support. So Rebecca decided to participate in Inova’s Life with Cancer program at Inova Alexandria Hospital.

“Our Life with Cancer program provides free classes, counseling, support groups and complementary therapy services for anyone in the Alexandria area,” explains Carrie Friedman, RN, BS, OCN. [Note: Life with Cancer also has cancer support services and programs throughout Northern Virginia, based out of the LWC Family Center in Fairfax.]

Staying positive through cancer treatment

For Rebecca, the choice to participate in Life with Cancer helped her stay positive about her experience. “That first meeting was pretty powerful,” says Rebecca. “I just didn’t realize there were other women I could talk to with whom I could share and from whom I could learn.”

Cancer support groups & classes in Northern Virginia

Rebecca enrolled in two support groups and took a multitude of classes ranging from nutrition and exercise to endocrine therapy education. “I have a very active lifestyle,” she says. “The exercise classes were awesome because I didn’t feel compelled to wear my wig when I lost my hair. I could go in and be myself and not have to worry, explain or answer questions.”

Now that Rebecca is preparing to finish her treatment, she signed up to get a mentor through the survivorship program. “I’m feeling really optimistic about the future,” Rebecca says. “I attribute my outlook and mental shift to what I’ve learned at Life with Cancer.”

Cancer support & education in Alexandria, Va

Inova Alexandria Hospital’s Life with Cancer® program provides support, education and opportunities for connection for women coping with breast cancer. Here are Life with Cancer Programs available at Inova Alexandria:

• • Monthly General Breast Cancer Support Group
  • Monthly Prostate Cancer Support Group
  • General Chemotherapy Education Class
  • Breast Cancer Chemotherapy Education Class
  • Pre-op Breast Surgery Class
  • Therapeutic Yoga Class
  • 1:1 Yoga Therapy
  • Healing Touch
  • Monthly Young Women’s Breast Cancer Support Group
  • Outpatient Counseling
  • Look Good Feel Better

Life with Cancer also has cancer support services and programs throughout Northern Virginia, based out of the LWC Family Center in Fairfax. To learn more about Life with Cancer and to register for a class, visit lifewithcancer.org or call Life with Cancer Connect at 703-206-5433.