TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR PARTICPANTS

Drew,  Consultant, Salisbury, MD, Cancer Survivor
“I was always fully confident in my own judgment to guide me through any challenge I might face.   In February 2003, Cancer crashed into my life and I found myself confronted by an anxiety that was beyond my individual capacity to quell. Cancer does not present one problem to patients and the people that love them, it presents three, five, ten problems simultaneously. I quickly learned that cancer is not content to merely attack your physical well-being.  Cancer also exerts unfamiliar stresses on every other aspect of your life- family, friends, work, finances, even your self-image.  The stress of trying to manage multiple threats to my life and happiness, at the same time that I was getting weaker and sicker, became overwhelming.  The Wellness Community helped me understand the fear and stress attendant with cancer in a supportive, pragmatic and hope filled environment.   The inspiring and perspective-gaining support of other cancer patients, Wellness Community sponsored stress management activities, and the love of family and friends, allowed me to focus my strength and energy on living.  Soon, my fear and stress were replaced by hope and gratefulness.

Chemotherapy drugs and radiation treatments saved my life, but The Wellness Community made me well.  On behalf of my wife, my sons, and everyone that cares about me, I say thank you Wellness Community."

Don, Retired Chemical Engineer, Ocean Pines, MD, Cancer Survivor
"After my cancer treatments, I was depressed and exhausted.  I saw an ad for The Wellness Community and it has transformed my life. Yoga has increased my flexibility, Tai Chi has strengthened my legs. In fact, I felt so good that I ran the inaugural Ocean City half-marathon. I took a Healing Through Poetry Workshop and have written over 20 poems.  Nutrition workshops have changed the way I eat.

In the support group I attend, you can say things that are impossible to say to your family and friends. That freedom to express yourself is mental medicine for the soul!

I am a junkie! Whatever The Wellness Community offers, I am there!!!! What’s not to like?  It’s free, and it makes me feel better physically and mentally. Today, I am healthy and happy”.

Alisa, Social Worker, Realtor, Delmar, MD, Cancer Survivor
“During my cancer treatment, I was physically and mentally depleted but I was blessed to be surrounded by my family, friends, co-workers and church family all who loved, supported and prayed for me. In spite of all of this, I felt hopeless and overwhelmed. I reached a point where I wasn't comfortable sharing my pain and loss with my loved ones. Their pain was real and I wanted to protect them from the doom I felt advancing on our lives.

At the recommendation of my oncology nurse, I called The Wellness Community. During my first group meeting I was amazed by the process. The group was diverse but unified in their efforts to support one another and to defeat cancer and its consequences.

Becky, Educator, Sharptown, MD, Cancer Survivor
“Having faced two separate cancer diagnoses, breast cancer in 1998 and ovarian cancer in 2001, I can tell you that the participant group I attended at the Wellness Community provided a safe harbor in the midst of a raging storm.  The group gave us the opportunity to face the traumas of chemo, radiation, and the agony of waiting for test results with friends who had been there and done that.  Our group was a place to express fears and concerns that may have been too overwhelming for our loved ones to hear or understand.  We may have arrived at our meetings scarred, bald, and chemo-fatigued, but left feeling energized, supported, and understood. The Wellness Community became an integral part of each persons journey toward health.”

David, Retired FBI agent, Berlin, MD, Cancer Survivor
“When I was an FBI agent, I worked the streets of Washington and Philadelphia, dealing with danger and violence on a daily basis.  I was widowed at an early age, and I am proud to say that I successfully raised five teenagers as a single parent. When I retired to the Shore, I felt I had been tested psychologically and physically and had passed with flying colors.  I  felt invincible.

Then I was diagnosed with cancer.  I was far from family.  I felt angry, alone and scared. When a friend brought me to a social event at the Wellness Community, I was dubious.

I was impressed by the staff, so I started coming to educational programs, like “Fighting Cancer With a Fork” and stress reduction activities like Yoga and Tai Chi. I found information that helped me take positive steps to improve my health, and I learned skills to deal with the stress of a cancer diagnosis. Finally, I joined a support group.

  Click here to read articles that have been published about our participants.