By Caitlin Carmody
While doing a routine self-check, 70-year-old Cheryl Hartnett found a lump in her breast.
“I had always been diligent to do my mammograms and self-examinations, so to find this was nerve-racking,” Cheryl says.
Cheryl was diagnosed with breast cancer, and after consulting with her oncologist at RUSH MD Anderson Cancer Center at Rush Copley, she had a mastectomy.
Looking for resources
Cheryl took a tour of Waterford Place Cancer Resource Center. She had learned about it previously when, volunteering for her church, she donated knitted items to the center for participants.
Waterford Place is a safe haven for anyone impacted by cancer, offering programs and services to participants at no cost. Programs support the whole self — body, mind and spirit — and include wellness and exercise classes, alternative therapies like meditation and Reiki, support groups, education workshops and salon and spa programs.
While she felt welcomed by everyone, she also thought, “I was physically healed so I didn’t think that I was the target audience for Waterford.”
But she returned three months later.
“I could not get through the emotional fear, grief and trauma by myself and struggled with all of the emotional aspects,” she says.
She needed a support system and found it in Waterford Place.
A starting point
“When I eventually went to Waterford Place for my healing process, I was greeted with open arms,” Cheryl says.
She tried a wide variety of programs such as soul tending and sound therapy, and she even got a few massages. She also participates in the Breast FRIENDS support group at Waterford Place.
Each time she joined the soul tending or Breast FRIENDS groups, she learned something new or helpful.
“The support network is truly empowering, and a living dynamic is always encouraged,” Cheryl says.
These groups have played a key role in her recovery and still offer support.
Best advice
For Cheryl, Waterford Place has been an anchor.
“You don’t have to go just for physical healing. I needed it for the mental aspect, and I’m so glad I pushed myself to go,” she says.
Her advice for others: Just try it out.
“I’ve found that myself and others have improved in more ways than one by attending Waterford Place,” she says.
