Support System
- A support group provides a place for people sharing a similar experience to come together.
- For women with ovarian cancer it can also be a source of information and resources.
- You don't need to speak up or share your story with the group. It's fine just to be there, and listen.
But maybe you're a little unsure or skeptical about joining a group. What will it be like? Are you expected to share your story?
Read More Dr. Amy McNally, gynecologic oncologist with Minnesota Oncology, tries to reassure patients going through ovarian cancer treatment that chances are, they’ll derive some benefit. "I think in a support group you're going to find women who are in similar situations but yet can share their unique stories," she says. Just being there is worth it. "You don't have to share a thing. You can just sit and listenor you can be part of the conversation and offer your thoughts. And it can be different every time you go"it's your choice as to how or whether to participate and what you decide to get out of the group. McNally thinks it can be helpful and comforting to be around people who know what you've been through, or are going through, and that in and of itself is reason enough to try it out. "People worry that if they're in a support group, they have to have something brilliant or earth-shattering to share." Or perhaps they're quiet, or more introverted and aren’t comfortable speaking up or sharing intimate details with those they don’t know well. McNally says she really tries to make the point that nobody is there expecting anybody to say anything in particular. And though women may be bolstered by a close-knit family, even the most loving relatives and friends aren’t personally grappling with the impact of the disease or the treatment. A support group made up of women sharing common ground can help shore up that space.
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