For many years I worked as a respiratory therapist in a pediatric ICU. For readers that have never done that kind of work, it means I took care of kids on ventilators, among other tasks. I experienced long shifts where there were hours of boredom punctuated by the need for intense precision when I had…
Read MoreNavigating Cancer at 41
Young cancer survivor, Melky, talks about how she and her family navigated her cancer diagnosis and treatment.
Read MoreA Creative Respite
“We do art classes because there are limits to our words. The process of expression actually helps us process our lived experiences,” shares Kirsten Norslien, Program Director at Gilda’s Club. Art therapy has long been a part of the programming at Gilda’s Club Madison. Fortunately, these programs have been able to continue virtually. Art therapy…
Read MoreGetting Back Up After Cancer Knocks You Down: Melanoma Survivor Shares Post-Treatment Struggles, Successes
Written by: Chris Malina, as originally published in the winter edition of The Advances e-newsletter. In the beginning, Renee Zemke got what every newly-diagnosed cancer patient gets: the big binder full of information. It came with the usual stuff: basic definitions, locations of clinics and important phone numbers. But nothing in the materials could prepare…
Read MoreGrateful for the Gift of Gilda’s Club
My name is Helen. I am a member, volunteer, and Ambassador at Gilda’s Club Madison. A year after my first breast cancer diagnosis, I felt “ready” for the support and psychosocial, emotional, educational support programming of Gilda’s Club. As I live in the Milwaukee area, I walked in through Gilda’s Club Southeastern Wisconsin, early in…
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