By Rachel, Gilda’s Club Member December 29, 2021 is a day forever seared in my life. The day that, at age 37, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. With no family history of breast cancer this was unexpected and a tidal wave of fear, loneliness, and uncertainty knocked me down. My story doesn’t start like…
Read MoreAlan and Amandalynn: Navigating a New Path
“Gilda’s Club was the reason our family was whole through everything we went through,” shared Amandalynn in the Gilda’s Club Madison 10th anniversary video. You may remember Alan and Amandalynn and their children Dmitri and Astraea. They were featured in our 10th anniversary video, sharing their moving story of navigating cancer with their young family….
Read MoreAmanda: Feeling Understood as a Whole Person
My name is Amanda. I am 36 years old, and I am a breast cancer survivor. I found my lump in October 2021. My husband and I had just moved into our first house in late August, and had been looking forward to a new chapter after a very tough time. Both of our mothers…
Read MoreReconnecting with Myself through Art
By Amanda, Gilda’s Club Member I started attending the art classes last summer, completely on a whim. I was recovering from eight rounds of chemo and a second surgery and was getting ready to start 28 rounds of radiation. I was struggling mightily with anxiety and insomnia, in addition to challenges healing from surgery. Still…
Read MoreBecoming an Artist
By Lyn Jerde, Gilda’s Club member My name is Lyn Jerde. I have been a Gilda’s Club member since 2019, when I was diagnosed with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. That cancer appears to be in remission, as is the breast cancer that was diagnosed in November 2020. Right now, my cardiac problems pose my biggest…
Read MoreFinding a Path to Cancer Support
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 MoreHealing With Horses
Gilda’s Club Hosts Its Fourth Equine Experience “Cancer often challenges our trust in ourselves and our capabilities. The horse helps us to see our capabilities and our strengths,” explains Kirsten Norslien, Gilda’s Club’s Program Director. Gilda’s Club recently hosted its fourth equine experience, the second with coach Nell Rogers at Seahorse Healing. The workshop involved…
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