Cancer Support Groups

Good Shepherd Hospital offers free, open-door community support groups for cancer patients and their families. These include:

Meeting the Cancer Challenge. This support group is for anyone who has cancer, has been affected by cancer or has survived cancer. Patients, their families, caregivers and friends discuss concerns and share experiences in this open-forum group. The focus is on emotional issues related to living with cancer. Meetings are the third Tuesday of each month from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at Good Shepherd Hospital.

Y-Me Breast Cancer Support Group. Women do not have to face breast cancer alone. The Good Shepherd Y-Me support group is an opportunity for patients, their families and friends to obtain information, resources and reassurance, as well as to express fears and/or anxieties. Meetings are at 7:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month at Good Shepherd Hospital.

Kids Night Out. This monthly evening of food, fun, crafts and talk is for children and teens with a family member or friend who has been diagnosed with cancer. The meetings allow kids to take a vacation from cancer. Meetings are at 6 p.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month at Good Shepherd Hospital.

Lymphedema Support Group. This support group is the only one of its kind in the Chicago area. Designed to allow people coping with lymphedema to share thoughts, ideas and feelings, this group is for patients, family and friends. Speakers present information on a variety of topics of interest, including treatment options and the latest techniques. Quarterly meetings are the first Saturday of the month in February, May, August and November.

Cooking with Pina. Pina Bartolomeo Andreiw, a graduate of the Institute Notre Dame DeJoie in Brussels, Belgium, teaches the joy of healthy cooking in this program sponsored by the Cancer Care Department at Good Shepherd Hospital. Learning to cook becomes a healthy, fun experience, and the $13 fee includes dinner. Registration is required, and the fee is payable at the class.

Sharing the Loss Support Group. This bereavement support group helps people cope with and adjust to the loss of a loved one. Members explore feelings, share coping tactics and discuss loss-related issues. Meetings are at 7 p.m. on the first Monday of each month at Good Shepherd Hospital.

Stop Smoking Support Group. For those who have quit or are trying to quit smoking. Meetings are from 7 to 8:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of each month, September through May. There are no sessions in June, July and August.

Look Good…Feel Better. Provided in cooperation with the American Cancer Society, this program offers beauty techniques to help women cancer patients combat the appearance-related effects of their treatment. New sessions are from 7 to 9 p.m. on the first Monday or from 9 to 11 a.m. on the first Tuesday of each month. Registration is required, as space is limited.