[Beacon Staff]

Weekly Poll - How Helpful Are Support Group Meetings?

by Beacon Staff on Wed Dec 05, 2012 11:29 am

This week's Myeloma Beacon “Weekly Poll” is about how helpful support groups are.

As usual, there are a few clarifications.

First, this question is for readers who have any kind of myeloma (e.g., smoldering or symptomatic) or MGUS.

Second, we want to focus in this question on how helpful *patients* find support group meetings. Thus, if you are a family member or caregiver of a myeloma patient, please answer on behalf of the myeloma patient in your family or for whom you are the caregiver.

We will do a separate poll at a later date asking about how helpful caregivers and family members find support group meetings.

Third, when answering the poll, please consider whether you were able to meet other myeloma or cancer patients, benefited from sharing your myeloma story, learned from other myeloma or cancer patients' stories, gained emotional support, learned about resources for cancer patients in your area, learned about treatment options, etc.

Finally, please share below what you found helpful about the support group meetings you attended or why you felt they were not helpful to you.

[Nancy Shamanna]

Re: Weekly Poll - How Helpful Are Support Group Meetings?

by Nancy Shamanna on Wed Dec 05, 2012 11:59 am

I have found our local support group meetings to be very helpful. i met other patients and their caregivers, and thus felt I had a connection to the myeloma diagnosis outside of the medical appointments and treatments. There are some terrific people in the group from all walks of life who are very supportive in general. We also do some community work and fundraising for research, which gives the group a focus.

[GeorgeLJurak]

Re: Weekly Poll - How Helpful Are Support Group Meetings?

by GeorgeLJurak on Wed Dec 05, 2012 5:50 pm

I started a Support Group in Polk County, Florida three months ago and so far the group consists of me and one other. Having trouble getting the word out. But I know Support Groups help, especially to the newly diagnosed because of all the scattered information and intial fear involved.