Young Empowered Survivors! (YES!)

December YES! group attendees.

There's a support group I'd like to tell you about: Young Empowered Survivors! (YES!). I found this group in the Colorado Breast Cancer Resources Directory. If you're looking for a lively support group, I found one!

The members of YES! have generally been diagnosed with cancer before the age of 45, but we don’t put constraints on the word ‘young’. If you feel that you can benefit from our support group,  we welcome you.

I'll admit I was reluctant to go to my first meeting. Two things helped overcome that fear: meeting and talking with one of the YES! group members (Elana) before going to a group event and taking reinforcements (Joshua and my mom) with me to my first meeting. The first meeting I attended was in late July, just 1 day after one of my treatments. I was hopped up on steroids and starting to feel the effects of chemo and not having slept for two nights in a row. Still, Joshua and mom encouraged me to go and helped prepare a food dish to bring.

The first meeting was so enlightening and encouraging. At first, I thought I was in the wrong house: these women looked...normal! Some had long hair. Some wore v-neck shirts and looked like normal-breasted women. All had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The conversation flowed easily between members of the group and a health and wellness coach was there to speak about being an advocate for individuals with cancer. I found the meeting informative, positive, hopeful, and helpful. Although I was wearing out as the evening went on, I didn't want to leave as planned. I wanted to stay and soak up every bit I could! It was so encouraging to see other women - some with my same type of breast cancer - SURVIVING.

A lasting memory of that night was when Elana (the member I met before this event) shouted "Who wants to see some boobies?!!" --Was this for real? Were they asking us - the two "new" gals, Erin and I? Would some boobies really be seen? Four brave BC warrior women took us two newbies with them into a bathroom and proceeded to take turns showing us their reconstructed boobies. It was a fabulous experience to see the possibilities. It's what I wondered about from the beginning and I was able to view with my own eyes, in person! It wasn't some scary internet photo that may or may not have been doctored. This was real. <sigh> I am still so thankful for those four baring it all to the two newbies that day.

A 2011 holiday group photo.

I've been to four other YES! group functions since and enjoy the quality of conversation, the information we discuss, and the guest speakers/events offered. I'm thankful that many of the other women in this group have a "piss and vinegar" ratio similar to my own. And I find it both heartbreaking and heartwarming when a new member shows up for her first meeting. Talk about a club you don't necessarily want to join (because you've got to have cancer to join, silly!) - but are so glad it exists for just that reason.

There is something about relating with other women that have been through similar journeys themselves. Not many can truly empathize with what you're going through, but these women have the experiences and knowledge to do so.