Cancer support group strengthens, informs military members

Published April 15, 2010
By Kimberly L. Wright
Air University Public Affairs

MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- On the surface, the gathering looks like a meeting of old friends at Maxwell's Airman and Family Readiness Center, with people inquiring about vacation plans, children, exercise and what plans Uncle Sam has for them and their families.

However, this group's kinship goes beyond being at the same base at the same time. They fight a pervasive enemy that targets Airmen, spouses, retirees and civilians.

Cancer has touched them all in some way, and the group fights on through bonds of friendship and information sharing.

The group, which celebrates its 3-year anniversary in June, started when a military spouse, Linnea Carlin, was diagnosed with breast cancer and her friends asked Wanda Newby, tumor registrar and HIPAA privacy officer, about starting a support group on base.

"Between Wanda wanting to do something like that and a military spouses asking about it, we sat down and made it happen," said Ms. Carlin. The group has been a great support for her. "I've only missed two meetings," she said. "It's a great social outlet."

She appreciates the support she has received, and in turn provides support for others.

The Maxwell support group addresses a need for a military-affiliated cancer support group in the area.

"There are different pockets of church groups, but not really another group for the military-affiliated," said Ms. Newby, who coordinates the meetings with Marie Hixon, family life education consultant of the Family Support Branch of Airman and Family Readiness Center.

Linda Wilson, one of the founding members of the group, lent her support as a concerned friend. "I had no idea it would have an impact on me personally," she said.

A year after the group formed, her husband, retired Navy officer Capt. George Wilson, who was then serving as naval adviser at Maxwell, was diagnosed with colon cancer. He now serves as adviser and supporter to those who are newly diagnosed.

Mrs. Wilson said of the group, "It has made everything less threatening, and it is great to help others."

A cancer patient's need for support varies. Some crave the advice of those who have faced the same battles. Others prefer just to lend support to others. A group of regulars routinely attend the meetings, with others coming to the meetings as they feel a need. "You can glean so much from someone who has walked the same path," Ms. Carlin said. "I think it's important if we only find one person that uses us when they really need us, that's great. ... We all maybe have a different cancer, but we are all fighting the same enemy."

In addition to the routine support the group provides, the meeting also features guest speakers such as physical therapists and nutritionists. A physical therapist helped Ms. Carlin, who had a double mastectomy, learn techniques to stretch her scar tissue to improve her mobility and strength. "It's been very educational," she said.

The group also focuses on a specific cancer each month. "For instance, March is colorectal cancer awareness month, and October is breast cancer awareness month," Ms. Carlin said.

The support group serves as a portal for information, but it also helps people to become more comfortable with their emotional reactions to facing a dreaded disease.

"They not only learn as much as they can, they learn how to react," said Ms. Newby. "The support comes with finding out that whatever you're feeling is quite all right. Somehow or another, it's still the big C. In your support group, once you come there and speak out about it, it's an old club."

Ms. Carlin said her husband also received a lot of support from other cancer caregivers, who were experiencing the same feelings he was. "My husband felt very helpless. They feel like they need to do more," she said.

Recently, the Wilsons' daughter, an active-duty Air Force officer, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Thanks to the connections the support group made last year with an active-duty female Air Force officer diagnosed with cancer, the Wilsons' daughter has the support of somebody who has firsthand experience of the battles she will face.

When an active-duty member is diagnosed with cancer, they face a number of concerns, including facing a medical board, fitness issues and how their unit will react.

"They get into some really interesting conversations," Ms. Newby said. "In addition to discussing treatment options and special state of the art testing, they can also share living and working with cancer in the military, physical fitness concerns and the Medical Evaluation Board process."

Cancer used to be a career-ending diagnosis, and military members used to be medically retired once they received an end-of-life diagnosis, but that is no longer always the case. Airmen can return to duty as a cancer patient under different classifications, from no restriction, to those who must stay in the U.S. to those who must be medically retired, all depending on the kind of cancer they have and its stage.

"There's a lot more support from the government side of the house," Ms. Newby said.
Most active-duty members can continue their military career after their diagnosis. "If you catch cancer early enough, there's a greater chance it can be cured," said Ms. Newby. "I'm always being surprised. The body wants to live, wants to survive, and [the patients] do."