When dealing with a cancer diagnosis, many people can feel helpless, alone and scared. For cancer survivor Diane O’Shaughnessy, finding a community that understood what she was going through changed her life for the better. O'Shaughnessy first learned about Cancer Wellness at Piedmont through her mother, who met with Piedmont Fayette Cancer Center patient navigator Elaine Harbin, RN, BSN.
“Elaine gave us all the information we needed, including a calendar of upcoming events. Once I was finally healed from my surgeries in February 2011, my mom brought me to a Mindfulness Meditation class,” she says. “I never looked back.”
Since then, O’Shaughnessy has developed new hobbies, thanks to programs at Cancer Wellness. “The latest thing I took up was drumming and I didn’t know that I would like it as much as I do,” she says. “Recently, we’ve started scrapbooking and crafting during the daytime. We also have Expressive Arts at night.”
O’Shaughnessy says she found her Cancer Wellness classes not only fun, but also therapeutic as she recovered from cancer treatments. “These programs make me feel very special,” she says. “You become part of a community and that’s a word I’ve really come to embrace. You’re not alone anymore. This place is full of love, hope and friends.”
Cancer Wellness is part of the Piedmont Cancer Center and offers comprehensive, complementary service and programs to anyone affected by cancer at any phase in his or her cancer journey. Professionally-led programs are hosted at Piedmont Atlanta, Piedmont Fayette, Piedmont Newnan and Piedmont Henry.
Check out the current calendar of class offerings. Whether you feel like taking an art class or getting a workout, there is something for everyone.