On Saturday, July 23, the MemorialCare Breast Center at Long Beach Memorial will sponsor a wellness retreat at their campus for women with breast, ovarian and gynecologic cancers. The retreat, presented by the Women Guiding Women: Cancer Support and Education program at the Breast Center, will feature presentations by leading physicians from the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute (TCI) at Long Beach Memorial and other neighboring hospitals.
Topics discussed will cover cancer survival skills and physical and psychosocial cancer care. The goal of the retreat is to provide women with the support that goes beyond medical treatment and to introduce them to other survivors and the resources available at the Breast Center.
Psychiatrist and medical director of the psychosocial oncology program at TCI, Mariusz Wirga, M.D., will kick off the retreat by explaining the science behind the health value of humor, laughter and play. The psychosocial programs at TCI help patients improve their quality of life by reframing their way of thinking and helping them with the physical and emotional aspects of cancer. The psychosocial team brings a sense of familiarity and bond between patients and the healthcare team and ensures that patients and their families receive support, encouragement and access to community resources.
“Taking care of the emotional aspects and the stress of cancer not only improves an individual’s quality of life but is important to survival,” said Wirga. “Everyone does their best to cope with cancer, but there is always room for joy and laughter which is a significant part of the healing process.”
Additionally, Homayoon Sanati, M.D., medical director, MemorialCare Breast Center, will be presenting updates from the recent American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting.
The retreat will take place from 9:30am to 12:30pm and is open to patients, their loved ones and the public. The retreat will be at Houssels Forum on the campus of Long Beach Memorial, 2801 Atlantic Ave. Light refreshments will be served, and parking validation will be provided. Reservations are required by July 15 to Randal Snyder, program manager, MemorialCare Breast Center at (562) 933-7815 or by email to rsnyder@memorialcare.org. Donations will also be accepted.
