Support During Treatment

• Breast Cancer Support Group
• Breast Cancer Education Forum
• Coping with Stress
• Overnight Accommodation Suggestions

Breast Cancer Support Group When: Every Monday, 4:30PM - 6PM Location: Kaiser Permanente Santa Rosa, 401 Bicentennial Way, Santa Rosa As the location changes weekly, check at the volunteer desk for the conference room location. Free and open to the community Facilitator: Carol Gieg, LCSW, MPH, Call (707) 393-3290 for more information. We invite you to meet together with other women who are newly diagnosed or in treatment for breast cancer. This is a safe place to laugh, cry, problem solve and get your questions answered. Come share your experiences and feelings with other women. You are not alone. Topics: Educational resources Ways to cope Supportive listening Sharing feelings Community resources A Place to talk or a place to listen until you feel ready to talk Kaiser Permanente doctor approved

Breast Cancer Education Forum When: Thursday, July 12 and Thursday October 11 Location: Medical Office Building East Conference Rooms [Map] Facilitator: Beth Arvidson, RN, MPH Call (707) 393-4698 for more information and more dates. Learn to cope with chemo, radiation, recovery issues, and build a healthy lifestyle after breast cancer. Guest speakers and topics include: Radiation Therapy Speaker: Janette Johnson RN, Radiation Oncologist Chemotherapy and Hormone Therapy Speaker: Glen Buelteman Pharm., Infusion Center Pharmacist Recovery From Surgery Speaker: Sharon Barbee RPT, Physical Therapy Break – Visit the Resource Table A Healthy Life After Breast Cancer Speakers: Chris Fifer MS RD & Melanie Larson, MA RD Genetics of Breast Cancer Speaker: Stephanie Newhart, MS, Genetics Counselor

These programs are free, open to the community, and for breast cancer patients only.

Coping with Stress

Stress is an unavoidable part of life. While some stress is normal and even necessary, too much of it can affect your quality of life and your health. You can reduce the effects of stress by identifying its causes in your life, understanding and accepting what you can control and what you can't, and learning stress management skills.

Stress affects each of us differently, and the most effective ways to relieve it are different for each person. You can try different methods to find out which ones work best for you. Some techniques for relieving stress include:

• Exercise. Regular physical activity is one of the most effective stress management techniques.
• Writing. Research shows that expressing yourself in writing can be a very effective way to reduce your stress level.
• Expressing your feelings. Talking, laughing, crying, and expressing anger are normal parts of the emotional healing process.
• Doing something you enjoy. A hobby or other healthy leisure activity that is meaningful to you can help you relax. Volunteer work or work that helps others can be a powerful stress reliever.
• Body-centered relaxation. This includes breathing exercises, muscle relaxation exercises, massage, aromatherapy, yoga, and the traditional Chinese relaxation exercises tai chi and qi gong.
• Mindfulness activities. These include learning how to relax your body through self-hypnosis, meditation, imagery or music.

In addition to relieving stress, it is also important to reduce the amount of stress in your life. Ways to reduce and avoid unnecessary stress include:

• Time management techniques. Scheduling and prioritizing your commitments can make you more productive and efficient.
• Effective coping strategies. Identifying ways of dealing with stress that don't really help and finding the best ways to cope can reduce your stress level.
• Healthy lifestyle choices. Balancing your obligations, getting plenty of rest, eating well, not smoking, and limiting how much alcohol you drink are all important in reducing stress.
• Support from friends and family. People who have a strong social support network are better able to handle life's challenges.
• Changing ways of thinking. Stopping thoughts that cause stress, working on problem solving, and learning to communicate well are all useful tools for reducing stress.

Stress can be overwhelming. While confiding in a friend or family member can be helpful, you may also want to see a professional counselor. The Health Education Center at MOB West, Suite 145 can help you find resources and classes. Support groups facilitated by mental health professionals are also available.

Overnight Accommodations Suggestions for Patients

If you need to stay in the Santa Rosa area for treatment over consecutive days, we have compiled this list for your convenience.

Assistance League Apartments in Santa Rosa

Contact Chaplaincy/Spiritual Care Department at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital at (707)546-3210.

Los Robles Lodge in Santa Rosa

Contact American Cancer Association at (707) 545-6720 (press 3).
Rooms available for approximately $35/ night Monday through Thursday

Extended Stay America

Located at 2600 Corby Ave Santa Rosa. Call (707) 546-4808. The cost is approximately $60/night for studio efficiency.

Also located at 100 Fountaingrove Pkwy, Santa Rosa. Call (707) 541-0959. The cost is approximately $75/night for studio efficiency.