

ASHLIE’S STORY
It is challenging to put into words what receiving a cancer diagnosis is like. It’s surreal, devastating, terrifying, earth shattering, incredibly isolating, and so much more. For two days after my diagnosis my parents kept saying “So the doctor found precancerous cells that they are removing right?” And I had to keep telling them, “No, I actually have rectal cancer – nothing is precancerous anymore.
We wanted to have a family in the future, so I had hormone therapy/egg extraction procedure and ovarian suspension surgery. Then I had brachytherapy radiation, surgery to remove my thyroid and left lymph nodes in my neck, surgery to remove my rectum and put into place a temporary ileostomy, radioactive iodine treatment, chemotherapy, and lastly my ileostomy reversal surgery. I felt scared and isolated from the “normal” world a lot of the time. Then my psychologist told me about the WICWC and it changed my entire cancer journey for the better.
The classes provided a safe space for me to connect with others and do something fun/creative/enjoyable for myself. I loved the cooking classes, the sound healing, the informative seminars, and the exercise classes. Even though I was at a place called the West Island Cancer Wellness Center some classes were so fun that I actually ended up not thinking about cancer while I was there.
The exercise classes in particular were special. After every surgery or treatment I was frail and weak. Knowing that I was not the only one in the classes taking it slow and trying to recover made getting active again a lot less intimidating. Staying active turned out to be one of the main things that helped keep me mentally, physically, and emotionally at my best while fighting cancer.

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