Adrienne – ovarian & uterine cancer survivor Stacie – oral cancer survivor

1. Ovarian Cancer National Alliance
National Conference
July 13, 2014

2. Meet the presenters
 Who we are
 Adrienne – ovarian &
uterine cancer survivor
 Stacie – oral cancer
survivor
 Why we believe in telling
your story
 Sharing one of our own
stories

3. Getting to Know YOU …

4. The power of storytelling
Who do we tell?
 Other patients
 Family members
 Friends
 Support group members
 Medical personnel
 Social workers
 Peer-to-peer mentors

5. The power of storytelling
How we benefit
 Feel less alone
 Part of a community
 Meet people who ‘get it’
 Better coping with illness & treatment
 Shines a light on the road ahead
 Helps us accept our situation
 Reduces stress & anxiety
 Support from others – emotional & practical
 Useful information
 Self-expression & enhanced self understanding
 Process grief & trauma

6. The power of storytelling
How others benefit
 How do they benefit?
 Helps others understand what
we’re going through
 Educates others – patients & more
 Others appreciate knowing what
they can do to help

7. Listening is the oldest and perhaps the most powerful tool of
healing. It is often through the quality of our listening and not
the wisdom of our words that we are able to effect the most
profound changes in the people around us.
Listening creates a holy silence. When you listen generously to
people, they can hear truth in themselves, often for the first
time. And in the silence of listening, you can know yourself in
everyone. Eventually you may be able to hear, in everyone and
beyond everyone, the unseen singing softly to itself and you.
Rachel Naomi Remen,
Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories that Heal

8. Feel the power
 Brief healing meditation
 Find a partner nearby to share your story with
 A moment when telling a story made a difference , or
 How is my life different – what have I learned / gained /
lost from cancer?
 Remember – listening is as important as talking
 Group sharing – how does it feel to
 Tell?
 Listen?
 Be heard?

9. There are many ways
to tell your story
 Orally
 With a friend, family member, another patient, other
 At workshops & retreats
 To mentors, therapists, support groups
 In writing
 For publication
 Personal journal
 Online – blogs & websites
 Group email
 And more …
 Video
 Creative expression
“Writing is the
cure for the disease
of living.”
-- Roger Rosenblatt

10. Words of wisdom
for the road:
“To tell the
truth and so
make peace.”
-- Maxine Hong Kingston