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Review of Summer Retreat - July 2006

2007 Retreat to be announced shortly

Survivors and Families Relax at Annual Summer Retreat
As reported by Volunteer Rubina Madan

Last July, 25 men and women gathered on the shore of the Long Island Sound for a day that promised relaxation and renewal. Though they came from many different backgrounds, all of them had something in common: their lives had been touched by cancer.

It was the 3rd Annual Ann’s Place Summer Retreat, an event created to offer a day of respite and support for cancer survivors and their families.

Participants selected three hour-long workshops, each offering unique opportunities for introspection and stress relief. They expressed themselves with their bodies in a “Movement and Connection” workshop, and on paper in a memoir-writing class. They could enjoy Reiki sessions or step outside for the horticulture workshop, where they potted plants by the shore.

One of the goals of the retreat was to allow people affected by cancer to have “a day to just be, instead of to do,” according to Su Murdock, clinical director of Ann’s Place, The Home of I CAN.

“I think because our society tends to really make people feel that they need to be productive, that they need to accomplish things, that they need to produce in order to be of value, the day apart was set to give them some relaxation just for themselves,” Murdock said. “It was really kind of supposed to be a day of renewal for them, without any pressure on performing.”

The weather on July 29, when the retreat was held, couldn’t have been better: hot, sunny and breezy. For Anita, a survivor and participant, the setting of the Mercy Center at Madison (http://www.mercybythesea.org) offered a chance to bask in the natural beauty of the shore. Her favorite part was the horticulture workshop, where she enjoyed “the setting and the way they explained how to plant the flowers – something creative.”

“Especially for cancer patients, it takes them out of the place that they live in every day,” said Margie Blake, program director for Ann’s Place. “They have a totally different atmosphere when you put them in a place they don’t know. It really does allow people to  relax and forget the day-to-day things they have to deal with.”

The retreat and other support programs are essential for survivors, said Mary, who was recently treated for cancer. After her treatment was over, she realized she felt pressured to move on with her life, ignoring the feelings of helplessness and depression that lingered during the transition period. The retreat and support groups at Ann’s Place showed Mary she was not alone in this, and the connections she made with other cancer survivors were essential. Having gone through the same difficult experience, she immediately felt a bond with them.

“I want to do healthy things for myself,” Mary said. “I want to be positive. But again, there’s that little subtle undercurrent of fear and reality, and it’s a little depressing. So that is why I decided I needed something like that retreat. I needed it even more so than when I was going through treatment in a sense. Because I needed to connect again with people and see if they were feeling the same way.”

Organizers were extremely grateful to all of the volunteers and donors who helped make the retreat a success. Program volunteers included Lynn Buttner, Jean Conover, Paula LeFebre, Dave LeFebvre, Alison DePinto and Irene Sherlock, who led the various workshops. The retreat was partially funded by the New Fairfield Community Thrift Shop and Dr. Ralph Manfredi, DC, MS, DACBSP, a local chiropractic physician.

Throughout the day, participants offered their thanks and positive feedback about the event. Whether they were concentrating on guided imagery or jotting down their memories, the retreat appealed to them for different reasons.

On one evaluation, a survivor wrote: “I will treasure this day. It was all positive. I danced for the first time since I was diagnosed.”