אל על | אטמוספירה

Care and Support – The ICA’s Strong Together support center The Israel Cancer Association (ICA) has invested over NIS 10 million in “Strong Together” support centers for cancer patients and their families, explains Orit Spira, head of the ICA’s Rehabilitation and Support department. “These centers welcome anyone who wishes to attend, free of charge. The workshops and support group sessions are led by medical personnel from various psycho oncological fields, including physiotherapists, nutritionists, sex therapists and fertility experts. Studies show that joining these groups and taking dance or movement classes such as yoga, improves quality of life among cancer patients and strengthens their ability to cope during the recovery process”. There are ICA “Strong Together” support centers throughout Israel, providing much needed help and assistance to families having to deal with a cancer diagnosis. Many activities are available, including for children, as are workshops designed to help people cope with getting back to a normal life post-recovery. Activities are all free of charge. For further information and inquiries: +972-1-800-599-995

"The message I wish to give out to the world is that each one of us has to find what feels good to them - so that the immune system can retrieve its force. We have to believe in our power to do so"

going from being the one giving the lecture to one of the people attending it. It wasn’t easy, but the moment I let go and accepted the situation for what it was, I started to feel more empowered by the energy you get from support groups. It’s a place where everything can be discussed, even what we are most afraid to talk about, and that helped me a lot. As someone who believes in the connection between body and soul, I realized I had neglected my body over the years, and through the movement and dance classes I was taking, I managed to restore that connection. The NIA approach allows you to listen to your body and choose what feels right for you, as you experience the joy and pleasure of dancing. I enjoyed it so much that

again – and the doctors decided to operate. The day of the operation, I went for a chi gong session in the park and noticed a sign posted on a tree. It read: ‘I calmly let go of what was, and welcome what is to come with joy. I feel protected’. I went into the operating room with this in mind. “I learned how to live with the cancer and the fear” I am currently clean of any tumors, even though I am still considered someone with metastatic breast cancer. I still receive biotherapy at the Oncology Institute every three weeks. I can safely say today that I feel well, even better than I felt before my diagnosis. As a “Yad Lehachlama” (Reach to Recovery®) volunteer at the ICA, I support women who are going through similar situations as mine, and I give lectures on the subject, sharing my story with others. Nowadays, I combine being a social worker, personal coach, support group leader, NIA instructor – and cancer survivor. I give NIA classes at the ICA and lead a support group

in which I combine movement sessions as well as therapy sessions, as I believe being in movement is essential to healing. I also lead the ICA’s couples support group together with Orit Spira. The message I wish to give out to the world is that each one of us has to find what feels good to them - so that the immune system can retrieve its force. We have to believe in our power to do so. My victory is in having learned to live with the cancer and the fear, empowering me to keep getting better”. ■

I became a NIA instructor – something I had never dreamt of doing.

The medicine worked. The tumors in the breast and liver disappeared and the one under my armpit reduced in size. A year and a half after my last chemo session, I felt the lump under my armpit had increased once

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ATMOSPHERE OCTOBER 2022