Support

Patient Support

The LFC supports and promotes patient support groups across the country.  If you have a support group that you would like to promote or to discuss support, please contact us at info@lymphoma.ca

Click here for information about on-line internet support groups

Current locations are listed below and the details can be found further down:

•    Halton/Peel, Ontario
•    Oshawa, Ontario
•    Sarnia, Ontario
•    Simcoe, Ontario
•    Ottawa, Ontario
•    Toronto, Ontario
•    Waterloo, Ontario
•    Calgary, Alberta
•    Vancouver, British Columbia
•    Victoria, British Columbia

The Lymphoma Support group provides lymphoma patients an opportunity to meet with other lymphoma patients to talk about the impact of the diagnosis, including the emotions and fears associated with cancer, its disruption to one’s life and family, concerns for the future, and strategies that patients might use to cope.

Halton Peel

Where:     Wellspring Halton-Peel, 2545 Sixth Line, Oakville, 905-257-1988
When:        The first and third Monday of each month from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Access:    These are drop-in groups for patients only.  Those who are interested can come whenever they can.  Registration is not required, and patients are welcome to attend as many sessions as they wish.

Both groups are facilitated by a professional and co-facilitated by a peer (a lymphoma patient).

Oshawa  

Where:        The Hearth Place Cancer Support Centre, 86 Colborne St. West, 905-579-4833
When:        The second Thursday and the fourth Wednesday of each month from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Access:    Both sessions are facilitated by a professional and co-facilitated by a peer. 
Please register to attend these sessions   
Email:        Sonja@hearthplace.org
Website:    http://www.hearthplace.org

Sarnia

Where:         Canadian Cancer Society office, 714 Lite St. Sarnia
When:          the first Tuesday of every month at  7 pm
Access:         Patients and Caregivers are welcome
Contact:     Deborah Morris at dmorris@ebtech.net for more information
This is a blood cancer support group for patients with all forms of blood cancers

Simcoe   

Where:        Norfolk General Hospital, 365 West Street, Diabetes Room
When:        Every second Tuesday of each month from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Contact:    Jean 1-519-426-7491

Ottawa

Where:        The Hospice at MayCourt, 114 Cameron, Library Room
When:        The first Tuesday of each month. 
                   Group Sharing & Caring:    4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
                   Guest Speaker        5:00 – 6:00 p.m.
Access:    Patients are welcome to attend one or both sessions   
Please confirm dates by visiting the website prior to meeting
Contact:    Evelyn at 613-232-7795 or Pleasie at 613-241-7141
Website:    http://www.lsgo.ca

Toronto

Where:        Wellspring at Sunnybrook, 2075 Bayview Ave.,
When:        The first Wednesday of each month from 1:00 – 2:30 p.m.
Access:    These are drop-in groups for patients only.  Registration is not required.
Patients are welcome to attend as many sessions as they wish
Contact:    Dawn Wasylow, Manager 416-480-4440

Waterloo   

Where:        Hopespring Cancer Support Centre, 43 Allen St. W.
When:        The first Wednesday of each month from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Access:    Patients and caregivers are welcome to attend as many sessions as they wish
Contact:    Mary Jon at 519-742-4673

Calgary

Where:        Wellspring Calgary, 1404 Home Road NW
When:        The fourth Thursday of the month from 7:00 – 8:30 p.m.
Please note there is no meeting in August
Access:    These are drop-in groups so those who are interested can come whenever they can.    Registration is not required and patients are welcome to attend as many sessions as they wish.
Contact:    403-263-5300
Website:    http://www.wellspringcalgary.ca

Vancouver

Where:    BCCA, 600 West 10th Avenue, John Jambor Room, Ground Floor
When:    The second Wednesday of each month from 10:30 a.m. – noon
Access:    The Lymphoma Network/Support Group at Vancouver Cancer Centre provides
 Lymphoma patients and their support people an opportunity to meet with each other to share information and talk about the impact of lymphoma on their lives.  This is a peer support group.  Invited speakers attend some sessions to share information on treatments, nutrition, stress reduction, coping strategies, as well as poets and writers sharing their journeys with this illness.
  These are drop-in groups.  Registration is not required.

Contact:    For more information on upcoming dates and speakers contact
Patient and Family Counselling Service (604)877-6000
Email:    sample @bccancer.bc.ca
   

Victoria   

Where:    Royal Jubilee Hospital at the corner of Richmond & Coronation Streets,  Woodward Room – Begbie Hall
When:    The first Thursday of each month from 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Please call to confirm meeting date and place
Access:    The group operates on a ‘drop-in ‘format with a guest speaker for the first 45 to 60 minutes followed by small group discussions.  Registration is not required.  We have attendees from the lower Island including from Courtney, Nanaimo, Duncan, Sooke and Sidney
Contact:    For more information on upcoming dates and speakers contact:

Glyn Williams – ph (250) 598-8166 email – Glyn_Williams@telus.net
Linda Wiebe – ph (250)655-0232 email – lwiebe@inetex.com

Patient & Family Counselling Department Vancouver Island Cancer Centre Phone (250)519-5525

On-line internet lymphoma support groups

Below are some excellent on-line groups you can join. On-line groups offer the benefit of being available 24 hours a day 7 days a week, but they do not offer the face to face experience of a local support group.

The Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma Cyberfamily
A global support group for patients and caregivers dealing with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

The leukemia and lymphoma Society discussion boards
Discussion boards for all types of lymphoma, leukaemia and related topics such as stem cell transplants.

Webmagic discussion boards
Discussion boards for Hodgkin's and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Lymphoma Survival
A discussion group hosted by Robert Miller, to exchange information and experiences about long term survival for follicular lymphoma using integrative strategies, and complementary therapies. Note that this is not the same as "alternative" therapies. Alternative means to turn your back on science based medicine in favour of unproven non drug/radiation types of therapy.