Come to our cancer support group

I am hoping that you will run this open letter to cancer patients of Libby and Troy in my attempt to start a Cancer Support group. This group is a vital importance to those of us who need someone to lean on for support. Someone who knows what they are going through on a daily basis. Anything you can do to assist me in this effort will be deeply appreciated.

My name is Larry Hebenstriet and I returned to Libby one month ago from five months of cancer treatment at the University of Chicago. I am not cured, but I was given the opportunity to return to my home in Libby to continue my treatment here. While I was in treatment in Chicago, I joined Gilda’s Club of Chicago (named after Gilda Radner of Saturday Night Live fame, who died of Ovarian cancer). It is a club for cancer patients and their families, who can attend free of charge, support groups which help them understand and deal with cancer in their lives. My son and I both attended our respective groups. The meetings were of a great help to both of us in our struggles to understand cancer and how to live, have cancer, have had cancer and who are dealing with the effects, and survivors of cancer who would like to share their knowledge and experiences with those of us living with cancer on a daily basis.

Those attending the meetings can be rest assured that whatever is talked about at these meetings will not be shared outside of the meetings, and that you will remain anonymous. Each meeting will be approximately one to one-and-one-half hours long (length to be determined by those at the first meeting). The first meeting will be held at the meeting room at Libby Volunteer Ambulance Service, 307 Montana Avenue, in Libby, from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday evening, Feb. 22. I am planning to start with 2 meetings per month (every week is best) but that will be discussed at the first meeting.

I sincerely hope that you will join this group. I know that you will find it as helpful as I do. Those of us with active cancer in our lives know that there is so much information to absorb. But how we deal with that information and put it into action is of vital importance to our outcomes. Sometimes even the smallest bit of a shared experience can change someone else’s life forever.

Please respond to me at 406-291-2436 with the following information listed below. You can also leave the information at the Infusion Center at the hospital and they will see that I receive it.

I look forward to sharing my experiences with you, and you sharing your’s with me. God Bless all of you. I hope to see you at the meeting...sharing is caring.

Larry Hebenstreit