Support group helps build community

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This article was published 01/10/2018 (2788 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

John Fritz discovered he had bladder cancer over three years ago.

“It was a case of finding blood in my urine,” said Fritz, a 78-year-old Charleswood resident. “As soon as I noted that I got in touch with my doctor.”

After tests confirmed Fritz had bladder cancer, he underwent three surgeries to attempt to halt the spread of the cancer. Since last year, he has been undergoing BCG therapy, which involves inserting a bacterial vaccine into the bladder to kill any cancer cells that might remain within the organ.

“This goes on for a few years,” Fritz explained. “Fortunately, for me the BCG has been working. For others it has not, for them they pursue a more aggressive therapy.”

Over the course of his illness, Fritz and his wife Sandy, who have been married over 50 years, attended last year’s bladder cancer awareness walk in Assiniboine Park, which is organized annually by Bladder Cancer Canada. At the walk, they learned that a new bladder cancer support group would be meeting on the third Tuesday of each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at Concordia Village (1125 Molson St.). 

“It’s what we call a peer support, though there are two facilitators, myself and Terrol Rogers, who is living with active bladder cancer,” explained Janine Ballingall Scotten, a registered nurse whose Marty husband is bladder cancer survivor. “Our process is to share where they’re at, without judgment, and to learn how to advocate for themselves, and learn about other questions they should be asking.”

The group, which is connected with Bladder Cancer Canada and free for anyone to attended, also shares the latest information regarding bladder cancer research.

“Our goal, this fall, is to bring in some expert speakers,” Scotten said.

John and Sandy attended the first group, and have been going ever since.

“I think it’s effective, it’s quite casual, which is a very nice thing,” Fritz said. “The fellowship of people in the same or worse condition, you can hear their stories and find out that you have things go south on you that there are other things that can be done. That’s a very big thing when facing a cancer.”

The group also makes a point of including those supporting people with bladder cancer.

“The significant other needs support as well,” Scotten said. “We’ve had partners, significant others, we’ve had adult children or siblings attend. They’re all welcome.”

“Once you have a cancer, you tend not to think of the impact on someone else in the family,” Fritz said. “Usually, it’s pretty tough on them.”

“John has made it very easy for me, the way he’s handled it,” Sandy Fritz said. “If he’s good, I’m good. Being at the group also makes it easier when you see the different people that come, they all have their own stories. It’s nice to meet other people facing the same situation.”

“Healing physically is one thing, but you need that emotional psychological support too,” Scotten added.

The next support meeting will be held at Concordia Village’s building one multi-purpose room on Oct. 16. For more information on Winnipeg’s bladder cancer support group, email winnipegsupport@bladdercancercanada.org

Sheldon Birnie
Community Journalist

Sheldon Birnie is a reporter/photographer for the Free Press Community Review. Email him at sheldon.birnie@freepress.mb.ca or call him at 204-697-7112

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