‘I Can Cope’ Helps People With Cancer

By Jan Howard

I Can Cope is a series of educational classes for adults who are facing cancer. It is offered in conjunction with the American Cancer Society at the Praxair Cancer Center at Danbury Hospital.

The program is designed to help participants and their families and friends cope by increasing their knowledge, positive attitudes, and skills with other people who share a common experience. Throughout the course, information about cancer and its treatment is presented to enhance skills needed for self-care, as well as to promote physical and emotional well-being.

 Two two-hour classes focus on cancer diagnosis, treatment, side effects, nutrition, exercise, stress management, and more. Guest speakers include professionals in the field of cancer management, such as doctors, nurses, social workers, and other health care professionals or community representatives, while videotapes, print materials, and class discussion provide up-to-date information.

About ten years ago, Professor Lilla Dean of Newtown, a registered nurse, became volunteer facilitator and a speaker for the program. In 2001 the American Cancer Society presented her with its Volunteer of the Year award.

“I started out as facilitator and became a speaker later,” she said.

“All the speakers are volunteers and experts in their areas,” Prof Dean said. “There have been a variety of speakers over the years,” she added, noting how gracious everyone has been in giving of their time and talents throughout the years.

Prof Dean has been a resident of Newtown since 1950. She graduated from Grace New Haven School of Nursing, University of Bridgeport, and New York University. She worked as a staff nurse at Danbury Hospital for 33 years and retired as professor emeritus of nursing from her overlapping position as Western Connecticut State University where she taught for 23 years.

The I Can Cope program, she said, was originally designed for people who were newly diagnosed, but people who have successfully gone through treatment now attend the sessions.

“It is meant to be educational in a sharing, caring, supportive atmosphere,” she said.

Prof Dean explained that a diagnosis of cancer requires the patient to be an active participant in his/her treatment. “Family members are part of the program,” Prof Dean said. “Relationships and communication are some of the things we talk about.”

She noted Danbury Hospital has many programs for patients. With the I Can Cope program, she said, “We try to give them the tools to navigate this whole system.”

The I Can Cope program originally consisted of eight two-hour sessions; in 1999 it was reduced to four sessions; and now consists of two sessions. There are also three optional programs, addressing nutrition, pain control, and financial planning, which are held on Saturday mornings.

The I Can Cope program offers reliable information, peer support, and practical coping skills in order to meet the challenge. It helps people understand the feelings of loneliness, fear, and frustration often experienced by people with cancer and their loved ones.

According to a brochure offered by the American Cancer Society, “Knowledge is power, and the more you know about what is happening during cancer diagnosis and treatment, the better equipped you will be to handle each step of the journey. And, of course, there is great comfort in the simple knowledge that you are not alone.”

Prof Dean said, “One of the major goals is to hook people up with support they can use. It gives them accessibility to help that is available and what they are entitled to. It is also a chance to meet people who have been through treatment successfully.”

I Can Cope evolved as a result of the interest of two registered nurses in Minnesota, Judi Johnson and Pat Norby, who each day came in contact with newly diagnosed cancer patients who often seemed emotionally unprepared to deal with the illness. Ms Johnson developed a demonstration project in cancer patient education and presented it to the American Cancer Society. It was funded and accepted as a president’s project.

By May 1979, I Can Cope became an official program of the national American Cancer Society and today is implemented in most of the society’s 17 divisions. In 1991 it was revised, with key changes made to the program including updated medical information to keep pace with changes in technology and treatment, refined curriculum objectives, personalized content focusing on self-care, and an enhanced stress management component. The revised program also included new audiovisuals and updated graphics and layout.

The next I Can Cope program will be held on October 20 and 27. Classes are free, and no physician’s referral is required. Preregistration is required by calling Joanne Ballerini at 797-7771.

For more information about I Can Cope classes, contact the local American Cancer Society office at 748-2803 or the 24-hour national hotline at 800-ACS-2345.