A PARTICIPANT PROFILE
MEREDITH MALONE"At The Wellness Community, I found new friends and a safe place to laugh and cry."
Meredith Malone’s quick sense of humor gives way to easy laughter and her clear, sky-blue eyes sparkle with a hint of mischievousness.
In January, 2007, Meredith struggled as she faced the devastating news of a breast cancer diagnosis. Then, in March, the discovery of a malignant tumor in her left lung sent her reeling. As if that wasn’t enough, a carcinoid tumor was discovered in the process of a lobectomy. “I was in a total tailspin, unlike anything I’d ever experienced,” says Meredith. “Thank God for my three great kids and a doting brother.” She spent months trying to get the correct diagnosis for the lung cancer, while the breast cancer diagnosis hung in the air. “My thoughts turned dark,” admits Meredith.
Her son, Sepp, found The Wellness Community’s calendar in one of her doctor’s offices. He made certain that his Mother made her way to TWC. There, she learned that sharing her terror with those in similar situations was her “first step toward normalcy in many months.”
She joined the Tuesday morning support group where laughter and tears are the order of the day. “The others understand where I’m coming from. They listen, encourage and care for one another,” says Meredith. She also attends the monthly Saturday lung cancer networking group where she met another participant who has the same diagnosis. “Linda and I commiserate but we never engage in pity parties!”
Meredith’s “patient-active” approach, learned at TWC, drew her to the popular clay class, the fun, monthly bunco group and, in time, volunteering. “I found new friends and a safe place to laugh and cry. I wish I could say this was the end of cancer but I was recently diagnosed with another malignant tumor in my right lung. I’ve just finished a round of radiation and I’m hopeful that the tumor will shrink. Right now, I’m not a happy camper, but this time around I’m guided by well-lit lanterns, thanks to my family and The Wellness Community.”