My 2025 took a sharp turn sideways the day after my January birthday when my gastroenterologist called, sharing birthday greetings along with a concerning and aggressive colon cancer diagnosis and a less than positive prognosis.
Options for 2026 were available, but they were drastic and limited. Tough choices were made quickly and the journey of survival began. But this column is not about that.
As you may have read in the earlier chapters of my battle, and as I continue to count each new day, I am now eight months cancer-free with no evidence of that dread disease (N.E.D.).
Each of these months brings a new, quiet, internal celebration of this new, hopefully remaining post-cancer life and reality. Though I lost a few body parts, in many ways I believe I am now a better and stronger person because of that journey, which included a new highlight and peak just last week.
Buried among dozens of medical and related emails in early spring was a surprising invitation from Kymberly Duncan, Survivorship Coordinator of the Northside Hospital Cancer Institute. Kymberly was about to share with me another surprising differentiator that validated my selection of Northside Hospital and the Northside Cancer Center for my surgery, ongoing oncology treatment and care, as well as subsequent monitoring and management.
MORE Than Just Treatment -
I had already encountered the Cancer Survivor’s Services Center in an office building near the Northside main campus in Sandy Springs, and taken a Tai Chi course, which is now part of my daily morning routine.
The center offers a broad array of services, classes and support groups at little to no cost to patients and survivors, as well as their families and caregivers.
I had found no equivalent to that at any of the other major health systems I had considered.
But this offer was about to raise that already high bar of service and care even higher. Ms. Duncan was inviting me to join several dozen of my fellow cancer survivors, each ranging from 6-months to 2-years N.E.D. for a weekend mountain retreat in North Georgia.
There was an application process, but Northside, its Cancer Institute and the weekend’s primary funder, the Northside Hospital-Atlanta Auxiliary, were to cover all costs. Our destination would be the Elohee Retreat (https://elohee.org/) atop Bald Mountain in White County, near Helen.
Participants from across the state and various walks of life, ranging in age from early 40s to mid-80s, converged upon the Support Center just after lunchtime on Friday. After a brief welcome and orientation, we loaded into a small fleet of chauffeured Mercedes Sprinter Vans for the just under two-hour ride.
The trip north was quiet, as I assume most participants were contemplating and resting, not entirely certain of what to expect. We were all in for a long series of pleasant surprises.
Retreat, Renewal Remember -
As we pulled off a Georgia highway onto a winding gravel road leading up to Elohee, we were greeted by enthusiastic and welcoming Retreat staff, including one of Elohee’s founders, Carolyn Bralley.
Before we could emerge from our vans, Carolyn and her team unloaded our luggage, oriented us to our cabins and their amenities, and picked us up in reverse order when our weekend concluded.
Our first session and icebreaker was a sort of ‘getting to know you‘ Bingo, which brought laughter, familiarity, and shared experiences forward. By the end of that first day, new friendships had formed.
A Tapestry of Survivor Stories -
No two survival stories were identical, but the threads of our survivorship wove together into a wonderful tapestry.
Though not everyone disclosed their specific diagnosis, metastatic breast cancer was the dominant cancer among the women, and prostate cancer among the men.
It is difficult to explain how welcoming and non-judgmental everyone was, from every retreat participant, to all retreat staff members and counselors. Our accommodations were individual, comfortable, restful, and serene.
Though the itinerary was full of programs and learning sessions, ample time was reserved for communing with nature, including a Qigong introduction (cousin of Tai Chi), and a wide selection of hiking trails, which included a beautiful waterfall and an inspirational Hemlock tree.
And again, perhaps not surprisingly, one of Elohee’s founders was also a cancer survivor, still on her journey, as were the majority of the Northside staff planning and executing this wonderful adult summer camp.
New Memories of Camp -
Juliette on the Northside team was consistently ready to lead hikes on Elohee’s miles of mountain trails. Mona, the Auxiliary President, attended every group session and led the arts/crafts workshop on Saturday.
Well-timed rainfall that Saturday ended months of drought on the mountain, allowing us a campfire with S’mores and fellowship after dark. Only the fellowship and the new relationships created surpassed the retreat itself.
I am convinced that we all left to return to our ‘new normals’ refreshed, renewed, and invigorated.
I have said before and will say again: I am here today to share all of this with you thanks to the brilliant care of my Northside medical, surgical, and oncology teams.
I never realized that care would continue post-cancer. But I am here to tell you that much like my summer camp days of yore, I can’t wait to go back, or for the next time I meet up with any of my many new Cancer Camp friends.
