From pain to lightness

When I was diagnosed with breast cancer at 49 years of age, there was a break in my life. It seemed to me that body and soul were going through it together.

I found myself at the Regional Centre of the Quebec Cancer Foundation in Quebec City, seeking to borrow a hairpiece, and I left with my new hairstyle and a first appointment for a massage therapy session.

I had never had a massage and I was expecting anything but what I got. So refreshing! It should first be said that the chemotherapy had made me feel as if a 10-wheel truck were parked on my body. It was total discomfort.

I was very well received by Hélène Mailloux, my massage therapist, on my very first visit. Thanks to her listening ear and her expertise, I immediately felt a relationship of trust developing between us.

You know, when you are with the family, you don’t always dare to complain of your pains; you don’t want to be feeling sorry for yourself. With Hélène, talking was easy and empowering. She understood what I was experiencing; I did not need to explain the state I was in or to hold back my emotions. It was first and foremost therapy and then massage!

The effect of a massage is immediate. After several sessions, I had the feeling that my shoes were too big for me, because I felt so much lighter! The massage not only relieved my pain, it calmed my stress as well. And I felt understood and encouraged.

The massage therapy service offered by the Foundation was a tremendous blessing for me in many ways throughout my treatment period and I recommend it today to anyone facing cancer.

Lucie Marcotte, 51 years old, Quebec City