Women have the opportunity to accept free massages as they wait for mammograms, breast ultrasounds and biopsies at the Imaging Center.
Recently as each woman received their chair massage, shared stories circulated the small circle of women.
It was as if the massage relaxed them enough to open up and talk about the stress of waiting for their test and other stressors of their lives.
The oldest woman, 88 years old, talked about being a caregiver since she was 18 years old.
First she took care of her parents, then her spouse and children.
We listen as she remembered that when she retired to Florida with her husband, she became the condo caregiver.
She would check on her neighbors, knock on their doors to make sure they were OK.
Now 25 years later, she is the oldest and her neighbors make sure she is OK.
Another woman, originally from the Bahamas gets misty eyed as she waited for her test.
She actually moved closer to the older woman as if to soak in her knowledge of how she coped with being blessed in the mess of life.
She wants us to know that her work week has been decreased by 2 days.
She is the major breadwinner for herself, her handicapped son, her mom, and is also sending money back home to feed 5 children.
The older woman paused, took the time to offer wise woman wisdom culled from her years of experience.
Someone else mentioned their strong faith and how "God never gives you more than you can handle.
" This was followed by, "I wish he didn't think so highly of me, he could throw me a little less struggle in my life.
" Laughter from the group lightens the moment.
There were comments about how the massage and breathing techniques let them relax and helped them picture themselves at the beach instead of worrying about the results of the tests.
The offers of massage allowed these women to reach out and communicate with each other for a few moments of their day.
They choose to be present with each other for a short time and connect in a healing circle.
Comfort-oriented massages in an imaging center within a hospital setting opens up a unique opportunity during a time which is usually stressful and isolated.
An example of how massage within a hospital setting is part of the healing experience to connect and share moments in their lives that made them stronger.
Recently as each woman received their chair massage, shared stories circulated the small circle of women.
It was as if the massage relaxed them enough to open up and talk about the stress of waiting for their test and other stressors of their lives.
The oldest woman, 88 years old, talked about being a caregiver since she was 18 years old.
First she took care of her parents, then her spouse and children.
We listen as she remembered that when she retired to Florida with her husband, she became the condo caregiver.
She would check on her neighbors, knock on their doors to make sure they were OK.
Now 25 years later, she is the oldest and her neighbors make sure she is OK.
Another woman, originally from the Bahamas gets misty eyed as she waited for her test.
She actually moved closer to the older woman as if to soak in her knowledge of how she coped with being blessed in the mess of life.
She wants us to know that her work week has been decreased by 2 days.
She is the major breadwinner for herself, her handicapped son, her mom, and is also sending money back home to feed 5 children.
The older woman paused, took the time to offer wise woman wisdom culled from her years of experience.
Someone else mentioned their strong faith and how "God never gives you more than you can handle.
" This was followed by, "I wish he didn't think so highly of me, he could throw me a little less struggle in my life.
" Laughter from the group lightens the moment.
There were comments about how the massage and breathing techniques let them relax and helped them picture themselves at the beach instead of worrying about the results of the tests.
The offers of massage allowed these women to reach out and communicate with each other for a few moments of their day.
They choose to be present with each other for a short time and connect in a healing circle.
Comfort-oriented massages in an imaging center within a hospital setting opens up a unique opportunity during a time which is usually stressful and isolated.
An example of how massage within a hospital setting is part of the healing experience to connect and share moments in their lives that made them stronger.
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