DENVER — When Denver-based author and breast cancer survivor Diane Simard was first diagnosed with stage 3C breast cancer in 2015, she wasn’t prepared for the toll it would take on her mental health.
"A lot depended on how I felt physically, and it was the cyclical nature of knowing that I was going to have a (chemotherapy) infusion on Wednesday, and by Friday morning, I was going to feel like I got hit by a bus,” Simard recalled.
When Simard asked her oncologist for a referral to a therapist who specialist in cancer, she was told such services existed, but likely weren’t covered by insurance. So Simard decided to do something to address the shortage of mental health professionals specifically educated in dealing with cancer patients.
Simard reached out to connections at the University of Denver and provided the seed funding. Within a year of her diagnosis, the Center for Oncology Psychology Excellence (COPE) was created. A DU spokesperson said more than 200 students have taken one or more of the courses offered through COPE. It is now taught as part of a broader health psychology sequence and includes psychologists from CU School of Medicine's Department of Oncology as guest speakers.
Simard said there are already so many more resources since her diagnosis 10 years ago, and she urges those diagnosed with cancer not to ignore their mental health needs.
“This is such a unique type of trauma because you are facing your mortality and the fear of recurrence,” Simard said.
She also emphasizes the importance for caregivers to seek support as they can also experience mental health challenges as they navigate the cancer journey with their loved ones.
