"Patient Working Group": A Poem by Bev Riediger, Patient Working Group member

Patient Working Group, by Bev Riediger 

Who are we? 

We are the PWG. 

In the beginning we were strangers, 

Brought together for a common cause. 

We live far and wide, 

Throughout the various regions of Canada. 

We are cancer patients, survivors and caregivers 

Who believe in the need for precision oncology. 

We believe in research 

And all that it can reveal. 

In the beginning we were isolated. 

Now we are an integral part of the MOHCCN. 

Researchers have learned from us. 

We have learned from them. 

We are accepted as partners, 

As contributors with a unique perspective. 

We are the PWG. 

We have come to know each other, 

Respecting everyone’s point of view and experiences. 

We have developed an unbreakable bond. 

That will last forever. 

We have lost some members 

And mourned their loss. 

We have welcomed new members 

To help fill the need for greater participation. 

We are here to stay, 

Ever growing and developing. 

We are the PWG. 

Meet the author 

My name is Bev Riediger, and I have been diagnosed with breast cancer twice: once in 2005 and again on Christmas Eve 2020.  My cancer journey has spanned 20 years, with 15 years off in the middle for good behaviour or perhaps, a little bit of good luck. 

I have tried to learn from my experiences with the healthcare system so that hopefully I can share that knowledge to have a positive impact on the world. Perhaps I have used my volunteer activities as a coping mechanism, but I would need a professional to help determine that. All I know is that 20 years ago, my first diagnosis propelled me into the world of CancerCare Manitoba’s Volunteer Services and all it had to offer. Since my second diagnosis, I have become even more immersed in the world of cancer research, and the role patients can play within it. I am a Patient Advisor at CCMB, a Patient Partner with CCMB’s Health Services Lab and a member of the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centers Network’s Patient Working Group. I have also discovered that I am not so bad at writing poetry sometimes. 

Simply put, being diagnosed with cancer has opened up a whole new world to me.  Sometimes it is depressing, other times it is exhilarating.  But one thing is certain to me: only you can determine what type of journey you want to go on. Either way, you have to buckle up, for it can be quite a ride.