Kishwaukee Community Hospital will present another series of the “I Can Cope” program for diagnosed cancer patients and their families.

The program focuses on the problems and stresses of cancer which the patients and families might encounter. “The stress factors are often a greater difficulty than the disease itself,” said Mary Goldman, the hospital’s patient representative and coordinator of the “I Can Cope” program.

Several speakers will be covering different areas of the disease. The first session, which is on May 12, will be devoted to orientation. “Learning About Your Disease” will be presented by Dr. Samuel Goldman, member of the KCH Medical Staff, on May 14.

“Handling Stress with Humor” is the title of the May 19 session to be discussed by Marv Fogel, Ph.D. On May 21, the subject will be “Handling Daily Health Problems” and will be presented by KCH’s Registered Dietitian Jane Hapeman and R.N. Betty Kinniry, head nurse of the hospital’s Medical Unit.

Maurine Patten, Ed.D., will discuss “Relaxation” on May 26. The final session will include a panel on community resources.

A special graduation ceremony will be held at the last meeting, said Goldman, as a victorious completion of the sessions and a new perspective on dealing with the disease.

The program usually involves between 20 and 25 people because a group too large tends to limit the sharing among the members. A “group tends to become quite cohesive” during this program, Goldman said.

eservations are now being accepted, and it is a good idea to register early, said Goldman. The sessions are open to all ages, patients and family members, who want to learn more about the disease and its related problems, she said.

The 90-minute sessions will be held every Tuesday and Thursday evening beginning May 12 and continuing through June 2. Meetings will be held in the hospital’s Murphy Center.