Journal Prompts Straight To Your Inbox

journal at a cafe

Did you know that we have a program where you can sign up to receive a journal prompt sent to your inbox once a week?  This program has been on hiatus so far this year but it starts back up next week!

If you would like to participate in some stressfree, prompted journaling let us know!  You will be sent a journaling prompt each week.  The prompt will help you focus the chaos going on in your life and mind in order to write away some of those cares and anxieties.  If you would like your writing to be read and considered for use here on Lacuna Loft as a personal story, let us know that too!  Just fill out the form below and we will reply to you within a week with your first prompt!

Cancer Care by Zip Code: Examining Geographic Health Disparities in the US

NY houses

ASCO Connection recently published an article talking about health disparities (“a term commonly used to describe differences in incidence, prevalence, mortality, and burden of cancer related to conditions among specific populations, including racial and ethnic minorities, sexual and gender minorities, older adults, and rural patients, among other groups”…that is a mouthful!) based on where someone lived who was diagnosed with cancer.  In the world of cancer survivorship, Lacuna Loft sees people from all over the country.  We have participants who are based in urban areas but for whom getting to a place for survivorship support is cumbersome all the way to people who live rurally and have no cancer center (or other known young adult cancer survivors) within a hundred miles.  This article isn’t based on young adults specifically, but it underlines the effect that geography has on outcomes…on whether people are surviving their cancer.

“Exciting new breakthroughs in cancer research are helping to make great strides in what is possible for patients with cancer. But they are not necessarily leading to equitable disease outcomes.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), while the overall age-adjusted incidence of cancer is lower in rural areas than urban areas, rural areas have higher cancer death rates. This difference in mortality is growing wider over time. In these instances, new cutting-edge therapies are not enough.”

The fact that this research is fairly recent, done within the last few years, also underlines how important it is for patients to speak up.  If a physician doesn’t ask you questions but you have something in your cancer treatment regime that is overly burdensome (traveling for treatments for instance), taking charge and using your patient voice to advocate for better care is a must.  This is true in the cancer treatment space as well as the cancer survivorship space.  Sometimes, a better solution isn’t possible…but we can always ask!

Read more of this very interesting article here.

5 Tips For Sex And Intimacy After Cancer

sex and intimacy after cancer

There are many physical and emotional changes after cancer that can affect sex and intimacy. Read more on ways to cope with and embrace this new normal in your bedroom.  This post is for the ladies out there!

They are the words no one wants to hear: “You have cancer.” As you begin your journey of doctor visits, medications, and a seemingly never ending treatment plan, your mental health takes a turn. Then soon after, you realize that your sexual health may also take a hit – even though nobody really mentions it. Between medications, chemotherapy, radiation, hormonal changes, and surgeries, you start to feel disconnected from your body. Along with losing your hair and supple skin, you also feel a loss of femininity. I’ll pause right now to tell you: you’re not alone.

You’re not alone when you stare in the mirror, trying to understand what has happened to your body as you see a different woman. If you are a breast cancer survivor in particular, you may see scars where you once had nipples, expanders where you once had breasts, a beanie where you once had hair. You’re not alone when tears roll down your face as you turn away from the mirror, no longer able to look. I know that even just the thought of being touched is very difficult, and how difficult it is for your partner, who doesn’t want to do anything that will upset or hurt you.

Your partner still has his or her sex drive, still finds you attractive, and still wants to be intimate with you, but how? You have no sex drive, you’re as dry as the Sahara desert, and you no longer have sensation in certain areas.

Your “spot” was once your nipples. That’s what turned you on! Now what? How can you be aroused and reach orgasm without nipple stimulation? On top of that, you feel embarrassed, self conscious, and unattractive. Once you’re finally aroused, you face another roadblock- you’re unusually dry. You may feel like all hope is lost.

Some common sexual function concerns after cancer include loss of desire, negative body image, depression, painful intercourse, loss of sensation in certain areas, vaginal dryness or tightness, and failure or difficulty to reach orgasm. For the last 11 years, I have been hosting workshops on Intimacy After Cancer. I realized how important a woman’s body image is to her and how much treatment and effects of treatment can cause issues in their intimate life and compiled a few tips that can help you find your “new (sexual) normal.”

But first, if you are still in treatment, before engaging in sexual activity, make sure you talk to your doctor about any sexual restrictions. If you aren’t sure how to talk to your doctor about sex, here are some great tips for initiating that conversation.

1. Try a vaginal moisturizer.
If you are experiencing vaginal dryness, you can try a vaginal moisturizer. Depending on your cancer diagnosis, you may need to stay away from estrogen. Your doctor may prescribe you something, or you can see if estrogen-free products like Replens seems like a fit for you!

2. Use a lubricant.
Pure Romance has two great lubricants that you can add into your sexual experience. You can opt for a paraben-free, all-natural lubricant, such as Pure Naked Lubricant, or a water-based, pH balanced lubricant. I recommend using a combination of the two. Moisturizers are for maintenance and lubricants are used during intercourse or with bedroom toys.

3. Have fun discovering your new “hot spot”.
Your nipples may have been your previous “spot,” but you are a new and improved woman. Explore different erogenous zones and have fun finding your new “spot” with your partner!

4. Use a heightener.
There are products on the market that help to provide a heightened sexual experience, help with arousal, and help you to reach orgasm. Depending on your sensitivity, you may want to opt for fragrance free products.

5. Use a vaginal dilator.
Your doctor may have recommended a dilator, but you couldn’t bear using a device that looked like what you see at your gynecologist’s office. Here is a vaginal dilator that is pleasing to the eye and will help decrease discomfort during intercourse.

 

The good thing is that most, if not all, of these side effects are temporary. In the meantime, adapt to your new “normal.” Be willing to accept your changes and move forward. Being intimate with your partner will come when you are ready. You may be ready immediately or you may want to wait a while, each person has their own journey. What is most important is that you keep the lines of communication open with your partner.

Do you have any other tips? Share them in the comments below.

What Surviving Cancer Taught Me About My Sexuality

bed and bedside table

More and more, topics surrounding young adult cancer are making their way into the mainstream.  We’ve seen young adult cancer survivors in movies, television shows, books, the cover of Newsweek, and even peek into the pages of Vogue. Now, Bustle has published a piece by a dynamic young adult cancer survivor, Eva Taylor Grant.

“It doesn’t feel like anything remarkable to go home with someone for the first time post-cancer. In the moment it’s all about breath and touch, and my memory of sickness is far away. My body still has shadows of being ravaged by illness, but Josh* traces his unknowing fingers along my skin in a way that reminds me how powerful sharing a moment of softness can be. I’m excited by this new person who likes my short hair and my big thighs. When he throws me on his bed, and starts kissing me from my lips downward, I finally feel a sense of recklessness that I’ve been craving since I was told I could die at 19. But, as he reaches my chest, I hit the first major roadblock of having sex for the first time post-cancer. He bites my port scar. And I scream in pain.

Right then I learned, while in a new guy’s bed, clutching my chest, trying not to cry, that I wasn’t going to be able to separate my current desire for sex from my recent past as a cancer survivor. And as he listened when I explained my story, I could feel the energy between us slow down — it was then that I felt completely and utterly naked.”

Read more of this riveting person narrative here.

There’s A Chance To Hang With Young Survivors Tomorrow!

dog on couch

Hey there!  Looking for a chance to hang out with other young adult cancer patients, survivors, and caregivers?  Want to do that without leaving your house?  Have no fear, Lacuna Loft has the hookup!

Tomorrow, Feb. 21st from 5-7 pm PT / 7-9 pm CT / 8-10 pm ET, Lacuna Loft will host one of our bi-monthly YAC (Young Adult Cancer) Hangouts!  They are online, via video chat and super informal.  If you sign up, we send you a link via email to join the video chat.  You’ll need internet (or data if you’re out and about) and a webcam, and that’s it!  (Sometimes I get questions about webcams…most computers, smartphones, and tablets have one built in but if not, they are super cheap to buy one and plug it into a USB hole in your computer!)

Interested in joining?  Sign up here!

Join the Bullet Journal Creative Art Workshop!

young adult cancer creative workshop

Update: The workshop is full!  Please sign up on the interest form below to be notified when the next creative art workshop is forming!

Do you enjoy crafts and spending time with other young adult cancer survivors and caregivers?  Do you like getting organized and setting goals?  You’ll love this workshop!

Lacuna Loft’s online Bullet Journal Workshop is the 19th in our #LetsMakeStuff @LacunaLoft series of online workshops!

Start the new year off with some creative ways to get organized while planning, journaling, and exploring fun ways to make lists. Helping your productivity, creativity, and organizational skills, it’s a planner, to do list, and diary all rolled into one. A DIY bullet journal, start from a blank journal to what will be a great, personalized tool for a fresh start in 2019!

This workshop is designed to get you started with your very own DIY Bullet Journal.  If you’ve never done this before, you’re in luck! Aerial will go step-by-step through everything!  If you love crafting and you’re a real pro already, no problem!  While some of the tutorial will be more than you need, the rest of the time spent crafting and being artsy with other young adult cancer peers will be totally worth it.

Who: 25 young adult cancer survivors and caregivers.

When: Monday, February 25th @ 6 pm PT / 8 pm CT / 9 pm ET   (The timing for this workshop is later than normal.  If you sign up to attend, please come for the entire 2 hours.  If you cannot commit to the entire 2-hour workshop, please wait for the next month’s workshop!)

How does it work? We’ll send you all of the materials you need to participate! Lacuna Loft will send you an email a few days before the workshop with information on how to join the video chat. ***You’ll need the link that we’ll provide you, a headset with a microphone, and a webcam.***

***We’ve hosted this workshop before!  If you’ve taken part, you are welcome to join again this time around but we will not send you a new batch of supplies.***

Sponsored in part by a grant from Genentech and Shire.

Click here to sign up to be notified when this program is announced by choosing it under ‘Programs you’re interested in.’ (Feel free to choose to be notified when other programs are announced too!)

Financial Assistance Through The Samfund

people at a cafe

The Samfund is excited to announce that the application for their next grant cycle is NOW available through February 12, 2019!

The Samfund awards direct assistance to young adults who are struggling financially because of cancer. Our grants cover a wide range of needs, including medical expenses, living expenses, insurance premiums, family building costs, and much more.

Who is eligible?

Young adult cancer survivors who are eligible candidates must be:
Between the ages of 21 and 39 at the time when the application is submitted
Residents of the United States

Must meet ONE of the following criteria:
Completed planned treatment with no evidence of disease, or
One year following the completion of planned treatment with stable disease, or
In remission and on long-term hormonal therapy (such as Tamoxifen for breast cancer survivors) or long-term targeted therapy (such as Gleevec or Herceptin)

Individuals who have received grants in the past may reapply and may receive up to three separate grant awards. Anyone who received a grant in Fall 2018 must wait until July 2019 to reapply.

If you missed their “Grants 101” Webinar, be sure to check out the recording on their site here!

Important dates:

Tuesday, February 12th at 5PM EST: Deadline for all submissions. No exceptions or extensions!

Mid-late April: All applicants will be notified if they’ve been selected to receive funding.

Please email them at grants@thesamfund.org with any questions!

Click here to apply!

Lamentations

rain on window

This piece was originally published at intima, a Journal of Narrative Medicine and was written by a fabulous writer and survivor, Diana.

I am not a pretty crier. It didn’t matter much before. To say that I was stoic was an understatement. I could count the times that I’d cried on one hand. Number every individual tear. I broke my wrist when I was six years old: wailed until my grandmother wrapped my arm in a towel, folded me within her embrace, and carried me off to an urgent care. I was bullied when I was twelve: I was too shy and two inches too tall for my jeans. I read too much. I took the “white people math class.” I hid in the bathroom at lunchtime, sniffling behind the stall. I argued with my mother at sixteen, my father at twenty. I loved a boy at twenty-three. He did not love me back. I cried. It never lasted very long. Tears came on suddenly but, like a shower of rain, quickly dissipated. I’d move along hurriedly afterwards.

I’m not quite sure what it was. Maybe the cancer. Maybe the stroke. Maybe breaking down, then building up again. But I am softer now.

It was too cold in the examination room. Artificial frigidity was the result of maintenance’s attempts to make up for the heat outside. I sat on a vinyl chair, waited for my surgeon to return, and tried to rub the chill out of my skin. Fluorescent lights hummed softly above me. My stitches itched. My leg shook. My stomach roiled. I had cancer. A fresh diagnosis to match the wound on my neck. My surgeon told me that we needed to talk, said that the results were in, told me that I had cancer, and then excused himself. I sat on the chair beneath a vent in the ceiling. Stale air ruffled my hair. It didn’t occur to me to cry.

Things move quickly when you are diagnosed with cancer. There is imaging and there is bloodwork and there are too many doctors to see. The tumor had grown slowly. As it had spread, as I started and then finished medical school, I developed the kind of denial that only doctors seem to have about their bodies. This coupled with a series of misdiagnoses had lulled me to complacency. Eventually I wasn’t able to ignore it anymore. I saw my primary doctor, had an honest conversation with her, and then the world started to turn more rapidly. CT scan, then angiogram, then surgery, then diagnosis. It was a cyclone and I stood at its center. It was easy to get lost inside of it.

…

Read the rest of the piece here!

Join A Holiday Ornament Workshop!

holiday ornament

Update:  The workshop is now full!  Please fill out the form below to be notified when the next workshop is forming!

Lacuna Loft’s online Holiday Ornament Workshop is the 18th in our #LetsMakeStuff @LacunaLoft series of online workshops!

Join us for our last Creative Art Workshop of 2018! Get in the holiday spirit with fellow young adult cancer survivors and young adult cancer caregivers. Learn how to make mini, personalized holiday wreath ornaments with Aerial using skills similar to making jewelry.

Who: 15 young adult cancer survivors and caregivers.

When: Monday, December 17th @ 4:30 pm PT / 6:30 pm CT / 7:30 pm ET via video chat. (note our earlier than normal start time!)

How does it work? We’ll send you all of the materials you need to participate! Lacuna Loft will send you an email a few days before the workshop with information on how to join the video chat. ***You’ll need the link that we’ll provide you, a headset with a microphone, and a webcam.***

Click here to sign up to be notified when this program is announced by choosing it under ‘Programs you’re interested in.’ (Feel free to choose to be notified when other programs are announced too!)

Sephora’s Brave Beauty In the Face Of Cancer

online sephora brave beauty class

Sephora now has a fabulous Video Tutorial Series of their Brave Beauty in the Face of Cancer Class for Confidence in collaboration with Lacuna Loft!

About Brave Beauty:  At Sephora, we stand with those facing major life transitions. Sephora’s Brave Beauty in the Face of Cancer Classes for Confidence were designed to help others address the visible effects of cancer treatment.  From skincare tips to step-by-step instructions on how to create a radiant complexion or re-build the appearance of brows and lashes lost from chemo or radiation.

More about the supplies:  Most of the supplies discussed in the video tutorials will be provided and mailed directly to you.  Lacuna Loft has 200 Brave Beauty Kits to share, free of charge to young adult cancer survivors.  All products provided by Sephora have been formulated for sensitive skin.

How does it work:  If you’re a young adult cancer survivor, between the ages of 18-45, you can sign up below and Lacuna Loft will send you a Brave Beauty Kits to go along with their online video tutorial series!  Please fill out the form below and you can access the online video tutorial series here.

Request your very own Brave Beauty kit here!