Book Club: Everything Changes, Chapter 10

young adult cancer book club

Welcome to the comments and discussion of Chapter 10: The Fix of the book, Everything Changes: The Insider’s Guide to Cancer in Your 20s and 30s!  Catch up on Chapter 1: RamenonmicsChapter 2: When G-d Things Happen to Sick People, Chapter 3: Single, Chapter 4: Human Spectacles, Chapter 5: Malignant and Indignant, Chapter 6: Something in the Air, Chapter 7: Mortality Bites, Chapter 8: The Myth of Eternal Optimism, and Chapter 9: It Girl.

Let’s get started!  Chapter 10!

Mallory:

The moral of this chapter is you are your own best advocate.  Know what procedures, treatments, surgeries, etc. are being used to cure your cancer and why.  If you don’t understand the side effects of something, ask.  Get a second opinion, always.  You are the boss or your own body.

I remember my own appointment with my second opinion oncologist, who I ended up receiving care from.  She spent a good 10 minutes reading out loud through a pamphlet she gave me detailing the side effects of each of the chemo drugs they would give me.  I finally had to stop her and ask, “what will happen if we do nothing?”  Without skipping a beat she replied, “oh, the cancer will kill you.”  It may seem like an odd question to you, but with all of the info she was giving me, the alternative of not getting treatment was never discussed…I wanted to know so I asked.  I’m sure glad I did.

Thanks for joining us for our Chapter 10: The Fix of Everything Changes: The Insider’s Guide to Cancer in Your 20s and 30s!  Join in next Monday for Chapter 11: Off the Map.

If you’re just joining us, here are some logistics:

We will talk about a chapter each Monday until the book is done.  Then, we’ll use one more Monday to talk about general feelings from the book and anything else you’d like to discuss.  Join in, in the comments every week!  Also, there will probably be spoilers.  Read along with us!

How are you enjoying our young adult cancer book club?

Have A Convivial Weekend

We are really close to having enough people take our easy-peasy ‘Happy Birthday Lacuna Loft’ survey !  Your feedback is very much appreciated!  🙂  It will only take a few minutes of your time!

Here are some convivial weekend links from around the interwebs…

[list type=”like”]
[list_item]the Royal family’s PSA on mental health[/list_item]
[list_item]Harriet Tubman as a Civil War spy[/list_item]
[list_item]Allison Williams of Girls tells all[/list_item]
[list_item]cancer cure isn’t enough[/list_item]
[list_item]habits of mentally strong people[/list_item]
[list_item]Go West![/list_item]
[list_item]Touched with Fire[/list_item]
[/list]

Have a convivial weekend Lacuna Lofties!

P.S.  Lacuna Loft on instagram + Lacuna Loft on facebook

Have A Stupid Cancer Weekend

CancerCon

This weekend I’m in Denver for CancerCon!  If you’re here too, check out the Lacuna Loft booth!  Our design and tech guy, Brett, will be there all weekend!  I’ll be there too…but also running around helping out the conference 🙂

For this upcoming month of May, we’ll be bringing back some of our older posts that have been your favorites, along with sharing some great new content!  Plus, now that you’ve had a few weeks to absorb the changes made to our site, what do you think?  Pretty great, right?!

By the way….have you filled out our easy-peasy ‘Happy Birthday Lacuna Loft’ survey ?  Your feedback is very much appreciated!  🙂  It will only take a few minutes of your time!

Here are some Stupid Cancer weekend links from around the interwebs…

[list type=”like”]
[list_item]major mental health advocates on youtube[/list_item]
[list_item]things about women[/list_item]
[list_item]finding your starchitect dream home[/list_item]
[list_item]how to store fresh cilantro[/list_item]
[list_item]pesto asparagus and sun-dried tomato pasta[/list_item]
[list_item]how to make an infinity scarf[/list_item]
[list_item]follow our weekend in Denver on instagram[/list_item]
[/list]

Have a Stupid Cancer weekend Lacuna Lofties!

P.S.  Sign up for our Drawing Workshop now!

Have An Earthy Weekend

Happy Earth Day!  The Lacuna Loft office is a busy place this spring!  What are you up to this glorious Friday?

By the way….have you filled out our easy-peasy ‘Happy Birthday Lacuna Loft’ survey ?  Your feedback is so very appreciated!  🙂  It will only take a few minutes of your time!

Here are some earthy weekend links from around the interwebs…

[list type=”like”]
[list_item]got milk?[/list_item]
[list_item]100% goats[/list_item]
[list_item]questions for an obgyn[/list_item]
[list_item]DIY twine orbs[/list_item]
[list_item]J-Lo carpool karaoke[/list_item]
[list_item]Earth Day activities for kids[/list_item]
[list_item]Lacuna Loft knows how tough you are[/list_item]
[/list]

Have an earthy weekend Lacuna Lofties!

The Best Eyeliner For Your Eye Shape

eyeliner tips

Eyeliner is one of the easiest ways to make a tired person look awake, alert, and totally put-together.  It is seriously a secret weapon against the cancer/caregiving/fatigue/stress-look when it comes to livening up your face!

There are so many different ways to do eyeliner though and it’s hard to decide what is best for your face and eye shape.  I like to experiment depending on what the occasion calls for…sometimes I just want some touches around the corners of my eyes and sometimes I want a full on cat-eye liner look!  Cosmo and Beauty Haven have excellent articles with great ideas on different eyeliner tips and tricks.

Which ones are your favorites?

P.S.  an easy smokey eye tutorial + makeup during hair loss + how to create natural brows during hair loss

Have An Engaging Weekend – Engage with Lacuna Loft!

This week our Friday post is all about the cool stuff happening here, at Lacuna Loft.  We are inviting you to engage with Lacuna Loft!  We now have a new look, we have several new programs, and things are going really well!

Here are some engaging weekend links from around the interwebs…

[list type=”like”]
[list_item]sign up for our 2 hour, drawing workshop[/list_item]
[list_item]our writing group has been convening each Wednesday, for 3 weeks as of today[/list_item]
[list_item]we can help you transition your busy, young adult lifestyle to adapt to your new normal[/list_item]
[list_item]learn how we are unique[/list_item]
[list_item]help support our programs[/list_item]
[list_item]stay current on our social channels (instagram) (facebook) (twitter)[/list_item]
[list_item]take our easy, 10 question survey![/list_item]
[/list]

Have an engaging weekend Lacuna Lofties!

P.S.  Lacuna Loft is pleased to partner with Cancer and Careers on the National Conference on Work & Cancer!  Check out the link for more details on this great event for cancer survivors.  Applications for travel scholarships are open now! The deadline to apply is April 15th. More information can be found here.   #CACconf

P.P.S.  Have you filled out our easy-peasy ‘Happy Birthday Lacuna Loft’ survey ?  Your feedback is so very appreciated!  🙂  It will only take a few minutes of your time!

Sign Up Today For Our Online Drawing Workshop!

young adult cancer drawing workshop

Do you like to draw?  Are you a young adult cancer survivor or caregiver?

Join our 2 hour Drawing Workshop, the first in our #LetsMakeStuff @LacunaLoft series of online workshops!

This workshop is designed to teach you the basics of sketching and drawing.  If you’ve never done this before, you’re in luck!  Brett will go step-by-step through everything!  If you love drawing 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 drawing and being artsy with other young-adult-cancer-or-illness-having peers will be totally worth it.

This workshop is a 2 hour commitment and will occur on either Saturday May 21 or Sunday May 22, depending on everyone’s availability, via google video hangout.  10 survivors or caregivers can join this time around.  Can’t make the dates this time?  Don’t worry!  We’ll offer another Drawing Workshop in the next few months!

How does it work?  After you sign up below and we figure out when most people are available, we’ll send you an email stating the official time of the drawing workshop.  Then, the first 10 survivors and caregivers who RSVP are officially in!  A few weeks later, you’ll receive everything you need to participate in the drawing workshop in the mail.  Yep!  We’ll send you just about everything you’ll need!

#LetsMakeStuff @LacunaLoft

Sign up today for our Drawing Workshop!

Book Club: Everything Changes, Chapter 9

Everything Changes Chapter 9

Welcome to the comments and discussion of Chapter 9: It Girl of the book, Everything Changes: The Insider’s Guide to Cancer in Your 20s and 30s!  Catch up on Chapter 1: RamenonmicsChapter 2: When G-d Things Happen to Sick People, Chapter 3: Single, Chapter 4: Human Spectacles, Chapter 5: Malignant and Indignant, Chapter 6: Something in the Air, Chapter 7: Mortality Bites, and Chapter 8: The Myth of Eternal Optimism.

Let’s get started!  Chapter 9!

Mallory:

This chapter is really focused on the struggles that cancer causes, both for the young adult survivor but also for spouses and caregivers.  Mary Ann, the young adult survivor featured most prominently, speaks of her bodily changes, her husband’s strength and commitment to her and her care, and to the importance of improving quality of life during a diagnosis and into treatment and survivorship.  So much in her life has changed and she is still actively navigating all of it.

The resource section features a number of great organizations to help with support, financial assistance, and student life.

“When you have a disease like cancer, who you are changes and you have to find out who you’ve become and what you are supposed to do.”  Well said, Mary Ann.

Thanks for joining us for our Chapter 9: It Girl of Everything Changes: The Insider’s Guide to Cancer in Your 20s and 30s!  Join in next Monday for Chapter 10: The Fix.

If you’re just joining us, here are some logistics:

We will talk about a chapter each Monday until the book is done.  Then, we’ll use one more Monday to talk about general feelings from the book and anything else you’d like to discuss.  Join in, in the comments every week!  Also, there will probably be spoilers.  Read along with us!

How are you enjoying our young adult cancer book club?

Have A Captivating Weekend

This week has caught up with me….first it was Monday and then, POOF, Friday!  This weekend Lacuna Loft welcomes a new face to our Board of Directors!  In the next few weeks, I’ll be introducing them to you all.  You get to hear from me a lot, and some of you are even fairly familiar with parts of my story, but I am not the whole team at Lacuna Loft anymore.  Our Board of Directors meets each month and helps Lacuna Loft kick butt and take names!

Lacuna Loft is also forming two advisory boards….one compiled of young adult cancer survivors and caregivers, and the other compiled of healthcare professionals.  I’ve spoken with a few people already, but if you are reading this and start thinking, “hey…I want to become more involved and give that a try!” email me and I’ll send you more info!  (mallory@lacunaloft.org)

Have you filled out our easy-peasy ‘Happy Birthday Lacuna Loft’ survey ?  Your feedback is so very appreciated!  🙂  It will only take a few minutes of your time!

Here are some captivating weekend links from around the interwebs…

[list type=”like”]
[list_item]the way we think about charity is dead wrong[/list_item]
[list_item]lip synch battle with Melissa McCarthy…seriously watch this all the way until the end, you will pee your pants laughing[/list_item]
[list_item]on sex and the show Girls[/list_item]
[list_item]love has no labels[/list_item]
[list_item]ever feel like an imposter[/list_item]
[list_item]my next baking adventure entails this cupcake[/list_item]
[list_item]and this frosting[/list_item]
[/list]

Have a captivating weekend Lacuna Lofties!

P.S.  Lacuna Loft is pleased to partner with Cancer and Careers on the National Conference on Work & Cancer!  Check out the link for more details on this great event for cancer survivors.  Applications for travel scholarships are open now! The deadline to apply is April 15th. More information can be found here.   #CACconf

Book Club: Everything Changes, Chapter 8

Everything Changes book club

Welcome to the comments and discussion of Chapter 8: The Myth of Eternal Optimism of the book, Everything Changes: The Insider’s Guide to Cancer in Your 20s and 30s!  Catch up on Chapter 1: RamenonmicsChapter 2: When G-d Things Happen to Sick People, Chapter 3: Single, Chapter 4: Human Spectacles, Chapter 5: Malignant and Indignant, Chapter 6: Something in the Air, and Chapter 7: Mortality Bites.

Let’s get started!  Chapter 8!

Mary:

Hi guys! I have been MIA for several weeks now dealing with my own health issues. But I am so excited to be able to return, especially for this week’s book discussion. At the end of this chapter, there is a reference section that talks about palliative care. I have been in palliative care for over a year now and it is the best thing I have done in quite some time. I go to Emory’s Palliative Care Clinic and work with the professionals on the Supportive Care Team. I really can’t say enough wonderful, amazing, fabulous things about this clinic. Palliative care isn’t just about pain management. It’s about caring for you as a whole person.

After reading this chapter, I have realized a few things: that I am not alone in thinking some doctors have absolutely no filter to prevent themselves from making snide comments, that patients need to realize if their physician treats them badly or doesn’t provide them with the support they need it is okay to find a new physician, and that your physician should never cause you to feel poorly about yourself. Your doctor is supposed to be there for you. Not only is he/she there to prescribe the appropriate treatment for your condition, he/she is there to revise your course of therapy and provide additional or alternate treatment depending on your response. A good doctor will ask you how you are doing, understand what you are saying, and help you come up with an action plan without judging you for the way you feel.

Be honest with how you are feeling. With living in the South I find myself automatically responding “good” to the question of “how are you?” Even if you are in the grocery store and you run into your neighbor or friend, be honest. If you aren’t honest, people won’t know you need help with laundry, cleaning, yardwork, childcare, etc. It is totally okay if you feel like death warmed over or if you want to crawl under a rock and never come out. I have been there and still have days where I just want people to understand that I don’t feel well.

Finally, if you are contemplating suicide please contact your physician, social worker, or the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK.

Thanks for joining us for our Chapter 8: The Myth of Eternal Optimism of Everything Changes: The Insider’s Guide to Cancer in Your 20s and 30s!  Join in next Monday for Chapter 9: It Girl.

If you’re just joining us, here are some logistics:

We will talk about a chapter each Monday until the book is done.  Then, we’ll use one more Monday to talk about general feelings from the book and anything else you’d like to discuss.  Join in, in the comments every week!  Also, there will probably be spoilers.  Read along with us!

How are you enjoying our Everything Changes book club?