Cancer and Menopause
We discuss medically induced menopause and what happens when Aunt Flo comes roaring back.
We discuss medically induced menopause and what happens when Aunt Flo comes roaring back.
Thanks, Cancer! Pod-Club
Join YAP and the creators/founders of the Thanks, Cancer! Podcast, Leanna and Mimi, for a discussion on cancer and isolation. In the episode we will discuss, Leanna and Mimi share their experiences with isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting on the ways in which the pandemic has impacted care and treatment for people with cancer, their caregivers, and care teams. With candid humor and sarcasm, themes discussed include decision-making, synchronized FOMO with the world, facing mortality, and embracing your values and passions during these challenging times.
Before the event, listen to the podcast here. On Wednesday, December 15th, from 12-1pm ET, we will gather via Zoom to discuss as a group, sharing thoughts, reflections, experiences, and ideas for tackling isolation.
This event is open to all young adults who have been diagnosed with cancer. You are welcome to bring a caregiver or support person as well. Advanced registration required. For more information and to register, please complete this form. Looking forward to seeing you there!
We're not dead -- we've just been in loving isolation.
In our latest episode, we discuss:
Wrongly blocked from Twitter
Truncation
Endless mask theatre
No more group chemo sessions
Caregiver isolation in liminal spaces
Never seeing faces of care team and patients
Muffled communication
Old time miserable cancer deaths
Synchronized pausing
Creativity
Exhausting rebirth
Embracing what you love unapologetically
More than ever, try not to get sick and die
We discuss how sick we are of this cancer sickness:
Getting sick of cancer is a privileged problem of survival
Keep moving like a shark
Do what you can do: that is enough
Find carcinomies who get it
Step back when you need to
We discuss the new and exciting stages of cancer recovery.
5) Resentment: everything is more difficult (possibly yet another re-creation).
6) Relationships: celebrate the new amazing (possibly tossing out the old).
7) Restoration: getting tougher (possibly composting).
8) Rebuilding: plan long term (possibly focusing on the physical).
We talk about cancer causes historically and speculate about our own lives.
What classes would be the funniest and most useful at a cancer university?
We discuss the history of the United States government in cancer research, and how the cancer journey has informed our political views.
Cancer can be a time to get involved in the politics that directly affect you.
Governmental funding has contributed to most of what we know about cancer.
Our health is dependent on our neighbor’s health--we need to care about and for each other.
Taking care of the sick is the first sign of civilization, and everyone deserves healthcare.
Slow progress is still progress--and cancer research is moving forward.
Have two years of living expenses saved for a health catastrophe--and if you live in a Republican state, consider saving more.
VOTE!
We talk about souvenirs and the stuff you keep from cancer treatment.
Is it a cancer souvenir or is it just trash waiting for me to process?
Use souvenirs as performance art-- it can be therapeutic
Don’t be afraid to throw things out: the cancer won’t come back if you let things go
Ask for the things you want to keep
We talk about having or not having pets during cancer, and the healing power of animals.
People will try to stop you from getting a new pet during cancer; maybe they are right, and maybe they are wrong.
Borrow or petshare if possible.
Research shows great things about people with pets, and placebo is ⅓.
Animals you shouldn’t be around: rodents, reptiles, chickens, ducks, pocket pets.
Pets provide a reason for living and walking.
Taking care of someone else can be taking care of yourself.
Be realistic about how much you are able to care for a pet.
Have a good back up pet plan.
We discuss the difficult job of caring for a cancer patient.
Embrace the dynamic relationships
Take a walk with your caregivers--we should all be walking more
Know what you need and want and communicate that
Don’t be afraid to walk alone
You can’t control others--you can only (mostly) control yourself
Take advantage of technology during coronatimes: phone calls or FaceTime is the next best thing to an IRL caregiver
Be kind to yourself and others
Be clear and honest
Don’t be a manager or an entertainer
We discuss the cognitive changes from chemotherapy, including forgetfulness, reading difficulties, planning, and possible super powers.
We talk about art, suffering, and meaning-making with Doug Sparling of “Cancer as Art” fame: https://www.amazon.com/Doug-Sparling/e/B00W52MZDQ/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
Embrace your inner artist and change your perspective
Ask your doctor about the cheaper generic medications
Emotional trauma makes for amazing friends, so find your community
Cancer may (or may not) make you a better person, but it will make you a DIFFERENT person
Get on Twitter for connections--YOU ARE NOT ALONE
To live is to suffer. To survive is to find some meaning in the suffering. Find meaning in the suffering.
Hospital visits are down, and so are cancer diagnoses: we talk about breast cancer symptoms.
Common symptoms: breast lump, pain, discharge, dimpling, swelling, change
Telemedicine has expanded, and can be awesome
Fatigue or weird dreams can be a warning sign: what is your body telling you?
Get checked if you think something is wrong: push if necessary
Communicate with friends and family about health and symptoms
Moisturize when you wash hands
Be brave: the hospitals are still there for you
We social distance record coronavirus part II: it’s getting weird out there.
We talk with Elizabeth Santiago about her cancer, survivorship, and Family Reach (find more info at familyreach.org).
Cancer and financial toxicity is not your fault.
Family Reach provides money to cover life expenses with low barriers to entry.
Insurance and crisis finances is a whole new language, and Family Reach has financial planning resources to help you learn.
Take time off work to focus on recovery: your job can survive without you.
Leverage your transformation to make positive changes and help others.
We discuss cancer treatment and coronavirus, as well as general immunocompromised infection prevention.
Wash your hands and don’t touch your face
Isolate if necessary
You should always have enough food in the house for two weeks, and rotate through on the regular
Practice fasting—it’s good meditation, minimization, and prep for the unknown future
You are responsible for your own health and also the community health—take care of yourself to take care of others, especially the immunocompromised
Don’t freak out—channel the energy into preparation and don’t get stuck in a pinch
Perception is the reality
Embrace your cancer fearlessness
We talk about moving forward into the future after cancer treatment and into recovery.
Everything hurts more after cancer: resist the urge to live in the trauma or play the victim.
Acknowledge the shittiness of the situation, but don’t live there.
Cancer + Fertility + Uncertainty = ??
No one picks their cancer, but behaviors can influence cancer.
Cancer starts in the in between epithelial transferal liminal spaces--where things mix.
Prepare for the apocalypse if it helps.
Channel your inner zen master.
Forcing forward can be good--it’s a sign of hope.
Maybe plan a little bit less for the future. Sit back and enjoy the ride.
Maybe you have to have plans and goals--if that’s what keeps you going.
A dream without a plan is just a wish.
We learn about child labor and other tales from our grim past of cancer and chimney sweep history—jobs can cause and have caused cancer.
The latency period means best case it takes a generation to figure out what causes cancer.
Kaiser Permenente Childhood Stress Study should be REQUIRED READING for parents so they know which childhood traumas to avoid: https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/childabuseandneglect/acestudy/about.html
Your job doesn’t give a shit about you: don’t work more than you are getting paid for.
If you are an executive, don’t work more than 40 hours and don’t expect any staff to work more than 40 hours.
Trauma is subjective.
Trauma changes your cells and DNA.
Be aware of how trauma fucks people up.
We are all responsible to minimize trauma in our own lives and the lives of others.
Ease up on the caffeine and smart phone / tv / technology distractions.
Today we talk to the Cancer Maven, aka Leanna House, aka the Leanna of ThanksCancer, and just how amazing it is to be a survivingconqueringwarrior vanquishing cancer and kicking ass!
Embrace your needs and don’t be shy about communicating clearly.
You ARE as amazing as you hope and fear you are.
Don’t take yourself so seriously.
Pay it forward: consider giving to a cancer patient.
Love all your parts.
Don’t be afraid to be a narcissistic bitch.