Menopause - It's more than a hot flush! Recording available now
The recording of Menopause - It's more than a hot flush! webcast is now available here. We hope you find it both informative and enjoyable. Please feel free to share feedback, questions or thoughts below in the discussion. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Ask the Expert: Menopause – It’s more than a hot flush! on Wednesday 6 December 2023. Many people experience changes to their sexual wellbeing associated with breast cancer treatment that can be caused by menopause or menopause-like symptoms. These can include vaginal dryness or discomfort, loss of libido (sex drive), changes to self-esteem and fatigue. Topics like these can often be difficult to discuss with your partner or health professional and it can be reassuring to know you are not alone. During this webcast, you will hear from Dr Tonia Mezzini, Sexual Health Physician based in Adelaide. Dr Mezzini is a leader in this area, with her level of expertise, she provides best practice and compassionate medical care. She presents in an open, informative and engaging way about sexual health and wellbeing. The webcast will be facilitated by BCNA Consumer Representative, Naveena Nekkalapudi. Following her diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer and the subsequent treatment, Naveena decided to re-evaluate her life and focus on matters that are important to her. She describes it as changing from being career ambitious to being life ambitious. Naveena is a consumer representative of BCNA, Cancer Council Victoria, Breast Cancer Trials, VCCC, and Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research to name a few. This webcast will help to provide you with strategies to manage menopausal symptoms and discuss the support available to assist you with your sexual and emotional wellbeing.
Sex after Double Mastectomy no Recon.
I am surprised by the lack of comments about recommencing intimate relationships after mastectomy. Sex can be such a positive and wonderful part of a relationship, maintaining connectedness, expressing longing and desire, and intimately knowing each other. The release of feelings. But even in a close, and long term relationship its pretty scary after surgery to try and rebuild, every so slowly, those connections, and perhaps will we ever feel confident again? Of course, not every person is fortunate enough to be in a relationship, or in a relationship that allows for safe sexual expression, and I acknowledge that. I'm sorry, I can only speak from where I am now. I think we all need a safe space to discuss the hurdles of sexual relationships after surgery. Breasts are part of our sexual identity - I imagine for most people. what I would like to say is this. We put it off for a bit. I was just starting to rebuild a bit of joy in my life, after the initial grieving, the early grief that is so profound and sad, and then we had sex. I liken it to when the stockmarket plummets. You bought shares at $5 and they are now 'worth' 20c. If you don't sell them, they may regain their value eventually. But when you sell them the losses are realised. So having sex for the first time afterwards, I felt, for me personally was like selling the shares when the market is low. The losses are realised. While we didn't have sex, all my memories are pleasant, and I remember good things, I'm still worth $5. But once we did, that joy of all the things that involved my boobs (so many parts of sex involve boobs I realise...) are suddenly screaming very loudly. It was profoundly sorrowful for me. I felt my missing "$4.80" and its going to take a lot of work, compassion, love and time for both of us to discover and create a new $4.80. We have been here before, finding our new normal after surgery has changed the way our relationship works. We will get there. It's different, its never the same, but it can still be good. I have listened to Dr Charlotte Tottman's podcast 'what you don't know til you know' - I know it will get better, we will find new tricks, new rituals, new joys. I just wanted to put this out there in the universe.
Sex, Myths and Menopause ..... SBS tonight, Thurs 31/3/2022 at 9.30pm
Apologies, ladies - I initially had the wrong channel & the wrong time! LOL. (Must have had a Menopause Moment!) I know what menopause did to me & it wasn't pleasant AND it took 10 years for me to 'get thru' - only to be diagnosed with BC 20 years later & be put thru some of the symptoms, again with the AIs! grrrr ..... They've come a long way in the last 30 years .... hopefully there will be valuable tips on what to look for & how to make it less debilitating for those who DO have a tough time of it. If you miss it ..... you should be able to watch it later in SBS On Demand for a month or so ..... I recorded it & am watching it now .... definitely worth watching if you can. 9.30pm on SBS this evening ... A good book to read is called the Wisdom of Menopause .... by Christiane Northrup - see if your library has it! ..... I recognised myself in the very first page below (about the rage!!). You can get it as an ebook too. Here's a link to a site where you can download books on menopause ... https://oceanofpdf.com/?s=menopause
New Podcast on The Impact of Breast Cancer on Sexual Health: Physical Changes, Lubrication, Pleasure
Hello everyone, Today we launched our new podcast episode on The Impact of Breast Cancer on Sexual Health: Physical Changes, Lubrication, Pleasure. We recommend that listeners exercise self-care when listening to this podcast, as some may find the content upsetting. Let’s be Upfront about the impact of breast cancer on sexual health. Sex and intimacy are very personal but important parts of life. Breast cancer and treatment can affect sexual wellbeing and intimacy for each person and their partner in different ways, including experiencing loss of self-esteem due to physical changes to your body. Joining us for this episode of Upfront is Tess Devèze (they/them). Tess is a clinical occupational therapist (OT) and certified somatic sexologist who works with people living with cancer, chronic illness, and disability to live more pleasurable and sexually healthy lives. Tess was diagnosed with breast cancer three years ago and has personally experienced the severe impacts treatments have on sexuality. Being a member of the LGBTIQ+ community, a sexuality clinician and a cancer survivor has given them the determination to offer support and help to as many as they can around those more ‘intimate’ challenges we face. We’ll hear from Tess on their lived and professional experience about the impact of breast cancer treatment on libido, arousal, desire, vaginal changes and sexual intercourse. We also learn about effective ways to restore and enhance intimacy and what options are available to help you manage the impact of treatment on your sexual wellbeing. For more information and to listen to the podcast, please click here.Q&A Online ... Let’s Talk About Sex .... sign up for a chat ..
That horse bolted a long time ago for me :( .... but it may not be too late for you! Annabel Crabb leads the questions Click here to sign up ... https://www.breastcancertrials.org.au/qa-registration?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&utm_campaign=q&aonlinesex&fbclid=IwAR29TUt8W05ChDWGLepUWYRgxjL9CoJ86gF6z5ZjTPMSxW-o4taA8EFgIlMSABC - Sex and Breast Cancer
This link popped up on my Facebook Feed today - it has numerous videos regarding Sex and Breast Cancer (Check out the Vids that are all prefaced by "SABC") I haven't watched any of them .... but hope that they may help answer some of your questions ..... https://www.youtube.com/user/KomenGreaterNYC/videos
