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.
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.
Anti hormone therapy, Anastrozole, sexual function
I am 66 and was diagnosed with early breast cancer, estrogen positive, in June and have had breast conservation surgery and completed 16 treatments of radiation last week. On Monday I have to see my medical oncologist who will give me the yeah or nay to anti hormone therapy on Anastrozole for five years. The treatments seem to be getting more problematic as I advance through them. The surgery in hindsight seems like a breeze. The literature on the side effects of Anastrozole are mind blowing; going through menopause (again), I am a lesbian so why I want a men-o-pause is beyond me (joke!), nausea, vomiting, elevated cholesterol, fluid retention, joint pains, dry vagina, bone loss, loss of sexual desire. I have read of women who have had negative changes in the way they view their bodies and sexual functioning and desire but I am having a different experience. After the operation I became aware for the first time in my life how much I appreciate my breasts and I want them to be a part of my identity. When I first grew breasts, I saw them as a restriction to playing cricket with the neighbourhood kids. I never saw their power and beauty before now. The other major change for me sexually is that the sex switch in my brain has been turned on again. I am single and am now contemplating and fantasising on sharing intimacy, loving and sex with another woman as a part of my future. A number of years ago I was going through a difficult patch and had shut down any thoughts of this to help cope getting through everyday life. I would love to hear your thoughts on any of the above. What has been your experience on Anastrozole and the side effects. Thanks for reading my story and I thank you in advance for your input. Many of the discussions and responses on this site have helped me enormously with questions I have had over the past few months.
Online Q&A on impact of breast cancer and treatment on sexual health: Tuesday 10th April@ 6.30pm EST
Online Q&A on impact of breast cancer and treatment on sexual health: We are pleased to announce that our online Q&A on sexual health is finally happening this Tuesday 10th April at 6.30 pm. Janine Porter-Steele, a breast care nurse and manager of the Wesley Hospital Choices Program and women’s wellness programs in Brisbane has a particular interest in sexual health and will be facilitating the Q&A. To join the discussion you will need to join the ‘Let’s talk about vaginas’ group. click on the link http//onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/group/9-lost-libido-ladies to go to the group.new post on "Let's talk about Vaginas"
Let's talk about vaginas Online Q&A Session Hi everyone there is a new post on the group from @Marianne_BCNA about a session they would like to run, Can members please go and read it and respond. For some reason it is not broadcasting it out as an email notification to members of the group.have you been across to Let's talk about Vaginas lately ?
Hi all and happy new year to everyone, Just a reminder if you belong to our group that as it's private, therefore the posts don't appear in this main feed. We always have members looking for support so if you haven't been to the group lately please pop over and see if you can offer some words of wisdom. We have some new members who are after some support. Have you undertaken the Mona Lisa Touch? What have you found works for dryness? We also have a post by BCNA about a Q & A session they are looking at running on the subject, come and give us your thoughts. We have other members seeking support as they realise that in fact they are struggling with intimacy since being diagnosed. We have generous ladies sharing and updating us on various options, which is so helpful to others who come behind us. It can be such a confronting time so please pop over to the group if you could offer some words of wisdom or just to say hi. . Here is the our Link http://onlinenetwork.bcna.org.au/group/9-lets-talk-about-vaginas if you would like to pop over or would like to join. If you are new and requesting to join, once you put your request in and leave us a message, myself or one of the other volunteer group leaders should respond and join you up within 24 hours. It is wonderful to see members getting information and support from other members. Alice @SoldierCrab Kath @primekinformation about the private group Let's talk about Vaginas
Hi everyone, Just giving you a bit of a heads up on the many interesting (and sometimes humorous) discussions going on in the Let's Talk About Vaginas private group including intimacy when you're feeling crap, dry vaginas and the Mona Lisa treatment. If you want a private and supportive environment in which to discuss your concerns regarding anything from the best lubes to use, to body image following surgery, click here and join our group!
Solving a breast cancer mystery – why do ‘double-positive’ women do better?
This post is a research article; I am putting this out for general discussion. 70% of us are double-positive so this is an important topic. This research came from England and was in collaboration with University of Adelaide. But this isn't the first research article I have read about the protective nature of progesterone on breast tissue. When you read the article please ensure you read to the end where there is a notation regarding difference between progesterin (found in HRT which is not so good) and natural progeseterone which this article is about. I am post treatments and use natural compounded progesterone cream. I would however, be interested to know what you all think and interested to know what your medical teams, particularly Oncologists think about the science. Here is the article: http://scienceblog.cancerresearchuk.org/2015/07/08/solving-a-breast-cancer-mystery-why-do-double-positive-women-do-better/ For the research nerds like me out there, this is also interesting: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4245250/Treat post Breast Cancer vaginal dryness with the purest lubricants
Manufactured in England, the water based moisturiser is the first certified organic product put on the NHS in England available on script from doctor. Unfortunately, we don't have vaginal moisturises available on script in Australia. From what I have been advised from BCNA Policy they do not believe worth pursuing an application for vaginal moisturisers to be made available on script here in Australia. For anyone suffering vaginal atrophy and unable to treat with estrogen pessaries/creams (on script) I suggest you have a look at these products. They cannot reverse vaginal atrophy the same as estrogen but some ladies on this site have found they definitely help matters. Vaginal moisturisers are best used every 2nd or third day, the pre-filled applicators can be very expensive so if you can afford them these products are worth a try (I think they have free samples). Just check out the site. Always remember to run list of ingredients past your doctor. https://www.yesyesyes.org/breastcancer/ For further information this is an article written by Susi Lennox, co-founder of Yes which was published in a Newsletter for the charity, Cancer Options UK www.canceroptions.co.uk. You will also find some extensive feedback from customers from all over the world on their testimonial page https://www.yesyesyes.org/why-yes/customer-expert-testimonials/?cat=7 I buy direct from Yes as I think it cheaper however if looking to buy in Australia you may have some luck from the following companies: http://www.greenorganics.com.au/ https://organictrader.com.au/catalogue/