Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Young Adults section of Cancer Connections



I would like to welcome you to the brand new Young Adults section of Cancer Connections. Here you will find the latest young adult discussions and blogs, as well as news about upcoming events for young adults with cancer. Soon, we'll also have a link to our In Focus section, with podcasts on topics specially designed for young adults, like sexuality, nutrition, complementary therapies and treatment side effects.

To connect with other YACs, follow the below link to have a look around and join our new community.

http://www.cancerconnections.com.au/yacs

Sunday, July 5, 2009

What is this new Australian Young Adult cancer support service?





Cancer Connections
is Cancer Council NSW initiative that provides an online service that 'supports people affected by cancer'.

You will notice on the sites homepage a brand new Young Adults section. Here you will find the latest young adult discussions and blogs, as well as news about upcoming events for young adults with cancer. Soon, it will also have a link to the 'In Focus' section, with podcasts on topics specially designed for Young Adults, like sexuality, nutrition, complementary therapies and treatment side effects.

There are many more exciting things to come for this site too, like the ability to share photos, videos, music, art and much more. In fact YOU can help shape this new Young Adult section and make it what ever you want by speaking directly with the site developer, who is available on a daily basis to chat through any of your ideas.

So get onboard the CONNECTION TRAIN, create your very own profile, post a forum topic or add a blog entry, so you can meet other young people going through similar situations as you.

Nikki is personally inviting you to join Cancer Connections at
http://www.cancerconnections.com.au.

EXCITING NEW ONLINE SUPPORT SERVICE ABOUT TO BE LAUNCHED FOR AUSTRALIAN YACs [March 1 2009]

The Cancer Council's (CC) 'online support website' is being rebuilt to address all the needs for Young Adults with Cancer (YACs).

The crew at the CC are super busy putting all this together as we speak as this new website is scheduled for launch this month!!

The great thing about this website is it will be a place were YACs can meet other YACs and find information hubs for the topics around the 9 key areas of concern that were identified in my research study last year along with 3 additional ones that the CC consider also important.

Here are the topics:
1. Sexuality and body image
2. Isolation
3. Independence and autonomy
4. Supportive cancer care
5. Treatment side effects and fertility issues
6. Emotional burden and peer support
7. Relationships, partnering, friendships, having a new value system and who 'sticks around'
8. Survivorship, fear of recurrence and long-term effects of treatment
9. Nutrition and diet
10. Complementary therapies
11. Study and work
12. Financial burden and insurance

HOW YOU CAN HELP...

The CC are now in the process of trying to find some YACs and/or YAC carers (either young adult carers or carers of young adults) who are willing to be interviewed for podcasts to go on the YAC site. The interviews will be about 15 minutes long, and they can just use your first name or even a fake name if that’s what you prefer. They are audio-only. You will be interviewed by health professionals and/or cancer support specialists purposefully selected to engage with YACs in a thoughtful manner whilst at the same time having fun.

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If anyone is interested in participating in these interviews, please send me an email ASAP (as the CC hope to have the first interview ready to go up on the site in the next 2 weeks) and I will organise for you to meet the CC crew for a chat.

This is going to be awesome!
Nikki
nshipard@bigpond.net.au

Important announcement! I am meeting with the Cancer Council NSW in Feb to plan what can be done for YACs in Australia! [January 16 2009]

It's offical, I have been booked in to meet for a day with various members of the Cancer Council NSW (TCCN) present the findings from my study and have a planning session that will detail what and how they can help YACs in Australia.


I hope that this is a defining moment in the young adult and cancer movement here in Australia.

I am very, very excited about the prospects of having such a wonderful organisation which has some very inspiring staff members who work in various divisions of the TCCN, whom I think are equally as excited to get the ball rolling for YACs in Australia

Three cheers for the CC

HIP HIP HOORAY!
HIP HIP HOORAY!
HIP HIP HOORAY!

MY STUDY IS FINISHED [Nov 26 2008]

Finally... after 12 months of planning, research and committment my study is complete. I would like to share the results of my study, 'The Lived Experience of Young Adults with Cancer (aged 25-44 years) in Australia" here in this blog.

Statement of Results: The Lived Experience of Cancer and Young Adults (aged 25 - 44 years) in Australia

This phenomenological study described the impact that cancer had on the lives of thirteen young adults with cancer (YACs), to provide new knowledge and understanding about the issues that affect this population, and to help inform and shape appropriate cancer-care support services for this age group. There were a broad range of personal factors that defined the experience of cancer for a YA. In some cases, the immediate and long term implications were related to the severity and varied backgrounds in the biological factors of their cancer, yet in others, it was indicative of unrelated and more elusive factors. Two main areas of discussion emerged which enabled the development of two essential themes* for YACs:

1. Personal experiences.

2. Conjoined experiences.


A personal experience includes aspects such as the way a YAC uniquely characterises and feels about their cancer and the manner in which they choose to place it within their lifeworld. This area is related to issues of 'themselves' such as the fear and emotions felt when diagnosed, how a YAC views their life and surroundings, and how the values for a YAC might change after having cancer. A conjoined experience on the other hand suggested the way that cancer may alter existing relationships for the YAC, or the way in which new connections formed as a result of having cancer. It is this second theme that sets young adults apart from children, adolescents and older people with cancer, as for example, with the fact that YACs tend to have extended relationships and interactions with other people such as partners and work relationships. In addition to these main themes, a number of sub themes were identified.

For the personal experience, there were three subthemes that emerged:

(1) Impact: cancer has an immediate effect on the YAC as a person;

(2) World View: cancer affects the way a YAC chooses to view their world; and

(3) Self Expression: having cancer exposes needs, wants and desires for a YAC.


For the conjoined experience the subthemes are divided two ways:

(1) Current links: the relationships already existing in a YAC's life are altered in some way; and

(2) New links: new connections form as a result of having cancer as a young adult.


*It is important to note even though there are clear, well-defined overarching themes and subthemes, there is a vast amount of overlap and interrelated components between these.

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I welcome any of your comments and thoughts.

Nikki