Cancer, my partner and I: how to reduce the impact of cancer on relationships. By Christopher Brett-Renes BPsySc, GradDipPsyc, MScMed (Sexual Health Counselling), MACA (Level 3) Psychosexual Therapist. Associate Lecturer, Postgraduate Program in Sexual & Reproductive Health, Westmead Clinical School, University of Sydney. Expert Advisor for Healthy Male (Previously known as Andrology Australia) Ten minutes before I […]
When I first heard the words of the famous COVID-19 poem ‘We are not in the same boat‘, I thought that the text could so easily be adapted to the vast and stark uniqueness of one’s cancer experience. “I heard that we are in the same boat. But it’s not like that. We are in […]
Making exercise a priority If you ask me about my top pearls of wisdom for optimising your cancer recovery – I will say ‘get the right advice on MOVING YOUR BODY’. For many patients, exercise is the key that unlocks a faster and smoother recovery. I see exercise as a super tool! During and after […]
As I approach the three year anniversary of my cancer diagnosis, I regularly reflect on the increasing depth of my understanding and insights into the cancer journey. Each year reveals a new level of awareness, a new appreciation for my journey, and mostly an admiration for the incredible women who are also walking their cancer […]
A rapid ride through the mind During the toughest periods, a cancer journey can be likened to a novice on a rafting expedition into the unknown. There is a journey to navigate which has a beginning and an end. An unfamiliar face, the guide, gives you a broad run down of the itinerary. On edge […]
Today we live in a self-conscious world where most of us attach at least some of our identity and personal worth to our appearance. With social media at our finger tips 24/7 it can be almost impossible to escape the traps of physical, emotional, material and achievement comparisonitis. A quick scroll through your favourite social […]
Only in relatively recent times has our western society viewed death as a somewhat mystical and taboo experience. It wasn’t all that long ago that our loved ones had to be cared for in their own home in the lead up to their passing. After the awaited final breath was taken, family and community would gather in the home and support each other. Death was embraced as an expected and […]
Your cancer type, treatment regime, age and pre-existing general health will all impact on your ability and readiness to return to work. Your Cancer Specialists and General Practitioner (GP) will help to guide you with your decision to return to work. My return to work experience It was about 10 months after my bowel cancer […]
You’re not going crazy If you have had a cancer diagnosis and are having memory or concentration problems- you are not going crazy! ‘Cancer fog’, ‘brain fog’, ‘chemo brain’ or ‘cancer-related cognitive impairment’ are all terms used to describe memory problems caused by cancer. For simplicity I will refer to these terms collectively as cancer […]
A cancer diagnosis, like any life changing trauma, will immediately enroll you into an extreme and unique self-development course. When your mortality, your future and everything you know about you changes- strap yourself in, buckle-up, and hold on tight. Life will never be the same again. But for many cancer patients including myself- it isn’t all bad news! In fact, […]
