Hi everyone, As many of you would know, I have been trying to push the Cancer Council to create more services for Young Adults. Well I have some really good news to share with you today... Annie from the Support Services Department of the CC has just launched the first ever survey specific for us Young Adults affected by cancer. They would like to hear from cancer survivors and carers aged 25 - 40 to find out what you would like to have included in survivorship programs. I would encourage you all to please take some time to fill out the following survey which will assist the Cancer Council for this future program planning. http://www.zoomerang.com/Survey/survey-intro.zgi?p=WEB229VJQLB4ZW May I also encourage you to cut and paste this message into an email and send it to your friends, to help get the word out and get as much information in. You may also like to add a reply in this post of what you thought of the survey, as this may encourage other readers to complete the survey too :) many thanks, Nikki ... View more

Hi guys,   I came across this list of cancer related services for Young Adults. they are all from America and Canada.Have a browse... they look good don't they?   Does anyone know of any Australian-based cancer services for Young Adults? If so then tell us all about what you have discovered please... and then we can do up a comprehensive list of Australian Services and spread the word!   best, Nikki   ---------------------------------------------------   CancerCare Young Adults www.cancercare.org/get_help/special_progs/young_adults.php 800-813-HOPE (4673) CancerCare offers specialized services for young adult patients, caregivers, and those who have lost a loved one, including: counseling, support groups, telephone education workshops, educational publications, financial assistance, and practical help.   Coping with Chemo http://chemo.starlightprograms.org 310-479-1212 Coping with Chemo is a series of webisodes written by teens with cancer to help other teens dealing with cancer. Each webisode addresses a different topic -- getting diagnosed with cancer, side effects of chemotherapy and other treatments, telling your friends, and celebrating your last treatment. Coping with Chemo also has an FAQ resource section as well as blogs, chat rooms, and bulletin boards to connect with other teens online.   Group Loop www.grouploop.org 888.793.WELL (9355) E-mail: help@thewellnesscommunity.org Group Loop is a program by The Wellness Community that provides online support for teens with cancer and their parents. I’m Too Young For This!   Cancer Foundation www.imtooyoungforthis.org I’m Too Young For This, i[2]y, is an online support community for young adults with cancer. The organization hosts “The Stupid Cancer Blog” and weekly talk show “The Stupid Cancer Show,” has 13 local chapters across the U.S., Australia, and Canada, and provides an extensive compilation of resources including links to forums, books, coping literature and other young adult cancer organizations.   National Collegiate Cancer Foundation www.collegiatecancer.org 717-215-0943 The National Collegiate Cancer Foundation's mission is to provide services and support to young adults who have been diagnosed with cancer. NCCF is committed to providing need-based financial support to young adult survivors who are pursuing higher education throughout their treatment and beyond. Furthermore, the Foundation promotes awareness and prevention of cancer within the young adult community.   Next Step www.nextstepnet.org 617-864-2921 E-mail: info@nextstepnet.org Next Step provides retreats, camp excursions, creative workshops, and social networking for young adults facing life threatening health issues.   Planet Cancer www.planetcancer.org 512-452-9010 E-mail: contactus@planetcancer.org Web site for young adults with cancer. A place to share insights, explore fears, or laugh with others.   Prepare to Live www.preparetolive.org E-mail: info@preparetolive.org Prepare to Live is the only non-profit, charitable organization founded and managed by cancer survivors, dedicated to using the power of the web and documentary-style filmmaking to provide Help, Hope, Information and Inspiration™ specifically to young adults coping with cancer worldwide   RealTime Cancer www.youngadultcancer.ca 877-571-7325 E-mail: connect@youngadultcancer.ca An initiative of Young Adult Cancer Canada, RealTime Cancer provides support, inspiration, and non-medical information online for all young adults with cancer, regardless of location. The RealTime Cancer website provides support in several different ways including: survivor profiles, news articles, online forum discussions, cancer blogs, annual conferences, newsletters and links to other young adult cancer resources.   Survivor Alert www.survivoralert.org 937-767-1924 Survivor Alert is a nationwide awareness initiative offering information, links to many resources, and recommendations for action for young adult cancer survivors and the health professionals who treat them. The site provides information to help young adult survivors understand survivorship issues and do the right things to stay as healthy as possible.   Teens Living with Cancer www.teenslivingwithcancer.org 585-563-6221 Teens Living With Cancer provides support and information to help deal with the unique age-specific issues and questions teens with cancer face such as body, school, and relationship issues, staying healthy, and connecting with peers.   The SAMFund for Young Adult Survivors of Cancer www.thesamfund.org 866-439-9365 E-mail: info@thesamfund.org The SAMFund is a unique non-profit organization created to assist young adult survivors of cancer with a successful transition into their post-treatment life, by providing financial support through the distribution of grants and scholarships.   The Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults www.ulmanfund.org 888-393-FUND (3863) E-mail: info@ulmanfund.org The Mission of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults is to enhance lives by supporting, educating and connecting young adults, and their loved ones, affected by cancer. Working Against Cancer www.workingagainstcancer.org E-mail: contactus@workingagainstcancer.org Working Against Cancer supports children, adolescent and young adult cancer survivors through mentoring, self-evaluation tools, and career opportunity referrals. WAC's mission is to help adolescents and young adults navigate the emotional upheaval that accompanies a cancer diagnosis in order to become self-reliant individuals with independent, productive lives.   Young Adults Surviving Glioblastoma www.yasg.com/indexframes.html YASG provides treatment information and an online forum and live chat service for young adults with glioblastoma (brain cancer).   Young Cancer Spouses www.youngcancerspouses.com E-mail: shareyourstory@youngcancerspouses.org The mission of this organization is to bring together young spouses of adults with cancer to share information, support, and experiences. The website provides information on taking care of yourself, medical care, relationships, financial issues, transitions and has an online forum to connect with others.   Young Empowered Survivors www.youngempowered.org 303-477-2161 e-mail: info@youngempowered.org Young Empowered Survivors is a social networking group and support group for young adults with cancer (anyone under age 45). YES holds monthly support groups in Colorado, but also has an active message board for members to share questions, ideas and helpful resources ... View more

A live chat event is coming up on Cancer Connections - complementary therapies and cancer - on Thursday 12 November at 5.30pm. Several complementary therapies experts will be online to answer questions, including: Sue Cochrane (Chinese medicine and acupuncture) Jane Hutchens (naturopathy) Eleanor Oyston (massage) Lis Lane (counselling and relaxation) Fiona Fitzpatrick (art therapy) Jann Chambers (qi gong) Its easy to join the chat. On the day, just go to www.cancerconnections.com.au home page and follow the links to the chat room. No need to pre register! See you there, Nikki ... View more

Hi all, I would like to announce the safe arrival of our son Finn Shipard Watson - born at 7.15pm, on Saturday the 8th of august. i am doing well, resting at home and enjoying the new found bliss of being a mum. I am now going to have a few weeks break from the computer and i hope to be back onboard here soon. keep connected! nikki ... View more