It’s the elephant in the room that no-one talks about when you have cancer - the fact that your sex life can also take a nose dive. But there is support out there, and this episode I’m speaking to Instagram’s @cancersextherapist - aka Zoe Yessian - a registered Mental Health nurse and psychosexual and relationship therapist, who was diagnosed with breast cancer herself two years ago aged just 35. We discuss how cancer can affect our libido and desire and what we can do about it.

Show Notes

Zoe

• Zoe’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thecancersextherapist/
• Zoe’s website - https://www.thesextherapyspace.co.uk/
• If you are in London or able to get there, Zoe does bimonthly workshops at Future Dreams House - her next two are:
  • October 14th - Dating beyond diagnosis - https://momence.com/s/141372815
  • October 28th - Navigating Sex and relationships after cancer - https://momence.com/s/141372820
• Her next Breast Cancer Now workshop on intimacy and sex is at the Younger Women together day on 17th October - https://signup.breastcancernow.org/event/1ca854b5-a878-40ed-8640-de0c70d28994/2a3f4f45-f248-437a-a2d6-faa29474a78d?count=3

More information about sex and cancer

• Future Dreams - https://futuredreams.org.uk/category/sex-intimacy-hub/
• Shine cancer support - https://shinecancersupport.org/resource/sex-blog-1/
• Macmillan - https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/impacts-of-cancer/sex-and-cancer
• Breast Cancer Now - https://www.survivingbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-and-sexual-intimac
• Cancer Research - https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/coping/physically/sex/effects
• Find a therapist - College of Sex and Relationship Therapists - https://www.cosrt.org.uk/

Sex toys & tools -

• O-Nut / dilators -https://www.stressnomore.co.uk/collections/the-pelvic-people
• Liz’s favourite lube - https://www.yesyesyes.org/collections/yes-lubricants

I hope this episode bring you as much joy as it did to me to record it - self-proclaimed cancer kicker, poetry prattler, sales director, photo-grapher, animal lover and nature bather (and possibly the world’s wonkiest qualified personal trainer) Dearbhaile O’Hale aka Derv turned to writing when she was diagnosed with breast cancer to help her process the experience. She was generous enough to share some of her poems with us in this special episode, and talk about her own story from diagnosis to now. I hope her words give you some comfort, or perhaps she will inspire you to write yourself.

Show Notes

Derv’s book of poems Things Went Tits Up is a joy to read - you can buy a copy here - https://www.thingswenttitsup.ie/

How do you know what to trust online and even - dare I say it - in podcasts, when it comes to breast cancer? There is so much information out there nowadays including people claiming to have “cures” and alternatives to traditional treatments. That’s why I needed to get Consultant Oncologist and Chief Medical Officer for Macmillan, Richard Simcock, onto this episode to help us sift through fact and fiction.

Show Notes

Website - https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/worried-about-cancer/cancer-myths-and-misinformation

Cancer Research also has a guide to spotting cancer misinformation - https://news.cancerresearchuk.org/2024/02/16/sorting-fact-from-fiction-a-guide-to-spotting-health-misinformation/