Each year the Living Beyond Breast Cancer (LBBC) organization hosts an extraordinary conference. This year's theme was “Sharing Wisdom, Sharing Strength”. There were over 400 attendees, 4 dozen exhibitors, 4 pre-conference networking opportunities, and 11 sessions, all packed into a day of learning in Philadelphia, PA. Some of the topics I’d like to highlight here are: Sex and Intimacy, Connections, Late Stage Breast Cancer, and Knowing Your Body.

Sex and Intimacy was a hot topic that bubbled up among younger woman and early stage breast cancer patients. We hear all the time from younger women diagnosed with breast cancer that they have a unique set of challenges, questions, and experiences. Their concerns differ compared to older women who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and who have had the opportunity to start a family and may have already gone through menopause. Being thrown into menopause, due to chemical/hormonal treatments (such as Zoladex, Tamoxifen, or any of the aromatase inhibitors accompanied by a Lupron shot), may hasten several deleterious side effects, I.e., hot flashes, bone loss, weight gain, and vaginal atrophy.
These recurring issues invite us to take a deeper dive, build a community around like-minded individuals, and offer resources and support. We were most fortunate in that we were able to record a podcast with notable Breakout Session Speaker Dr. Monique Gary, DO, MSc, FACs on this most apropos subject matter. This podcast will be available on “Breast Cancer Conversations” in the coming weeks (found by searching ITunes, Spotify, SoundCloud, etc).
Following the LBBC Conference, we hosted a Breast Cancer Survivor/Thriver brunch where we got to meet a number of women under forty who opted not to harvest and preserve their eggs. This was due primarily to their cancers being so aggressive and their oncologists suggested starting chemotherapy immediately. It's a very personal choice for everyone. No regrets were expressed and most held onto the acceptance that there are other ways to start a family. For those of you who are looking to start a family, it is important to have this conversation with your oncologist and fertility team so that you can plan ahead and make the best decisions for you. If the question about family planning doesn’t come up in your initial conversation, bring it up! It’s your right!

Making Connections. It's important that we share stories of those who have been diagnosed with breast cancer. A breast cancer diagnosis can be quite lonely (see related blog post here). You may have an abundance of support from family and friends, but what we’ve come to realize is that unless you are going through it yourself, it is hard to relate to and understand what it is we are actually going through. At the LBBC Conference, there was such incredible energy. You could approach anyone and immediately dive into a detailed conversation about your diagnosis, treatment plan, and lingering questions without needing to start from the very beginning (and without having to explain the definition of every term).