The bad news: due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the physical Cancer Survivorship 101 conference usually held in June, had to be cancelled. The good news: All of the scheduled speakers have agreed to present remotely through a Zoom format. For the third year running, this educational event will present topics essential to cancer survivorship and cancer caregiving.
There will be nine topics in all, one each month, beginning in July with “Covid Kitchen for the Cancer Survivor” by Maura Harrigan MS RDN, CSO. Harrigan is a registered dietician with the Adult Survivorship clinic at Yale Cancer Center. The featured presentation will be on the website www.survivorjourneys.org. Each month’s presentation will then be archived on the Survivor Journeys website when the new month’s topic is presented. Questions for each presentation can be submitted to survivorshipprogram@email.com (limit of one question per person per topic) during the month of the presentation. The other topics and their presenters are as follows:
• I have cancer, why do I need a primary care physician?
— Larissa Nekhlyudov, MD
• Fear and anxiety of cancer recurrence
— Daniel L. Hall, PhD
• Can botanicals help in cancer survivorship?
— Darshan Mehta, MD
• Financial toxicity in cancer survivorship
— Samantha Watson, MBA
• Current exercise guidelines for cancer survivors
— Scott Capozza, MS, PT
• Parenting with cancer
— Julie Berrett-Abebe, MA, PhD
• Strategies for caregiving for cancer survivors
— Geselle Perez-Lougee, PhD
• “I had cancer. Now I have to worry about my heart?”
— Anju Nohria, MD
Survivor Journeys is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in March 2015 by Dr. Jay Burton, a cancer survivor himself. In addition to education, the organization provides cancer specific support groups and a caregiver support group which are currently being provided online on Zoom due to the pandemic.
There is an adult cancer survivor and caregiver mentoring program in which people who are further along on their cancer journey can mentor those who are struggling. As a result of their affiliation with Volunteer Management in Cancer Care, SJ has access to more than 10,000 mentors nationwide. There is also a pet therapy program available.
The webinars are free, but should you wish to make a donation to further the work of the organization, you can make one on the website or mail it to Survivor Journeys P.O. Box 60471, Longmeadow, MA 01116.
Sponsorship information for the series are available at survivorshipprogram@gmail.com or 1-413-276-6100. Current prime sponsors are WWLP-TV22, The CW, and S. Prestley and Helen Blake.
If you or a loved one is living with cancer, you need not be alone. Check the website for all Survivor Journeys has to offer you and watch the series.