Live Sessions & Activities
Monday, April 17th
4:00 - 5:15 PM ET
Identifying & Dealing with Triggers
Leeann Terwilliger, LCSW
Stupid Cancer
As an AYA going through life after a cancer diagnosis, there are likely to be lots of things that unexpectedly stir up negative memories and memories for you. Unfortunately, daily life doesn’t come with a trigger warning. Whether it’s the smell of hand sanitizer, a certain time of year, an unexpected pain, or a comment from a stranger – these outwardly common occurrences can be disorienting and upsetting. Join this interactive discussion session to explore your own potential triggers and learn how to better cope with them.
9:00 - 10:00 PM ET
Welcome to DCC Meetup
Meet your fellow AYAs at this casual zoom hangout.
Tuesday, April 18th
6:30 - 7:30 PM ET
Grieving the Life You’re Living: The Cancer Journey
Caroline Lee, MA
Grief is a common part of the cancer experience. For AYA patients and caregivers grieving the life they expected, this disenfranchised grief can feel complicated. Join this interactive discussion session to learn how grief shows up for some cancer patients, learn methods for processing these feelings, and connect to other survivors experiencing the same difficult emotions.
9:00 - 10:00 PM ET
Gen Z Meetup
No millennials allowed! Join Natalia to hang out with our younger AYAs.
Wednesday, April 19th
4:00 - 5:00 PM ET
Building Queer Community
Hailey Johnston, Yasmine Ramachandra,
& Elisabeth Dodd
As AYAs in the LGBTQIA+ community, we often see supportive care prioritized for our straight and cisgender peers. And depending on where you live, you may be isolated from accessing queer community and kinship. This discussion is a forum to share our unique challenges and build a network of support.
8:00 - 9:00 PM ET
Caregiver Meetup
Join a bereaved sibling caregiver, Janelle, to connect with other caregivers about the ups and downs of the caregiving journey. All caregiver relationships are welcome!
Thursday, April 20th
6:00 - 7:15 PM ET
Living with Metastatic or Chronic Cancer: The Unknown Journey and the Vibrant Life
Jewelene Meacham, RN, CHPN, NC
Living with metastatic or chronic cancer, it can be difficult to stay present in the moment in the face of long-term treatment or fears of recurrence. But you deserve to find a place of personal wellness every day. In this interactive session with other survivors, discuss how to accept your limitations, realize your possibilities, embrace the now, and learn to live vibrantly.
8:00 - 9:00 PM ET
Digital Meetup
Meet your fellow AYAs at a casual zoom hangout.
Friday, April 21st
7:00 - 8:15 PM ET
Trivia Night
Make friends and test your knowledge in this team pub-style trivia challenge!
8:30 - 9:30 PM ET
Metastatic Patients Meetup
This one’s just for our metastatic community! Join community member Carrie to hang out with your peers.
Sunday, April 23rd
1:00 - 2:15 PM ET
Demystifying Patient Engagement Research Projects: Advancing Services for Underrepresented AYAs with Cancer
Lauren Ghazal, PhD, FNP-BC
Cindy Villarreal, MSW LLMSW
Join this session to learn about the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) engagement projects and how patients can get more involved in research. This session will focus on a University of Michigan-led project, “Partnering to advance psycho-oncology services for underrepresented AYAs with cancer,” that Stupid Cancer is involved with. Hear directly from the project coordinators, and then join in an interactive discussion on patient engagement in research projects.
Monday, April 24th
5:30 - 6:15 PM ET
Coping with Uncertainty in the Face of Infertility
Leeann Terwilliger, LCSW
Stupid Cancer
Whether or not you know you want to be a parent, having that choice potentially taken away from you because of cancer treatment can trigger a lot of complicated and surprising emotions. Unfortunately, struggling with the uncertainty of potential infertility or a high-risk pregnancy, grieving the loss of fertility, and mourning the life you planned are all common experiences for AYAs. Join this discussion to process and unpack the many complicated feelings that infertility can create.
9:00 - 10:00 PM ET
Digital Meetup
Meet your fellow AYAs at a casual zoom hangout.
Tuesday, April 25th
6:00 - 7:15 PM ET
The Future of Caregiving: Millennials and the Caregiving Crisis
Vanessa Steil, Amanda Ferraro
& Jessica Cording
Millennials face multiple caregiving challenges: young children, aging parents, loved ones with cancer. The reality of modern caregiving, with a lack of professional support, impacts millennials economically, mentally, and physically. In this interactive session, hear from a panel of millennial caregivers on how they manage their caregiving responsibilities and avoid burnout; then join in the discussion about how you can care for your loved ones and yourself.
Wednesday, April 26th
8:00 - 9:00 PM ET
Pediatric Survivors Meetup
Join Alyssa to hang out with your pediatric survivor crew!
Thursday, April 27th
8:00 - 9:00 PM ET
Digital Meetup
Meet your fellow AYAs at a casual zoom hangout.
Friday, April 26th
5:30 - 6:30 PM ET
Storytelling Open Mic
Hear amazing, relatable, and always real stories at this intimate open-mic style event to cap off two weeks of AYA connection. Want to be a storyteller? Email programs@stupidcancer.org to sign up.
Pre-Recorded Sessions
Cancer in the Bedroom
Calvin Hauer, LMFT; Stephanie Cizek, MD; JP Pritchett
You may be frustrated by disruptions to your sex life during and after cancer treatment, but there are interventions and tools that can help you regain confidence and increase pleasure. This dynamic panel presentation will share approachable tools and strategies to address the physical and emotional aspects of intimacy and sex after cancer.
Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment: Strategies and Support for "Chemo Brain"
Alique Topalian, PhD, MPH
Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) aka “chemo brain” impacts up to 75% of all cancer survivors at some time during their cancer experience. This informative presentation will explain what it is, why it happens, and what you can do about it. We’ll also talk about why we’re changing the name and share strategies that you can use to try to combat these frustrating symptoms to make your life a little easier.
Coping with Life After Active Treatment
Megan Gilman, MD
Life after active treatment can be challenging and isolating; this presentation will dig into why it’s so hard. Learn how psychological support can help, and explore what kind of therapies and/or medications might be best for you during this often difficult transition.
Facing Off with Toxic Positivity
Julie Larson, LCSW
A cancer diagnosis brings up lots of complicated emotions, and you have the right to experience the full spectrum of feelings. But we all have loved ones who show up with an abundance of positivity. Sometimes their brand of support is helpful, and sometimes it is… just too much. This presentation will share some tools to help you honor your honest experience, communicate what you really need from others, and deal with toxic positivity.
Living with Chronic Pain: Overview and Treatment Strategies
Leighanna Kilgore, MSSA, LICSW
Chronic pain is an unfortunate fact of life for many AYAs. Check out this presentation to learn how chronic pain impacts the brain and review evidence-based strategies that can help you manage pain and reduce suffering.
Psychedelics & Cancer: Exploring the Research for Potential Mental Health Treatment
Uma Chatterjee, MS, MHPS
Research on psychedelics as mental health treatments is at an all-time high. Currently, various psychedelics and psychoplastogens, including psilocybin, MDMA, LSD, DMT, and ketamine, are being studied across a wide variety of disciplines for several clinical indications, including post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, chronic pain, and most notably, cancer and cancer-adjacent conditions. This informative session will synthesize the current literature and findings on psychedelics as therapeutics for AYA cancer and cancer-related mental health conditions.
Strategies for HCPs to Engage Their Young Patients: “I’m not sure why I tell you stuff...” & Other "Compliments"
Michelle Preston, CCLS; Maddy Yeager, CCLS; Reghan Anderson, CCLS
AYAs are a unique patient population, deserving of specialized support. This presentation for healthcare providers will share strategies developed by a team of Child Life Specialists for using authenticity and humor to provide quality, AYA-specific care for professionals supporting AYAs on their cancer journey from “Day 0” throughout Survivorship.
Working It Out: Cancer and Employment Rights for Young Adults
Shelly Rosenfeld
Did you know having cancer may actually qualify you for protection at work under both state and federal law? This presentation will cover your rights as outlined in important laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and social security programs such as Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute) Workout
Brianne Young, DPT
Get moving with this workout class from 13thirty Cancer Connect’s app, 13thirty To Go! No equipment needed; just follow along with featured AYAs Alex V, Michelle H, Emily C through a full body warm up, workout, and cool down in just thirty minutes.
Speakers
Reghan Anderson
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Uma Chatterjee,
MS, MHPS
Neuroscience Graduate Student
Stephanie Cizek, MD
Stanford Children's Health
Jessica Cording
Author & Nutritionist
Michael Cramer
Elisabeth Dod
Amanda Ferraro
Cancer Is An Asshole
Lauren Ghazal,
PhD, FNP-BC
University of Michigan
Megan Gilman, MD
Memorial Sloan Kettering
Calvin Hauer, LMFT
Marriage and Family Therapist
Hailey Johnston
Escape
Leighanna Kilgore,
MSSA, LICSW
Therapist
Julie Larson, LCSW
Therapist
Caroline Lee, MA
A Cared for Heart
Jewelene Meacham,
RN, CHPN, NC
Wellness After Cancer
Christina Merrill
Michelle Preston
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
JP Pritchett
Smitten Kitten
Yasmine Ramachandra
Shelly Rosenfeld
Cancer Legal Resource Center
Vanessa Steil
In Steil Creative
Leeann Terwilliger, LCSW
Stupid Cancer
Alique Topalian,
PhD, MPH
University of Cincinnati
Cindy Villarreal,
MSW, LLMSW
University of Michigan
Maddy Yeager
Children's Hospital of Philadelphia