caregiver Archives - Cactus Cancer Society

Cody’s Corner: November 2026

November is a time of thanks, of giving, of gratitude. Emotions like this can be hard to muster up when we are dealing with cancer, trying to process the crappy hand that we have been dealt, trying to push through having poison pumped through our bodies, having radiation blasted into us, being cut open, waiting for our doctors to say that now is the right time to start treatment, or any number of ways cancer can be handled. Our brains aren’t built to be constantly on tenterhooks!

Case Files: Creative Coping Through Dungeons and Dragons

In this new blog series, Case Files: Creative Coping, we are highlighting the creative coping practices our community members enjoy outside of our programs. If you have a hobby or practice that you’d like to tell us about, please email programs@cactuscancer.org.

Today we’ll be hearing from Elizabeth, one of our amazing Cactus Cancer Society community members, and one of her many creative coping practices. Read on to learn more about how she found Dungeons and Dragons, how characters help her process her cancer experiences, and how she’s used long and short campaigns to connect with others!

caregiver patient survivor young adult cancer

Case Files: Creative Coping Through Crochet

In this new blog series, Case Files: Creative Coping, we are highlighting the creative coping practices our community members enjoy outside of our programs. If you have a hobby or practice that you’d like to tell us about, please email programs@cactuscancer.org.

Today we’ll be hearing from Valarie, one of our amazing Cactus Cancer Society community members, and one of her many creative coping practices. Read on to learn more about how she got hooked on photography, its relationship to her cancer experience, and how she’s found community through her work!

caregiver patient survivor young adult cancer

Cody’s Corner: Spooky Season 2026

Welcome to October, we’re in the thick of Pumpkin Spice Season and heading towards the day where sugar rushes happen: Halloween. The day that was in the holy trinity of Kid Holidays: winter holidays like Christmas or Hanukkah, Halloween, and your birthday. That day where as kids we planned for months how we wanted our imaginations to manifest on our bodies.

caregiver patient survivor young adult cancer

Ask a Cactus: Looking Forward and Final Guys Thoughts

This is our final video in our Ask a Cactus Series on Guys and Young Adult Cancer. Hear from Kyle, Bryan, and other contributors via their comments! In this video, they’ll reflect on their experiences and talk about looking forward, through the lens of cancer survivorship.
Check out this video to meet our experts, Bryan and Kyle!

Ask a Cactus caregiver family and friends Guys Edition patient survivor

Register for Gabfest 2026 Today!

The YA cancer community is uniting as we bring together young adult cancer patients, survivors, caregivers, and the professionals who support them at YA Cancer Gabfest 2026!

This year, YA Cancer Gabfest 2026 is all about Ground Control to Young Adults: Your Mission to Connection, Healing, and Growth. Beginning on December 7th, we invite you to join us for five epic days of connection, conversation, and real-world survivorship wisdom. You’ll find interactive sessions, crash courses, and heartfelt stories from across the YA cancer community—all designed to help you navigate the twists and turns of cancer together. Think of it as your mission control for young adult cancer.

caregiver family and friends patient survivor

Ask a Cactus: Perception, Expectations, and Masculinity

This is our fourth video in our Ask a Cactus Series on Guys and Young Adult Cancer. Hear from Kyle, Bryan, and other contributors via their comments! In this video, they’ll talk about the pressure to keep it together emotionally, how they are perceived, and the impact of cancer on masculinity.

Ask a Cactus caregiver family and friends Guys Edition patient survivor

Case Files: Creative Coping Through Photography

In this new blog series, Case Files: Creative Coping, we are highlighting the creative coping practices our community members enjoy outside of our programs. If you have a hobby or practice that you’d like to tell us about, please email programs@cactuscancer.org.

Today we’ll be hearing from Valarie, one of our amazing Cactus Cancer Society community members, and one of her many creative coping practices. Read on to learn more about how she got hooked on photography, its relationship to her cancer experience, and how she’s found community through her work!

caregiver patient survivor young adult cancer

Ask a Cactus: Finding Community As a Guy and More

This is our third video in our Ask a Cactus Series on Guys and Young Adult Cancer. Hear from Kyle, Bryan, and other contributors via their comments! In this video, they’ll talk about finding community, misunderstandings about the guys cancer experience, and more.

Ask a Cactus caregiver family and friends Guys Edition patient survivor