Corel Medical Series: Cancer/Corel Medical Series: Cancer.iso/mac/Program/p23.dxr/00084_Field_SRC.p23.A.19.txt

Text File | 1997-02-04 | 2KB | 19 lines

  breasts. If you are exhausted by the disease or movement is painful, just cuddling or lying quietly next to your
  partner might be a satisfying form of intimacy.
• Don't let your diagnosis dictate what you can do sexually. Your sexuality cannot be "diagnosed."
  You will never know what pleasures you are capable of experiencing if you don't explore. Try new positions,
  new touches and above all new attitudes. Your brain is your best and most important sex organ. And its ability
  to experience sensation is virtually limitless.
• Plan sex around your changing energy levels. Life with cancer can be exhausting. Fatigue, depression
  and just feeling sick are almost normal for cancer patients at certain times. The amount of energy you have for
  all kinds of activities, including sex, can vary from day to day or week to week. So plan sexual activities to
  coincide with the times when you think you will feel best.
• Ask for help if you need it. Don't hesitate to seek counseling or information if you have problems. Help is
  available from a wide range of sources. If you want to discuss any problems, bring them up with your health
  care providers. Ask them to recommend competent sex counselors or therapists in your area. There may also
  be other resources available nearby, such as people who have had both cancer and experience in talking about
  sexual concerns.
• Be patient. The important thing is to be patient, with both yourself and your partner. You won't adjust
  overnight. Give yourself time to explore and share your feelings about your body changes and time to again see
  yourself as a desirable sexual being. When you can accept the way your body looks and recognize your
  potential for sexual pleasure, it will be easier to imagine someone else doing the same.