The Elephant in the Room is Cancer. Tea is the Relief Conversation Provides.

Posts by Mallory Casperson

Survivor, Hodgkin's Lymphoma

Mallory is the CEO and Founder of Lacuna Loft. She has an MS and half a PhD in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. During her Master’s and PhD, Mallory worked with the Air Force Research Lab as well as NASA on high temperature metal fatigue experiments and simulations. She left graduate school in August 2013 and launched a nonprofit, Lacuna Loft, in April 2015. Applying her love for engineering and technology to her nonprofit endeavor, Mallory manages operations, programs, and development at Lacuna Loft where online support programs and resources are provided to young adult cancer survivors and caregivers in the comfort of their own homes. Mallory is an avid lover of animals, running, swimming, hiking, being outside, reading, making things, and TV or movie marathons.

Rethinking Body Image: Remember To Love Yourself

by Clarissa Schilstra October 26, 2018

When I first started going on dates and had my first relationship (which wasn’t until sophomore year of college), I was incredibly nervous. Not only was I late in the game compared to many of my peers, but I was also incredibly self-conscious. Sure, I had the same questions running through my head that most girls consider – does he really like me, does he think I’m pretty, will he ask me out again?

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5 Tips For Navigating Sex And Intimacy After Cancer

by Natalie Hatjes

There are many physical and emotional changes after cancer that can affect sex and intimacy. Read more on ways to cope with and embrace this new normal in your bedroom.  This post is for the ladies out there! They are the words no one wants to hear: “You have cancer.”

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Let’s Talk About Sex

by Mallory Casperson

This post is brought to us by Jennifer!  If you missed her interview with Lacuna Loft, you can find it here!  You can find all of her posts here. “Let’s talk about sex, baby. Let’s talk about you and me.”

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Chair Yoga for All!

by Kelsey

Using props in restorative yoga can provide support to our bodies as they open up.  Blocks, straps, mats, walls, exercise balls, and more are all used during classes.

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A Beginners Look At Yoga As A Young Adult Cancer Survivor

by Mallory Casperson

Into my survivorship I have been prone to some anxiety, ranging from triple checking the house before leaving to strong bouts of crying when anything death-of-an-animal/pet crosses my mind.  

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Homemade Applesauce

by Mallory Casperson

Applesauce is a great and healthy snack whether you’re a caregiver, in treatments, or into survivorship.  With help from this video, it took me less than an hour to peel, chop, and cook 6 large apples into a batch of delicious homemade applesauce.  I used Jonagold apples but you can use different kinds of apples in the same […]

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Deviled Egg Salad

by Mallory Casperson

I have already told you how much I have depended on eggs in the past few years.  🙂  They are a great source of protein and I ate a ton of them while going through chemo.  I found them always easy to eat when I didn’t really want to eat anything.  You can serve them up […]

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Healthy Eating: Smoothies

by Mallory Casperson

I am not a huge lover of vegetables.  I eat as many as I’m supposed to most days (emphasis on most though…) but it often seems like a chore.

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Healthy Eating: Healthy Snacking

by Jenny Miller

For the next few weeks, here at Lacuna Loft we’re going to explore some different aspects of healthy eating!  We’ll talk about various alternative eating styles, healthy eating on a budget, creative ways to fit all those fruits and veggies into your day, and much more!

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Have You Heard Of Chemo Dates?

by Mallory Casperson

Having young adult cancer can definitely put a crimp in your dating life.  If you thought dating as a young adult was hard, add in loss of hair, other body changes, fatigue, and everything else cancer brings into the mix and you’ve got an emotionally complicated situation.  Everyone deals with this in a different way.

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