As we head into the UK bank holiday weekend, some of us are celebrating Easter with family and friends. Some of us are almost halfway through the month of Ramadan, a time for reflection and spending time with loved ones.
For some of us, it might also be a worrying or sad time. You might be waiting for results, coping with the side effects of treatment, supporting a loved one with cancer or struggling with a bereavement.
We wanted to reach out through our Community News blog to highlight the support available to you over this weekend and beyond.
“My family is coming over Easter. I like that very much but now I need to prepare food and stuff. A bit stressful and my energy level is still low.” - Community member, living with cancer outside of the UK forum.
Cancer support from the Online Community
Many of us feel pressure to conceal our emotions and be happy for others, especially during a special occasion. That’s not the case here on the Online Community. Whether you’re going through cancer treatment, coping with a cancer diagnosis, side effects or recovery, supporting a loved one or coping with bereavement, we’re here.
The Community is open 24/7, so you're really not alone.
If you're struggling with anything, why not share your feelings with the Community? There might be someone out there feeling the same way.
It's a good time to check in with other members across the Community . Why not post a message in one of your groups to update them on your progress, or ask how everyone is doing?
If you haven't yet joined any groups, now could be a good time to introduce yourself and start talking and sharing with people who understand.
If you have any problems accessing the site or finding the right support for you, Macmillan’s Community team are available every day. You can talk to us by sending an email to community@macmillan.org.uk, or by sending a private message to Moderator – Macmillan Community. You can also speak to us over live webchat Monday – Friday, 8am – 8pm by selecting “Online Community Help.”
Support from Macmillan
Macmillan’s Information and support team, alongside our Clinical Nurse Specialists on the Support Line are available as usual throughout the Easter weekend. Please remember our Support Line is available for friends and family members alongside cancer patients.
· Call freephone 0808 808 00 00, 8am – 8pm, every day.
· Live webchat, 8am – 8pm, every day. You can reach our support advisers on “General info and support.” You can reach our clinical nurse specialists on “Questions for a nurse.”
If you would like to find out about the availability of other teams on the Support Line such as our Work support team, Welfare rights team and Financial guidance team, please go to Macmillan’s webpage about the Support Line.
“I was told 2-3weeks I would be sent an appointment. I guess we have Easter in the meantime so that may slow things down a little.” - Community member, vulva cancer forum
Support from a medical professional
Health professionals are still here to support you. If it’s outside your GP hours or you can’t make contact with them, you can contact the following services 24 hours a day, every day of the year.
· NHS 111 on 111 for England and Scotland
· NHS Direct Wales on 0845 46 47 for Wales
· NI direct – find an out of hours service
24-hour helplines and webchat services
If you would like to talk to someone right now, there are services available who can help.
· Shout Crisis Textline - If you're struggling to cope and need immediate support, you can text SHOUT to 85258 and talk to a trained volunteer. The service is free on most networks in the UK and available 24 hours a day.
· The Samaritans helpline – You can call the Samaritans 24 hours a day for free on 116 123. They are also piloting a new webchat service.
I hope this is helpful and please do comment below with any questions or feedback. You can also contact the Community team by email at community@macmillan.org.uk or by sending a PM to Moderator - Macmillan Community
Did you know you can subscribe to the Community News Blog? To subscribe and receive notifications when we publish a Community News Blog, please click 'more' and then 'turn blog notifications on'. On a desktop, you'll find the 'more' button to the right of this blog. On a mobile, scroll to the bottom of the page to find the more button.
