Receiving a cancer diagnosis can feel lonely and isolating. But you don’t have to feel alone. There’s lots of support available for you, although you may not know at first where to find it. We’re here to help here on the Online Community.
Every month, we share a person from Macmillan’s Digital Storytelling project here on the Online Community. Today, we’re featuring Rubina.
Rubina was diagnosed with bowel cancer. It took a long time for Rubina to receive a diagnosis, she felt her primary care did not fully investigate her concerns. By the time Rubina was diagnosed, her cancer was already advanced. Rubina felt very disappointed, angry and frustrated as there was no compassion or empathy from her medical professionals when she needed it the most.
She couldn’t share her feelings as she didn’t know where to get emotional support.
When her treatment started, she felt extremely isolated. She felt desperate for human connection and for people to understand. She was trying to find some sort of sense of normality in that difficult time.
Her video describes how she felt on the surgical ward. Everything changed when she started chemotherapy, where she felt like she was being treated as a human instead of just a patient.
Then, someone else going through treatment told her about her local Maggie’s Centre. Through accessing support from Maggie’s, Macmillan and other services, Rubina felt empowered and heard.
Rubina’s experience has made her feel passionate about raising awareness of the importance of early diagnosis. Macmillan’s website has information on signs and symptoms of bowel cancer. Rubina is also sharing her story today to help anyone else who may feel alone, to access the support services available.
Rubina shared her story as a video, called “Searching for Humans.” Rubina describes what her video is about:
“The importance of human connections: From feeling lost and unheard in my cancer experience to using my voice to support people affected by cancer.”
Rubina’s video has subtitles (closed captions) and a BSL interpreter.
Watch Rubina’s video below:
“We talked openly and honestly about our struggles and worries.”
Here on the Online Community, we understand how helpful it can be to have a place to talk. We have lots of different groups where you can find other people who may be going through a similar experience. If you are also affected by bowel cancer, we have a supportive “Bowel (colon and rectum) cancer” group. You can also use the search bar at the top of the page to find other people with the same cancer diagnosis. Our Community groups are available 24/7 and there’s always someone online.
In her video, Rubina talks about how valuable she found support at her local Maggie’s Centre. If you would like to see if there is a Maggie’s Centre near you, you can look at the Maggie’s website. If you enter your postcode on the website, the site will tell you where you nearest centre is.
You can also find lots of local support through Macmillan. If you aren’t sure what support is available for you, you can talk to our Support Line. You can talk about further support options with our support team, nurse specialists and other teams. They’re available 7 days a week, 8am-8pm on freephone 0808 808 00 00, email or live webchat. Macmillan also has an “In your area” tool which can be used to find support in your area. This could be local services or support groups.
“It gave me hope and I want to pass on that hope to everyone who is going through their cancer journey. I want to hold their hands and show them the path to those wonderful support services.”
Rubina created her video as part of the Digital Storytelling project. Macmillan’s Digital Storytelling workshops support people affected by cancer to tell their stories in their own words. Do you think you might find support from attending creative workshops with other people affected by cancer? If you’d like to get involved, you can find out more about it on Macmillan’s webpage about the Digital Storytelling project.
Rubina is now a volunteer who works with several different organisations. These include CanDu, the Cancer Dundee Support Network. If you live near Dundee in Scotland, you may find their online directory of support services helpful.
We’d like to thank Rubina for sharing her story with us and the Online Community. If you are looking for someone to talk to, you’ve found the right place here on the Online Community. On the Online Community, we see every day how helpful people find connecting with others. Post in one of our groups or look through the forums to see whether you might find the support you are looking for. Remember that if you would like to explore local support options or chat to someone over the phone, you can reach out to Macmillan’s Support Line every day. You deserve to feel that you have the right support for you.
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