If you’ve visited the Macmillan Instagram, Facebook or YouTube channels recently, you may have seen this amazing video, 'In Conversation with Macmillan', which you can watch again by clicking on the video below.
The video includes personal experiences of living with cancer through lockdown, covers some of the most frequently asked questions about the emotional and physical effects of cancer, and explains how Macmillan can help you through these difficult times.
In the opening section, Macmillan host Terri, chats to Mandy, diagnosed with breast cancer in 2011, about her experience of living with cancer and how she’s coped with the pandemic.
“At times when I just can’t sleep and I want to reach out and I want to talk to someone, I’d use the Online Community."– Mandy, living with breast cancer.
In a open and frank discussion, Mandy talks about the various support she’s had from Macmillan and how the Community has been so important to her.
If you’re living with cancer, or supporting someone living with cancer, you might relate to Mandy’s experience. She talks about the difficulty of loved ones, colleagues and employers not always understanding what you’re going through. The Community is somewhere you can come and find people who relate.
“There’s no substitute for that personal connection. For me, the thing that’s kept me grounded during Covid is the fact I can connect with people.”
Mandy talks about the benefit of reading people’s real-life experiences and feels you can be a lot more honest on the Community.
“And that’s where you find your absolute peer group. The people that you can… absolutely tell it like it is. You don’t have to dress it up, you don’t have to make it warm, fluffy and palatable…because we’ve all lived that experience at one point or another.”
A virtual connection might not be what you expected to need, but it can make all the difference when you’re feeling alone.
“That’s how we make friends isn’t it, we look for the common things. And I think that’s why it’s so important…I can go be myself… “
Following the conversation with Mandy, we get the opportunity to meet a panel of Macmillan professionals. Host Terri chats with Audrey, Ghazala and Ruth from Macmillan Support Line teams and with Mark who is a Lead Cancer Nurse at Royal Berkshire Hospital. 
It’s a great opportunity to hear how you can access all Macmillan support during these difficult times and also understand how our professionals have dealt with some of the challenges faced in 2020.
”We were overwhelmed at times, by the amount of scared people trying to deal with uncertainty” - Audrey (Cancer Information Nurse Specialist)
Audrey talks about working as a Cancer Information Nurse specialist on the Macmillan Support Line and how she feels the pandemic has changed the support people are looking for.
“It’s been really important that we’ve been able to continue giving advice, especially during the lockdown …it’s been a real privilege to be able to continue offering that service” – Ghazala (Work Support Service Team Leader)
The pandemic has meant many new questions about your rights at work when you have cancer or as a carer. The Work Support Service, have risen to the challenge of supporting people through many of these new issues and Team Leader, Ghazala shares her experience.
“I think it’s really difficult to offer support if you’re finding things difficult yourself, so by reaching out to us…to be able to talk things through, then you’re ‘topping up yourself’ so you can give that support…” - Ruth (Cancer Information Support Advisor)
Ruth talks about her experience of supporting people affected by cancer over the phone, email and webchat and some of the additional challenges this year has seen. And if you’re supporting a loved one living with cancer and you’re not sure how best to help them, Ruth has some lovely advice to share in the video.
Mark’s role involves him working in an acute oncology team, seeing patients admitted to A&E with cancer-related problems. He talks frankly about his experience of being a consultant nurse at a time when cancer services were extremely stretched. Mark goes on to reassure people that his team are now operating as normal and encourages you to get in touch with your local team if and when you need to.
If you’re interested in hearing Mandy’s full story and hearing from Macmillan professionals about the important work they each do, please do watch the video by clicking on the video above. We’d love to hear your thoughts about ‘A Conversation with Macmillan’ in the comments section below.
Has the Online Community helped you during the pandemic? Which other Macmillan support services have you used? We’d love to hear your comments below, or email us at community@macmillan.org.uk
