New to the Online Community - some help in getting started

Hello BlueUnicorn 

I’m Steph and I’m part of the Online Community Team here at Macmillan. May I wish you another warm welcome to the Community, although I’m sorry that circumstances bring you here.

I was so sorry to read that your husband was diagnosed with his 4th cancer. It sounds like you have been through so much together and that you’re you’re working really hard to support him. It’s completely understandable that you just need a break and some time for yourself.

You might also want to ask your GP or your husband’s cancer nurse about finding support as a carer. They might suggest you contact Adult Social Care for a support assessment. You might prefer to contact Salford Adult Social Care team directly.

Macmillan’s pages on supporting someone with cancer has lots of useful information for you.

There’s a section on taking a break from caring which might be particularly helpful for you to have a read through when you have a moment. We list different types of respite care, including the kind of sitting service that you mention. It says:

“You might be able to arrange for someone to sit with the person you look after. This could be a morning, afternoon or evening. Sometimes they can stay overnight. 

Sitters may also help with housework, or personal care such as washing and dressing. Charities such as Carers Trust offer sitting services.”

In Salford, you might want to reach out to Gaddum a local charity supporting carers.

If you’d like to talk anything through or need further support I’d really encourage you to get back in touch with our support teams at Macmillan.  Our Support Line teams are available 7 days a week, 8am-8pm on freephone 0808 808 00 00, email or live webchat.

It is really important that you have some regular support in place for yourself too. I hope you will find it helpful to be able to share in the Community and get support from people who understand.

I have joined you to the Carers only forum and posted your message there so that other members can offer you some support. You can see your message and any replies here. If you’d like to reply, use the reply button under any post.

If you'd like to start a new conversation, the video and instructions above will help you get started. Please do let us know if you'd like any further help.

I hope you find the support you’re looking for. Please do let us know if you have any questions or need further support with anything at all. I hope the Community helps to show you that you don’t have to go through this alone.

Hi Catlover16 

My name is Steph and I’m part of the team who look after the Online Community here at Macmillan. May I wish you another warm welcome to the site, I hope you will find it to be a safe place of comfort and support.

I was sorry to hear that you are experiencing issues following colon surgery. It’s positive that you are planning to ring the GP. I hope you get some answers and some relief from all this discomfort soon.

There are lots of people here on the Community who understand how you might feel, because they have been there themselves. It can also be good to talk, share experiences and support. Now you have joined the bowel cancer forum, this will help you connect with others. I have posted your message for you in the forum here.

Please do come back and let us know how you’ve got on with speaking to your GP.

If you'd like to start a new conversation in the forum, the video and instructions in the blog above will help you get started. Please do let us know if you'd like any further help.

We also have a Macmillan Support Line if you would like to talk things through with someone who is there to listen.  Our Support Line teams are available 7 days a week, 8am-8pm on freephone 0808 808 00 00, email or live webchat.

Please do let us know if you have any questions or need further support with anything at all.

thank you for your reply. We have some support from teams like Salford Oxygen Team, Paliative care team, and Hospice at home. We have been offered a sitting service by Palliative care but I'm not sure of the extent of what they can offer and I will follow it up. I know the will arrange to have someone at our home when I need to attend a hospital appointment which is really good. My husband was admitted again to hospital in the early hours of this morning and in some ways him being in hospital takes the pressure off me, I can rest, go out for a coffee, meet a friend for lunch and see him later in the day, but I feel he was discharged too soon last time and this week at home he hasn't been well at all so I've learned from that and will refuse to have him home if I don't think he is well enough for me to care for him. This new life is a learning curve. Thanks again for your message and I will follow up some of the links. I've also asked for a Local Authority assessment to get the ball rolling with them. 

Hi Keith26 

Thank you for reaching out, it's positive that you have already found the Glioblastoma forums.

Whenever you're ready and feel comfortable doing so, I'd encourage you to introduce yourself in the forum so that other members know to welcome you.

The blog above offers step by step instructions for posting on the site, but please do let us know if you would like some further help.

Do let us know how you're getting on and if there's anything else we can do to support you further.

Hi Debs1958 

I’m Steph and I’m part of the Online Community Team here at Macmillan. May I wish you another warm welcome to the Community, although I’m sorry that circumstances bring you here.

I was so sorry to read about everything you’re going through with your husband. We understand that feeling of a diagnosis feeling like it's taken over everything and affecting your sense of time. I hope you will find it helpful to be able to share in the Community and get support from people who understand.

Sometimes just typing it all out can be helpful. It's also good to know that you're not alone and that there are people here to support you. I have joined you to the Family and friends forum and posted your message here so you can get some support from other members. It's a safe space for anyone supporting a loved one with cancer to share experiences and support one another.

I have also joined you to the lung cancer forum, where both people diagnosed with cancer and loved ones can come together to share experiences and support one another.

If you need help posting in a forum, the above blog shows you how to get started. Please do let us know if you would like any further help, as we're here to support you in using the Online Community. 

Macmillan has lots of information here to help support you when your loved one has cancer which might be helpful to have a read through.

If you have questions, like to talk anything through or need further support I’d really encourage you to get back in touch.  Our Support Line teams are available 7 days a week, 8am-8pm on freephone 0808 808 00 00, email or live webchat.

I hope you find the support you’re looking for. Please do come back and let us know how you're getting on.