Community News - Macmillan Online Community

Our members are here for you

Today we wanted to take some time to highlight the amazing support that our members provide to one another each and every day here on the Community. Whether you need practical info on what others found useful to bring along to treatment, information on what support is out there, or simply someone to share how your day’s been with, our Community cancer forum is here for you. No matter what has brought you to the site, no matter how cancer has affected your life, our members will support you through, and the kindness of strangers soon becomes the kindness of friends. Here on the team we know how amazing each of our Community members are at supporting one another, but we wanted to let the below quotes speak for themselves. “You are probably on the ceiling at the moment and don’t know which…

Former Member
Look out for our improvements

On Macmillan’s Community, our members are at the heart of everything we do. We’re always looking to improve the site for you and we’re so excited to finally be able to share some improvements that are just around the corner. We know what an important source of support the Online Community is for many. In the next few weeks we will be launching a number of improvements on to the site. These enhancements aim to improve the site for all, as well as add a number of new features many of you asked for. All the images and examples below are shown using the Community on a mobile phone. We know these are the devices most used by our members. The improvements we’ve made are based on your feedback. You spoke up and we heard you, now here’s what we’ve done. Our New Homepage You said that the site was difficult…

Tom C - Online Community team
Being a partner and a carer: how cancer can affect relationships

A loved one being diagnosed with cancer can have just as big an emotional and practical impact as a personal diagnosis. This can have a greater impact if you also become a carer. Many members here on the Community team who are supporting a partner might want to do everything they can to help. But that doesn’t mean that you don’t need support too. Here in the Community News blog, we often say every diagnosis and experience can be different. That’s true for relationships too. For some people, a partner having a cancer diagnosis might not impact your relationship at all. For others, a cancer diagnosis can cause additional worries and difficulties in a relationship. You aren’t alone in what you’re going through, no matter how you feel. A cancer diagnosis can affect relationships in many ways…

Eliza -Online Community Team
“I just want to be me again” - Jon's story, volume 2

We first heard from Jon in the first of his blog series where he talked about his diagnosis, and what led him to share his story. Our members often talk about ‘scanxiety’ and how difficult it is in the run up to getting a scan, and then waiting for results. In today’s blog, Jon talks a little more about his experience of ‘scanxiety’ and the impact it’s had on him. Scanxiety It’s been going on for a while now. It always follows the same routine. Somehow, subconsciously, I just know it’s coming. I start to tense up, and my sleep starts to suffer. The sleep I manage to get, I spend grinding my teeth. When I’m awake, I’m just snapping at people or being irrational. Cancer does that to you. All that broken sleep ages you too. “Oh you look tired?” “Yeah Karen, I haven’t slept in three weeks…

Ellen - Macmillan
Brain cancer Awareness month- Simon's Story

Simon is 45 years old from South Wales and today he is sharing his cancer experience as part of Brain cancer awareness month. If you or someone you know has been diagnosed, our Brain cancer groups are here to support you. I have had poor health most of my life due to a neurological condition called Neurofibromatosis. When in my teens I had lots of problems with my bowels and lived with a stoma bag for a year and had a total colectomy which is the removal of the large bowel. This was down to benign tumours in my guts. After this, my mother was told I wouldn’t live to see my twenties but happily, I proved medics wrong. At twenty I was diagnosed with testicular cancer. It was discovered straight away, and I had an operation to remove the left testicle, it was all I needed. As years went by…

Megan- Online Community Team
Avoiding cancer misinformation and finding trusted support online

There are lots of websites where you can find reliable health information and trusted support. You might also come across information online that is misleading or incorrect. Every day, thousands of people can find out-of-date, misleading and unproven information about cancer online, often without realising. This can happen on search engines like 'Dr Google', social media and AI chat tools. Sometimes people share information because they are trying to help, but it may not be accurate or based on evidence. In this blog we will be sharing members experiences with the aim of helping you find trusted information online. Searching online for cancer information “I know I shouldn't google but I have done and now I'm really scared.“ - Community member When you are waiting to speak to healthcare…

Steph - Online Community Team
What do you wish you had known before diagnosis? The Online Community helps.

Our new blog mini-series is based on a question ‘what you wish you had known’. The blogs feature different cancer treatments or situations you might be facing. We’re bringing the Community together to share hints and tips. Today we’re encouraging the sharing of your experiences of diagnosis. We know how helpful it can be to hear from someone who has been through it themselves. If you are facing a cancer diagnosis we hope this blog will help you find the suggestions you need. Everyone’s diagnosis journey is different – but some advice helps us all "I'm glad I got advice here about making lots of notes and asking lots of questions. It's helped me feel in control." - Community member, Prostate cancer forum “Things will get easier when you know what you’re dealing with and what your treatment…

Steph - Online Community Team
Fall into the Online Community Autumn Quiz

We're starting to hear lots of mentions of autumn on the Community, with members talking about the nights drawing in, the colours of the trees and the leaves crunching under your feet. As many of you told us that you enjoyed the chance to relax and engage with light-hearted content, w e've created an autumn themed quiz for the Community today. Even if you're not feeling particularly positive about Autumn this year, you might find light-hearted distractions to be helpful. Have a go at 'conker'ing the quiz today and see how you get on! How to play the interactive quiz Use the voting buttons to choose your answer from the multiple choices shown. You are welcome to try all eight questions, or just a few. Once you have voted for your answer, you will be able to see how many others chose…

Steph - Online Community Team
“So grateful to the champions on this forum”

It’s Volunteer's Week from June 2nd to 8th, 2025. This blog celebrates the dedication and commitment our fabulous Online Community Champions give to the Community every day. Who are our Online Community Champions? The Community Champions are a dedicated team of volunteers here on the Online Community. Our Champions are a friendly listening ear for those who need it most, helping people affected by cancer feel supported and less alone. The role is flexible and there's no expectation for Community Champions to log in every single day, although many of them do. So far this year, our Community champions have posted over 14,498 times, which helps show the amount of kindness and support they provide every day. A huge thank you to: Beesuit, chellesimo, chris2012, Daisy53, DaveyBo, GBear…

Megan- Online Community Team
"Finding my new normal"- Jane's story

Cancer is a journey that none of us would choose and that many people will experience either directly themselves or through family, friends or colleagues. My endometrial carcinoma sarcoma journey began in 2022. I had major surgery, and this was followed by chemotherapy and external beam radiotherapy. For me there was life before cancer, life with cancer, and now there is life after cancer. This blog looks at my wellbeing, physical changes, emotional moments, social challenges and my journey to find my new normal. “ After cancer, I think it’s not so much about getting back to normal, it’s about finding out what is the new normal for you now.” Read Jane’s previous blogs: Diagnostic testing for endometrial cancer Check up appointments after endometrial cancer treatment- Jane’s story…

Megan- Online Community Team
Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. Meet Laurel, writing for release and renewal.

It's Bowel Cancer Awareness month in April and we are sharing Laurel's story. Laurel, known as 'Writing Lola' on the Online Community has been using writing to help cope with and navigate a bowel cancer diagnosis and treatment. We really appreciate you sharing your words, Laurel, so we will hand over now to your voice. In the city where I live, the marking of the Chinese Lunar New Year came with a riot of colours and costumes, lanterns and illuminations, dances of lions and dragons. I looked longingly through the exciting programme of festivities, knowing that this was yet another thing I couldn’t contemplate attending. My body, coping with another harrowing round of chemotherapy, could barely manage making dinner that night, let alone face the effort of getting dressed and leaving the…

Steph - Online Community Team
Dating with a stoma- Sarah's story

As part of the Dating and cancer series, Sarah shares her journey of navigating the dating world since her bowel cancer diagnosis in 2018 and why being open and honest about her stoma bag is important for her. “I've really welcomed having a stoma bag because my bag saved my life. I was always going to embrace it, but it is something that factors into my dating life. If you're going to be intimate with someone or if you're going to live with someone, you have to have a conversation at some point about the bag.” Watch the video below to hear Sarah talking about her dating experiences living with a stoma. If you have a dating with cancer experience you want to share, or have been thinking about starting a new relationship but are feeling worried, join the Let’s talk about dating and…

Megan- Online Community Team