Community News - Macmillan Online Community

Our Growing Community

There are many different reasons for joining the Online Community as it provides safe spaces for patients and loved ones to get support from real people. Real people who can truly understand what it’s like being affected by cancer. Today’s blog looks at some of the conversations that you’re getting involved with in our Community groups this month. If you want read last month’s round up blog ‘ What does the Community mean to you? ’ you can do so by clicking here . We usually see lots new members joining the Online Community for support each week. Whether you've been with us for a while, or you've only just joined, it's important to know there's lots of support available for you. Our Community is a place for patients, family members, carers and loved ones to access emotional support and practical…

Megan- Online Community Team
Winter Picture Festival 2021 - Creativity and crafts

Grasan 's a beautiful MDF painting. First of all, we’d just like to say a big thank you to everyone who shared a picture with the Online Community as part of our Winter Picture Festival. Your pictures brought the Community team, and our members, a lot of happiness this December. The Winter Picture Festival gave members the opportunity to share a picture they’d taken, or something they had made, on a winter theme. Something that we love about the Winter Picture Festival is that it is a celebration of creativity. Being creative can be fun and can also be a helpful way to relax. Mind , a charity which specialises in mental wellbeing, features an activity on their website called drawing calming circles . They also suggest trying a colouring book as a mindful activity. Anyone can be creative…

Eliza -Online Community Team
September Community Catch up

Let’s take a look back at what’s been happening on the Community over the last month. Not everyone is logged onto the site everyday and with so many people coming to one place to access support, it can take some time to catch up with what’s been going on over the past few weeks. This month we welcomed 2,041 new members to the Online Community. With more and more people joining the site, we are seeing more people share experiences. Cancer patients, loved ones and carers posted 3,147 replies which shows how much support is offered from you, our members, every day. There are many different reasons for visiting the Community, but once you're here, you’ll find that you’re not alone in dealing with your situation. There are thousands of people sharing their experiences and offering a comforting…

Megan- Online Community Team
Pancreatic cancer awareness and support information

Have you or someone you love been diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer? If so, then this blog will be useful for you to read. We’re sharing support information and highlighting some of the conversations members of the Community have had recently. November is Pancreatic Cancer awareness month, so we’d like to take some time to show you that the Online Community is here to support you every day of the year. Even if you’re not affected by Pancreatic cancer, you may be interested to hear how members of the Community support each other. What is Pancreatic cancer? The video below (02:21 minutes) is an abdominal surgeon name Charles, talking about Pancreatic cancer. If you need more information and guidance around symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options for pancreatic cancer, please visit the…

Megan- Online Community Team
The recurring fear of recurrence

"Whatever your prognosis, whatever your hopes, whatever your personality, the second that you know that you have cancer your life changes irrevocably." It seems to be a common experience that once cancer treatment finishes, the anxieties and fears around recurrence become heightened. We regularly see conversations about recurrence, or worries of recurrence, on the community and how much this can impact your wellbeing and mental health. It’s natural to worry about cancer coming back, and it’s something that our Community members support each other with here on the site. "The fear of recurrence is troubling me, I realise whole heartedly I’m so lucky and I’m trying to be positive but I don’t want to ignore the impact of the treatment had on my well-being." Community member "I feel worse…

Ellen - Macmillan
Catching up with the ‘Anal cancer’ group

Here on the Online Community, we have lots of different groups where you can find support from someone with a similar diagnosis. If you or your loved one have been diagnosed with a form of anal cancer, the ‘Anal cancer’ group is a safe place to find support. In the Community News blog today, we’re going to feature some recent discussions and highlight how supportive our members are. Our members are here to reassure you that you’re not alone, and it’s ok to talk about what you’re going through. “Ask, Ask Ask away, there's so many people on here that will be able to help and offer support. Also, don't think anything is too much information or too gross to talk about it. It's all been asked before.” Community member, ‘Anal cancer’ group Some members recently welcomed a new member to the…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Community Round-Up Blog - March 2022

March sparks the season of change. As nature starts to repair after winter and spring starts to arrive (although I wish spring would get a move on with the temperature change!) March has also been a time of change for us here on the Community as we have welcomed some fresh new features to the site. We also welcomed 1,764 new Community members last month. So get ready to read all about the what’s been going on on the Community for the marvellous month of March. We kick-started March by releasing some new changes on the Community. We took your feedback to the drawing board and created a new look for the platform, you can find out more about these changes on the Look out for our improvements blog. It takes a deep dive into all the changes that have been made this past month. Here is some of…

Syed - Macmillan
Finding support for adenoid cystic carcinoma

This blog is a way of getting to know the Adenoid cystic carcinoma forum . We’re looking at the questions and personal experiences that have been shared on the Online Community. Adenoid cystic carcinoma also known as ACC, is known to be a rarer form of cancer in the salivary gland and can be found in other places of the head and neck too. If you’re looking for information or want to know how you can support other Community members with a rare cancer, stay and read this blog post. There are hundreds of different cancers, some are more common than others. About 1 in 5 people with cancer in the UK have a form of rare cancer and about 1 in 3 of those rare cancers are very rare types. A cancer may be referred to as ‘rare’ because it is a subtype of a more common cancer or because it is in an…

Megan- Online Community Team
Trans Day of Visibility 2021

Trans Day of Visibility, or International Transgender Day of Visibility, is a worldwide day to celebrate trans people and raise awareness. It’s difficult to know how many trans people in the UK and across the world are affected by cancer. However, we know that trans people may experience inequalities and difficulties in accessing the right healthcare treatment and support. It’s important to seek the right medical help and guidance if you have a symptom which is worrying you. Cancer Research UK have some online information around cancer screenings if you are trans or non-binary . If you’re interested in reading more about what being transgender means or finding some other resources if you’re transgender and affected by cancer, take a look at our Transgender Awareness Week blog . Whether…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Respecting everyone on the Online Community

Cancer can often seem to be linked to your gender. It can be easy to make assumptions that only women get womb cancer, or only men get prostate cancer. When chatting to others on the Online Community, sometimes it might feel easy to presume who someone is due to their or their loved one’s diagnosis. Anna, Macmillan’s LGBT+ Network Lead, is here to talk about why it’s important not to make assumptions when talking to others online, and how this can help our Community cancer forum to be a welcoming space for everyone. Within this blog, we are talking about gender and biological sex being different. Your biological sex is what people are assigned at birth, and gender is what people identify themselves as. For lots of people, this is the same. However, it’s not the same for everyone. We hope…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Planned maintenance - Wednesday 17th March, 6am - 9am

Hi everyone, Due to some planned maintenance, the Online Community will enter a read-only mode between 6:00am and 9:00am on Wednesday 17th March 2021. This means that you will not be able to log in, post or reply on the Online Community during this time. You will still be able to read posts and blogs on the site. If you feel you need some support while the Online Community is unavailable, please remember our Support Line is here for you. Our teams are available 8am-8pm, 7 days a week on freephone 0808 808 00 00 , or by email or webchat . Thank you for your patience and support as Macmillan continues to update and improve our online services. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at community@macmillan.org.uk . Best wishes, Eliza, Ellen, Rachel…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Coping on Mother's Day - some support from the Community

This Sunday, it’s Mother’s Day in the UK, so in this Community News Blog we’re taking some time to celebrate and remember mums. We're also sending out a big virtual hug to anyone who finds the celebration a difficult time to get through. We know that Mother’s Day can be particularly tough for those who can't see their mum, or other loved ones, for many different reasons. The Community is here for you if you need emotional support. For those who have lost a child, lost their mum or have a difficult relationship with their mum, it can be a particularly emotional time. Certain days or events like these can often trigger lots of different emotions, no matter how much time has passed. Our thoughts go out this weekend to anyone grieving for their mums, or mother-figures. You can find support…

Steph - Online Community Team

Awake and up all night?

We know that cancer can sometimes cause sleepless nights. Join our Cancer Chat forum for some company here in the 'Awake and up all night' thread.

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