Community News - Macmillan Online Community

Cancer & me 35 years on - Vol 10 'A Chance encounter'

We are back today with a further instalment of Willo's blog series 'Cancer & me 35 years on.' Willo is a member of our Community who was diagnosed with Anal cancer in 1986 while living in Zambia and has been sharing her experience of life post diagnosis, as well as her amazing artwork, in her blog series with us. So far Willo has covered her experience of moving back to England for treatment, her Brachytherapy and Abdominoperineal Resection and the amazing friends and family that helped her through. In today’s blog we pick back up with Willo on the day of her interview for a course in Fine art at a university in Liverpool. Throughout her series Willo has written about all aspects of her life after diagnosis, helping us to remember that life after cancer and moving forwards from treatment…

Former Member
Being bodies - Sophie, body confidence and her double mastectomy

Our new series “Being bodies” aims to explore our relationships with our bodies, from head to toe and everything in between. We recently featured Sophi e ’s story, where she talked about her experience being diagnosed with the BRCA2 gene mutation at 24 years old. Today, she’s here to talk about how having a double mastectomy changed how she felt about her body, for the better. A bit about me... I’m Sophie, 28 years old, queer and a BRCA2 gene carrier. Many of my family members have been affected by breast cancer. At 24, I decided to get genetically tested for the gene after my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer. After that test came back positive for BRCA2, I decided to have a preventative double mastectomy with reconstruction. I have always had a positive relationship with my body…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Planned Online Community Maintenance - Thursday 28th of April, 4am onwards

Hi everyone, Due to some planned maintenance, the Online Community will enter a read-only mode for 4-8 hours, beginning this Thursday at 4:00am . It may last until midday but has been planned at this time to provide minimal disruption to our members. 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 by phone on freephone 0808 808 00 00 and also by email or on webchat . Thank you for your patience and support as Macmillan continues to update and improve our online services. If you have any questions,…

Tom C - Online Community team
Cancer & me 35 years on - Vol 11 Good news, bad news

We are back today with the next instalment of Willo’s blog series ‘Cancer & me 35 years on’. Willo is a member of our Community who was diagnosed with Anal cancer in 1986 while living in Zambia and has been sharing her experience of life post diagnosis, as well as her amazing artwork, in her blog series with us since last summer. So far Willo has covered her experience of moving back to England for treatment, her Brachytherapy and Abdominoperineal Resection and the amazing friends and family that helped her through. In today’s blog we pick back up with Willo as she prepares to start a university course in Graphic design at Liverpool Poly. Sketch by Willo - Wigan to Euston 'Once more I heard him snort – “see your solicitor – write to your MP – don’t give up!” I did just that and got…

Former Member
Everyone has a Story to Tell

January 30 th to February 6 th is national storytelling week. In today’s Community News Blog we’re talking about the power of healthy distractions. There’s nothing quite like getting lost in a good book or a great film. We widen the conversation here though to talk about anything that can help us feel better, by distracting us for a while. We also take some time to acknowledge more of your stories by highlighting the Macmillan Digital Story Telling Project which is online workshops hosted by Macmillan to help people share their story. In difficult times distraction can be a useful companion. While we often acknowledge the importance of being mindful and living in the present, healthy distractions can help to give us that mental breather we all need from time to time. What’s your favourite…

Tom C - Online Community team
Cancer and shielding

At the start of the pandemic, people with certain medical conditions were asked to shield to reduce the risk of getting coronavirus. Shielding means staying at home at all times and many members of our Community were asked to shield during the height of the pandemic. Since then shielding guidance has changed for some, and with lots of information in the media about shielding, it’s understandable to have questions and concerns. However, it’s important that you are getting answers to your questions from the right sources such as the NHS website or the Government website . Here on the Community team we know that a lot of our members have had questions about shielding, and we wanted to put some information together to help. Do remember you can find up to date information on coronavirus and…

Former Member
LGBT+ History Month - How can you get involved?

This LGBT+ History Month, we first want to acknowledge that it’s not enough to have one month to highlight, listen to and learn from LGBT+ people and their experiences. Here on the Online Community, we aim to provide a place to for everyone affected by cancer to find support 365 days a year. We want to do everything we can to ensure the Online Community is as helpful and supportive a place as possible. Macmillan’s “Emerging Picture” report acknowledges how the needs and experiences of LGBT+ people affected by cancer can be very different. It highlights how LGBT+ people who are diagnosed with cancer can have poorer patient experiences. The report also explains how it can be difficult for LGBT+ people to find accurate and tailored information and support. For example, the NHS released information…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Cancer and me 35 years on - Vol 8 - Lanzarote & Menorca

On a very cold and grey January afternoon during a national lockdown, thinking about holiday memories can be a lovely pass time. National travel restrictions mean it may be a while before we can pack our suitcases excitedly again, but luckily today our guest blogger Willo, known on the Community as patsyann85 , is here to tell us about her first holiday in Europe after recovering from her Abdominoperineal Resection procedure. To catch up with the rest of Willo’s blog series, ‘Cancer & me 35 years’ on, click here . Lanzarote & Menorca At the end of April and beginning of May, my friend Alma invited me to spend two weeks with her at her time-share in Lanzarote – and another friend offered to pay my airfare, so footloose and fancy free for the first time since I was 14, off I went for my first…

Former Member
Cancer and food - how the Community can help

We hear that many of you come to the Community looking for help around taking control of your diet, or worried that you might not be eating the right foods. Cancer or treatments can sometimes cause problems with eating, or may restrict what you can eat. Whatever your situation around food, there is usually some support to be found in the Community. Sugar-awareness is important to a healthy diet, but perhaps not for the reasons you might have seen on social media. We hear there can be lots of misleading information around about sugar and cancer. Community member Harri53 had started drinking more fruit juice and came to the Community for advice about the amount of sugar this contained. “I am concerned that this sugar intake may be worsening my condition.” - Community member Harri53 in…

Steph - Online Community Team
Cervical cancer Prevention week

This week is Cervical cancer prevention week. We wanted to share some information and resources to help answer many of the questions asked here on the Community. Please remember that you are welcome to post in our Ask a Nurse section or contact the Macmillan Support Line if you need some additional guidance. Very early stage Cervical cancer may not cause any symptoms. It is usually found and treated because of Cervical screening tests. What are the symptoms of Cervical cancer and when should you get tested? It’s good to know the potential symptoms of cervical cancer. Whilst many of them can be symptoms of other conditions it is important that we speak to our GP with any of the following; Heavier periods that you normally would have Vaginal bleeding between periods, after sex or…

Megan- Online Community Team
Make Blue Monday a You Monday

Today is known to be the bluest day of the year, so why not make your Blue Monday a YOU Monday. Last year Jimmy published ' Blue Monday is the most depressing day of the year? Only if you insist! ' in the Community News Blog. Here he talks about the formula that explains why we feel so depressed on this day. Click here to read more. What is Blue Monday? If you don’t know what ‘Blue Monday’ is, it is known to be a day where people feel at their lowest. After the recent festivities and the new hope of a new year, the annual ‘winter blues’ creep up on us. It is ok to feel down, but when we feel this way often it may be a time to practice some self-care. Sometimes we can feel guilty for wanting or taking some time for ourselves as our day to day lives can demand so much of our time or we are focussed…

Megan- Online Community Team
Cancer & me 35 years on - Vol 7 - The recovery

Today in our Community News blog we are very pleased to welcome our guest blogger, Willo, back with the seventh instalment of her blog series called ‘Cancer & me 35 years on’ . In this series, Willo, known on the Community as patsyann85 , tells us about her experience of being diagnosed with Anal cancer in 1986 while living in Zambia. We will be sharing more of Willo’s writing and incredible artwork throughout the next few months in the Community News . If you missed Vol 6 – ‘ The Abdominoperineal Resection with Colostomy ’ you can click here to catch up. Vol 7 - The recovery As you may have seen in the last chapter, my abdominoperineal resection was in November 1987 and coming round from the procedure (as everyone who has had major surgery will know) found tubes feeding in or out of every…

Former Member

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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