Community News - Macmillan Online Community

New Beginnings

As we find ourselves somehow in 2022, people affected by cancer have been through an awful lot in the last few years. The coronavirus pandemic continues to change peoples’ plans and of course has impacted the health and freedom of many. After such difficult times throughout the last few years , finding fresh energy for the new year and hope for the future is arguably harder than ever. "I am trying to put it all into perspective but it’s hard." - Community member, Neuroendocrine cancer forum "I’m not sure if things ever return to the normal we knew before we were diagnosed but I guess we learn to live with the new normal and hopefully as distance opens up between past treatment and scans we get a new perspective and it isn’t as all consuming as it once was. Fingers crossed that’s the case."…

Tom C - Online Community team
Awake and can't sleep? Some help with getting through the night

Difficulty sleeping, also known as insomnia, can be hard to deal with. If you or a loved one has a cancer diagnosis, not getting enough sleep can sometimes cause additional difficulties. The Online Community is here for you at any time in the day or night. Sleep problems may be caused by how you’re feeling emotionally, or as part of the side effects for cancer treatment. If you find it hard to have a good sleep, you’re not alone. Here in Community News, we’re here to help you find support. Macmillan has information and support around insomnia and having difficulty sleeping on our website . This webpage discusses different sleep problems, how a lack of good sleep can affect you and how you can change your sleep habits to potentially help you to sleep better. “I think night times are often…

Eliza -Online Community Team
November is lung cancer awareness month - 'we're all here to support each other'

November is Lung Cancer Awareness month. When you or your loved one has lung cancer, it's important you can find the right emotional support. In this Community News blog, we'll be highlighting the support shared in the Community's lung cancer forum and sharing some other ways you can find help. The Online Community's lung cancer forum is an online support group. It's open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and you can find support from people who understand. Because they've been there themselves. You might be looking for tips to help you get the best from your cancer nurse and healthcare team or ideas around coping with side effects and improving quality of life. You might just need to talk. Whatever support you're looking for, the lung cancer forum is here for you. “We are all here to support…

Steph - Online Community Team
Has your speech or voice changed after a cancer diagnosis or cancer treatment?

November is Mouth Cancer Action Month , an awareness month organised by the Oral Health Foundation. In today’s blog around mouth cancer, we’re talking about speech and voice changes. Speech changes can depend on where your cancer is, and the type of treatment you have. Speech and voice changes don’t only affect people with mouth cancer. You may also experience changes if you have laryngeal cancer or oesophageal cancer, amongst other diagnoses. For some people, speech changes are temporary, and their speech or voice returns to normal after their treatment. For others, some treatments can cause permanent changes to the way they speak. If you’ve been affected by speech or voice changes in any way, the Online Community is here for you. Talking about what you are going through can be an important…

Eliza -Online Community Team
The power of peer support

As cliched as it might sound, this year has certainly been unprecedented. COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the cancer Community, affecting diagnosis, treatment, and causing many to have to shield or self-isolate away from loved ones. Yet despite all that 2020 has thrown at us, here on the Community we have seen our members pulling together to support each other through what has been an incredibly difficult year for many. At a time where face-to-face support hasn’t been possible, our Community cancer forum has been there night and day as a safe space for anyone who needed comfort, or just a place to be with others walking a similar road. Here on the team we wanted to thank each and every one of our members for all the amazing support they have provided to one another through one of the toughest…

Former Member
Mental Health Check in

It was World Mental Health Day on Sunday 10 th October. Since then, there have been many conversations about our mental health. The Community is a place for these conversations to continue alongside being a source of support. Our Mental health and wellbeing are just as important as our physical health, so we should take the time to understand how we are feeling, and how we can look after ourselves. “Sorry about my long post, it's made me feel a little better to actually type this all out though and see it in print.” moosiemoo , Supporting someone with Incurable cancer forum “ I just feel like I need to voice my feelings, and this seems a safe place to do so.” Sunflower1988 , Follicular lymphoma forum “My biggest distraction is my family, looking after my boys, and enjoying conversations…

Megan- Online Community Team
Cancer and the menopause - Hot Flushes

We often see members coming to the Community, asking questions and looking for support with menopausal symptoms. Some cancer treatments can cause an early or temporary menopause, or similar side effects. You might be trying to manage menopausal symptoms alongside cancer, or whilst supporting someone else who is living with cancer. In this new mini-series of blogs we’ll be sharing links and tips for managing symptoms and raise awareness around the menopause and related symptoms. One of the most common menopause and hormone-related symptoms, are hot flushes. They can be fairly mild, or severe enough to cause great discomfort and sleep disruption. If you’re currently struggling with hot flushes, I hope the icy landscape images at least give the illusion of cooling you down whilst you read…

Steph - Online Community Team
Looking after yourself, by yourself

Here in the Online Community, we know the power that peer support can have. Spending time with a loved one or talking to someone online who knows what you’re going through, can be incredibly important sources of support. However, sometimes there might be nobody around when you need support, or you might not want to talk to someone right now. Your friends and family might be busy, and you might be waiting on a reply to your post on the Online Community cancer forum . In today’s Community News blog, we’re exploring ways you can help yourself feel better, self-care and looking after yourself when you’re feeling low. What helps each of us feel better can be very individual. There are likely to be many things that you find helpful, that might not be included in this blog. However, we hope that…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Looking after you - coping with a recent bereavement

There is no right or wrong way to feel if you have just experienced a recent loss. Everyone is different, and everyone’s relationship with the person who has passed away is unique, so it’s natural that each person will need different support depending on how they feel. The most important thing to remember is that you are not alone. The Community, and Macmillan, are here to support you. As part of this support, we wanted to put together some information about looking after yourself after a recent bereavement. In the days or weeks after the loss In these early days after a bereavement being kind and gentle with yourself is so important. You may be experiencing shock, numbness, anger, extreme sadness or a whole range of different emotions. There is no wrong or right way to feel, but there…

Former Member
‘I was astounded to find that many others were feeling as I was’ – The problem of cancer’s long term effects - by Cordelia

Today on the Community News Blog we are really pleased to have Cordelia as one of our first guest bloggers of 2020. Cordelia is a counselling Psychologist who has written about the long-term effects of cancer and she has put together a piece for us today about her own experiences after her bilateral breast cancer diagnosis in 2004. Why not take a moment to read through Cordelia’s story? ‘I wonder how many others can relate to my story below? I was diagnosed twice with bilateral breast cancer in 2004 but misdiagnosed first time round, so two diagnoses that same year. The cancer was a Stage 2 treatable cancer, though the first one was strongly HER 2, so very aggressive, but the tumours were very small, with no spread to lymph nodes or organs. I had two surgeries, two radiotherapies, each…

Former Member
" I promised myself to latch on to the simple essence of being alive."- Unseeing the bus: Greg's story #3

We are back today with the third and final part of Greg’s series ‘ Unseeing the Bus’ . Greg has written this 3 part series for the Community News Blog to share his experience of depression after receiving a cancer diagnosis. Greg writes honestly and openly about how he felt during this time. Missed the last two posts in the series? Why not catch up on part one and two now? Unseeing the bus: #3 For part 3, I was going to write, “what bus?” and leave it at that. It might have been funny. And I suppose there is an element of truth in it. "...I no longer see that old, heavy foe hurtling towards me at top speed..." A lot of the time, I no longer see that old, heavy foe hurtling towards me at top speed down the quaint, narrow streets of my mind. Most days I really don’t think about the…

Former Member
Macmillan Community Breakfast with Chef & Brewer

We are delighted to share with you all a lovely offer from Chef & Brewer pubs this December. They are offering a free breakfast for you and a plus one – as we know turning up to things on your own can be daunting. There are 10 places per every Chef & Brewer site. This is a wonderful chance to connect with others, share stories, and enjoy a relaxed festive morning together. Chef & Brewer are part of the Greene King group, you can read more about the partnership with Macmillan here. The sign up is really simple: Visit the Chef and Brewer website and enter your postcode to find your local pub and select ‘Book a Table’ Choose Friday 5 December at 10:30am for your reservation (this is the only day and time the offer is available) Set the number of Adults to ‘1’ or ‘2’ (if bringing…

Megan- 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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