Community News - Macmillan Online Community

Spreading love, hearts and hugs with the Online Community Cupid's Quiz

A big thank you for all the care you share It's Valentine's week and we're sharing hearts and hugs across the Community to anyone who needs it. We understand that some of you like light-hearted content to enjoy by yourself, with your loved ones, or just to take your mind off things. To say thank you for all the care you share, we have produced a short valentine-themed interactive quiz for members today. Whilst we won't share individual scores, you will be able to see how the Community has done once you have selected your answer. Where can I find the answers? You can find the answers hidden at the bottom of this page. No peeking until you have completed the quiz! Spread some love, hearts and hugs Please use the reaction button to let us know once you've completed the quiz. On a computer…

Steph - Online Community Team
Toxic positivity and cancer: why listening matters

Positivity can be helpful when dealing with cancer. Hope, encouragement, and support can make a real difference during difficult times. But when positivity dismisses or overlooks someone's genuine feelings, it can become unhelpful. This is often what people mean when they talk about toxic positivity. Three years ago, we published our first blog on toxic positivity. The topic sparked a lot of discussion as many members related to the concept. In this blog, we share members' experiences of toxic positivity and helpful resources for talking about cancer. What Community members have shared Positive comments often come from a place of care, but they can sometimes make it harder for people to express how they are really feeling. “When somebody tells me to stay positive and that I’ll beat…

Dylan - Online Community Team
Kath’s story: living with a stoma and building confidence.

You may have read Kath’s recent blog ‘ Living with bowel cancer and a stoma ’, where she shares some of the physical and emotional challenges that she has faced. In this blog Kath is talking about how living with a stoma has affected her self- confidence. Living with a stoma can be a big change for some people and these changes can take some time adjust to. By sharing her experiences, Kath hopes to help others and to let you know there are ways to build your confidence and adapt your life. Although there have been some difficult moments, Kath wants to make people aware that you can still lead an active and fulfilling life when living with a stoma. I've been a stoma user since 2011 and hardly think about it - ten years down the line. Going back ten years things were very different. For…

Megan- Online Community Team
Are you feeling lonely?

There’s a lot of conversations about loneliness recently as it’s been a discussion topic for mental health awareness week. Feeling lonely can affect your mental and health and w e often hear members of the Online Community talk about how lonely they feel. We’re talking about loneliness in this blog so why not stay and read more if you’re looking for some company, or to find others who are also feeling the same as you. The past couple of years during the coronavirus pandemic, most people have experienced loneliness as social interaction was stopped and we were told to stay at home to keep safe. For a lot of people, feelings of isolation and loneliness doesn’t just come from being physically alone, but something that can is often felt when you’re affected by cancer. “The last 12 months…

Megan- Online Community Team
Random act of kindness

Today is Random act of kindness day ! But what is a random act of kindness? It is an unexpected act of helpfulness often by a stranger to spread joy and happiness into the world without any personal gain. Has anyone ever offered you a random act of kindness or have you shown kindness to someone recently? Tell us about this in the comment box below, we love hearing your stories. Doing something nice for someone doesn't cost a lot of time or money. It's the small meaningful things in life that can make a big difference. Here are a few other suggestions for random acts of kindness: Call a friend that you haven’t spoken to for a while Send flowers to a friend Offer to pick up some groceries for someone Send someone a message that will make them smile Offer to babysit for a friend…

Megan- Online Community Team
Being kind to yourself on Blue Monday

The third Monday of January is sometimes referred to as ‘Blue Monday’. It is known to be a day when people feel at their lowest. With the recent festivities coming to an end and the cold dark days lingering, the annual ‘winter blues’ can creep up on us. Today we thought we would try and bring some positivity into this ‘blue’ day by asking you all to share any of the following in the comment box below. Something kind you have done for yourself. A positive story An inspirational quote or positive affirmation Anything that has made you smile today. All the tips shared may help someone be a little kinder to themselves today or improve their day. Don’t forget if you are feeling blue and need some support, the Macmillan Support Line is open every day from 8am to 8pm. The teams are…

Megan- Online Community Team
The worry of waiting

Waiting for test results can be a difficult time. It may take days or weeks for the results of your tests to be ready. You may be waiting for your treatment to start or to speak with the consultant about a concern you have, either way, waiting can be hard. The waiting for results and dealing with the unknown blog explores that if you’re feeling worried, you’re not alone in feeling this way. Click on the link if you’ve not yet read this blog. Today we’re going to look at some of the practical things you can do when you’re waiting. It’s good to reach out for support if you’re feeling worried and anxious and the Community is here to offer some friendly reassurance and support. Have you been in a similar position to these members? If you have found yourself in a similar situation to these…

Megan- Online Community Team
Community upgrade: an update for members

On 29 th July, we launched an upgrade of our Community site. The changes we have made are to ensure that the Community is working on a much more stable platform so that our users encounter less technical issues and that we can grow and develop the Community in a safe and well-supported way. We are not where we had hoped to be since launching the upgrade. We are working through a list of bugs and issues which we did not expect to see and these are taking much longer to resolve than we had hoped. We are grateful for all of the feedback we are receiving from our Community and we are listening. We have been escalating these issues and logging each and every one to ensure that we are capturing as much feedback as possible. Survey Results We recently launched a survey, asking our members…

Ellen - Macmillan
How reflexology helped me – Charlie’s story

In today’s Community News Blog, Charlie shares with us how reflexology has supported her throughout her cancer journey. Charlie was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent surgery in January this year. She wanted to share with all of you how a few simple techniques have helped her with stress, sleep, bowel movements and swelling. She’s kindly put together some videos for us, to show us some simple self-help reflexology tips. Why not have a go and let Charlie know what you think in the comments section below? What is Reflexology? I wanted to share my story and cancer journey so far as I have been enormously helped by Reflexology and the benefits of reflexology seem to be quite unknown. As a Clinical Reflexologist I have been helped through my journey using a range of simple self-help…

Ellen - Macmillan
The importance of our pets during our cancer journey- Jane's story

Jane, also known as jane2511 , was diagnosed with Stage 1b endometrial carcinoma sarcoma – a rare type of womb cancer in April 2022. She underwent surgery, chemotherapy and external beam radiotherapy, completing active treatment 6 months later. She became a Community Champion for Macmillan in March 2023 to support others who are facing similar experiences. When having treatment, Jane tells us how her beloved cats supported her at home. If you are an animal lover, you may have worries about looking after them whilst you are not home. You are not alone as Jane tells us her story. In March 2022 I became unwell and had to go to hospital. One of my first concerns, when the A+E doctor suggested admitting me overnight, was I can’t. I have cats at home. Not 1, not 2 but 3. For most people without…

Megan- Online Community Team
National Love Your Pets Day - Sharing the comfort of pets with a Community invitation and interactive game

National Love Your Pet Day is observed on February 20th each year. It's a day to set aside some extra time to show your pets how much they mean to you and to reflect on the positive impact they have on your life. To celebrate all pets associated with the Online Community, we invite members to share a photo or story of their pet on the Community this week. You can share in your existing forums or pop over to our 'Animals are family too' forum and join in the conversations. We have also prepared a quick 'this or that' interactive game for some pet-related fun. Would you prefer to be curled up cosily like a cat, or bound round a field with other canine friends? Make your votes to see how you compare to the rest of the Community. An invitation to our 'Animals are family too' forum If you…

Steph - Online Community Team
“The biggest shock of my life." Stage 4 metastatic breast cancer to the bones: Karin’s story.

During her first routine mammogram in July 2019, Karin, aged 51, received the shocking news that she had stage 4 metastatic breast cancer to the bones. She lives happily in Stroud with her partner, 2 rescue dogs and foster pups. In this blog, she shares her story with us, giving us a window into her life, over 4 years after receiving the shocking news. Receiving the news That was the biggest shock of my life, being diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer with mets to my bones from my first routine mammogram. “Treatable, not curable”, they said. Me, terminal cancer! Under Palliative Care. What!? Once I’d picked myself up from that one and started treatment, I’ve luckily had no avid disease (NAD) for 4 years. The COVID pandemic added to the cancer bubble mayhem, but I somehow navigated my way…

Dylan - Online Community Team