Community News - Macmillan Online Community

'What grief has taught me' by Melanie - Vol 2 'The problem with looking too far ahead'

In today’s Community News Blog we have the second volume of our guest blog series, ‘What Grief has taught me’ by Community member MelanieL. Melanie has been a member of the Community and a contributor to the Prostate cancer , Carers only and Bereaved spouses and partners discussion groups for a long time. Melanie lost her husband Paul to an advanced form of prostate cancer in May of 2018. In this series Melanie explains what she has learned in her journey through bereavement so far, in the hope that it will be of help to many. If you missed Vol 1 of Melanie's blog, 'The ever changing journey of my grief', you can click here to read it. Vol 2 - The problem with looking too far ahead I have learned that it is important not to look too far ahead and not to think too much about the future.…

Former Member
Let's talk about HPV

After last week’s Cervical screening awareness blog ‘ Overcoming smear fear with the Online Community ’, we wanted to talk about the human papilloma viruses (more commonly known as HPV). HPV can be detected in cervical and anal screenings and today we’re highlighting some of the most recently asked questions about here on the Community. If you need more information, please visit the Macmillan website here or get in touch with the Macmillan Support Line by calling 0808 808 00 00, emailing or using live webchat during the hours of 8am-8pm. When you have been for a cervical or anal screening test, understanding the test results can sometimes be confusing because of the language used, or it not being clear what is going to happen next. Members turn to each other on the Community to support one…

Megan- Online Community Team
Celebrating Pride month

June marks the international celebration of Pride month. In the words of Stonewall , a charity dedicated to supporting LGBT+ people in the UK, “pride is about communities coming together in celebration, protest, unity and solidarity.” June is a month where we celebrate the LGBT+ communities around the world. Here on the Online Community, we wanted to shine a light on the support that is available for LGBT+ people living with cancer and their families. We also wanted to talk more today about the history of Pride and why it is so important. It’s important to acknowledge that the celebration of Pride in June each year doesn’t mean that this is the only time we can focus on supporting LGBT+ people affected by cancer and celebrating the LGBT+ community. Here at Macmillan, we are dedicated to supporting…

Former Member
Sarcoma Awareness

If someone approached you on the street and asked if you knew about Sarcoma, chances are you may be part of the three in four people that would be confused by the question. To clarify, according to a recent YouGov Poll posted on the Sarcoma UK website , 75% of people don’t know or are not sure what sarcoma is. Of course, that could be due to how truly rare this cancer type is. So, let’s try and reduce the 75% figure during Sarcoma Awareness Month (1 st July – 31 st July). What do you know about Sarcoma? Let’s find out together as we take a deeper dive into the different types of sarcoma and what the early symptoms may be. What is a sarcoma? According to the University Hospital Plymouth , sarcomas are malignant tumours derived from mesenchymal cells in various parts of the body. These include…

Syed - Macmillan
Prostate Cancer Information

We know from listening to our members that the amount of information to take in when you first get a cancer diagnosis can be overwhelming. It can affect everyone within a family as well as friends, alongside the patient. In today’s Community News Blog, we’re looking to help by providing clear and concise information on one type of cancer – prostate cancer. “Think everyone here can associate with the overwhelming emotions that come with a cancer diagnosis in a family ” court, Bowel cancer forum. Go to discussion . We wanted to start with a video that explains what prostate cancer is and the main types, risk factors, stages and common treatments available. www.youtube.com/watch Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men in the UK, around 80% of 80-year-old men have prostate…

Tom C - Online Community team
Overcoming smear fear with the Online Community

Many people worry about attending cervical screening appointments, due to anxiety, existing health worries and concerns about the procedure. It’s ok to feel a range of emotions including embarrassment, and by being a member of our Community cancer forums you’ll probably find that you’re not alone in feeling this way. It can be helpful to have the factual information about what to expect and our ‘ Cervical cancer prevention blog ’ has some helpful information about why it’s important to attend and keep up to date with Cervical screening appointments. This blog highlights the reassuring voice of our Community members and the support that’s offered to each other when talking about cervical screening. So if you’re feeling anxious or worried about an upcoming Cervical screening appointment,…

Megan- Online Community Team
Men's Health Awareness Week - Dan wants you to douche it

Did you know that it’s Men’s Health Awareness Week 14 th - 20 th June 2021? The recent Macmillan campaign ‘ Tell Us The Score’ explained that men represent 51% of people diagnosed with cancer, but that only 37% of the calls to the Macmillan Support Line come from men. Similarly, members of the Community are less likely to be men. This means that men are missing out and aren’t asking for, or getting, the essential support they need from us. We want to encourage men to start opening up about cancer and ask for support if you need it. You might worry about how your diagnosis will affect your loved ones. You may have questions about your rights at work, your symptoms, or your money worries. Or you might want someone to talk to, even though you feel under pressure to ‘man up’ and stuff your…

Steph - Online Community Team
Cancer & me 35 years on - Hong Kong and Back to reality

Photo of the ruins of St. Paul's in Macau, China taken by Willo. 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 living through and beyond cancer, as well as her amazing artwork and photographs, in her blog series with us since last summer. So far Willo has covered her experience of moving back to England for treatment, her Abdominoperineal Resection , going back to art school post-surgery and the amazing friends and family that helped her through. In today’s blog we are back with Willo today to hear about her experience of traveling to Hong Kong in 1990 during a difficult time for her health. “After the…

Former Member
Being bodies - breast cancer and wearing a breast prosthesis

Sapphie, also known on the Online Community as , was diagnosed with breast cancer at just 32. Sapphie talks us through their experience trying several different types of prosthetics following their breast cancer surgery in the 1990s, and how humour has helped them and their family over the years. I was diagnosed when I was 32 years old, after finding a lump and being told by a consultant I was too young to have breast cancer and was sent on my way. A few months later we moved to a new area. My new doctor referred me to a consultant took the lump seriously, and I was diagnosed with primary breast cancer. I had a radical mastectomy on the right and given options of further reconstruction in the future (this was normal in the 90s). I had a concave chest on the left, which caused a lot of laughter…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Skin cancer and Melanoma signs and symptoms check

You may have seen Steph’s recent blog about Sun awareness month and the practical tips to help keep yourself safe in the sun and ways to adapt to sun exposure. After reading this, you may have thought that you’re doing everything you can to protect yourself, but you’re concerned and worried about a new dark spot or mole lesions on your skin. As it’s Melanoma month, we want to share information about what you can do to check for signs and symptoms of Skin cancer and Melanoma. Skin cancer and melanoma- how do I check for signs and symptoms? About half of all melanomas start with a new, abnormal-looking mole in normal-looking skin. This usually looks like a dark area or a new mole that changes over weeks or months. Other symptoms of melanoma develop from a mole that you already have. It’s…

Megan- Online Community Team
Self-management for your own health and healthcare

Managing your own care can be necessary when dealing with a long-term health condition or illness, such as some cancers. It can be overwhelming to think about at first, especially when you might have been recently diagnosed. Learning more about self-management for your own health can help you at any stage of your experience with cancer. This can mean understanding your condition and what you might need, decision making, and knowing where to get help when you need it. We’ve created some quick links to help you to get to what you’re looking for: Understanding your diagnosis and side effects Managing treatment – appointments and medication Managing lifestyle changes – diet, work, finances Understanding your diagnosis and side effects Understanding your diagnosis and treatment…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Bereavement in the media - coping with grief

Today we are back with the third instalment of our series on coping with bereavement. This series aims to start conversations about grief and loss and provide reassurance that there is support out there if you have lost a loved one to cancer. Today we wanted to spend some time thinking about bereavement and the media and the effect it can have on those who are grieving. Whether you are watching your favourite television program, listening to the news on the radio, or scrolling through social media, today we are going to explore how the topic of death can sometimes feel like a trigger for those who are grieving, and how to navigate your relationship with the world on your screen or over the radio. We are also welcoming back our Community Champion DaveyBo today who helps support members in…

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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