Community News - Macmillan Online Community

Congratulations to Kate, our volunteer radiographer...

"I feel really privileged to be in a position to provide support to people." The above quote speaks for itself as to the time and generosity Kate – our radiographer expert, has given to Macmillan’s Community the past three years. Here’s one of our Cancer Information Nurse Specialists, Kim, to tell you a little more as to why congratulations are in order for Kate: Each year the Macmillan Volunteer Awards celebrate our amazing volunteers around the UK. These awards offer the chance to say a huge thank you for the time, care, expertise and commitment our volunteers so generously give. We’re excited to announce that Kate, one of our professional volunteers on Ask an Expert , has won an award this year. Ask an Expert is available through the Macmillan Online Community and provides people the…

Former Member
Dining with an Ostomate - "...a quick and easy way to get food inside me, even when I might not have much appetite."

Earlier this month , Debbie, our resident ‘Ostomate chef’, shared with us a little about her struggles and how she’s coped with eating following an ileostomy earlier this year, and an extremely nutritious ‘Super Green Soup’ recipe. This week she’s back to talk about how she reintroduced fruit into her diet , and shares with us two rather tasty smoothie recipes. Enjoy… Reintroducing fruit: Eating fresh fruit has always been part of my diet, so it was something that I was very keen to reintroduce once I had the ileostomy. I was able to eat bananas from pretty much the third day, and have found them very helpful when needing to thicken my stoma output, and as a mid-morning snack in the early days when I was unable to eat much at meal times. As I knew that I could eat them with no ill effects…

Former Member
"...if you were to see me naked, I look the same as before." - Testicular Cancer Awareness Month

It’s April, and with it Testicular Cancer Awareness Month . To recognise this, I thought I’d share with the Community a few positive stories, anecdotes and ‘words of wisdom’ from our Testicular cancer group. Enjoy, and if you’ve been affected by testicular cancer and wish to share something, go ahead and do so using the comments section below. “Good luck. Try to deal with one day at a time. This is a very curable cancer. The most important thing is that you must accept help from whoever offers it. Taking care of you in all this is essential as you will be taking care of everyone else.” 'Treat it like eating an elephant. Eat it in tiny pieces rather than the whole thing at once." “On a less spiritual note, a good friend said treat it like eating an elephant. Eat it in tiny pieces rather…

Former Member
Get to know the Expert: Hannah (Ask a Physio)

One of my favourite aspects of the Community is the fact our members can put any questions they have about cancer to one of our various experts through the Ask an Expert section of our site. Whatever your situation, wherever your location - you can simply log onto the Community and access support from a professional. Want to know more about Experts who volunteer to answer your questions? Well starting from today we’ll be introducing a monthly ‘Get to know the Expert’ Q&A, where our Experts will tell you a little more about themselves, what they do, and how they can support you through your experience with cancer. This month we’ve Hannah , one of our Ask an Expert Physio’s, to start things off… How long have you been an Expert on the Community, and what made you want to volunteer for…

Former Member
"As an Ostomate, I am always looking for tasty recipes to add variety to my diet." - Dining with an Ostomate: Carrot and ginger soup

It’s time for another Dining with an Ostomate post. This week Debbie shares with us a TASTY AND SUPER SIMPLE ‘Carrot and ginger soup’ recipe. Here’s Debbie to tell us more about the benefits of carrots and ginger… The benefits of carrot and ginger… As an Ostomate, I am always looking for tasty recipes to add variety to my diet. With summer around the corner, although we’ll soon be thinking about salads rather than warming soup, my next recipe is a soup. It’s quick to make and ideal for those grey cross-season days. "Carrots are tolerated well by Ostomates, and can be included in the diet straight after surgery." Carrots are tolerated well by Ostomates, and can be included in the diet straight after surgery. They are high in vitamin A, beta-carotene, antioxidants and minerals, as well…

Former Member
"Indulge in a favourite past-time, watch boxsets, clean the house..." - Wellbeing Wednesdays: May

June’s here, and with it the Great British Summer...there’s still time for it to arrive, it's just over a week ‘til Summer officially begins. Here's something to brighten your day, our favourite wellbeing tips from you, our members, over the past month… “We all deal with this horrible situation in our own ways, but we all do understand. But I think for all of us the term taking life one hour at a time is never truer than in the first few weeks.” Mush brain “I was able to make a list of my worries, get that list down to bullet points and to set aside just a 10-minute period each day for looking at those worries, and the rest of the time just acknowledging them and putting them aside for that time.” KTatHome “Googling is a definite no-no, as that's just guaranteed to turn you into…

Former Member
"...joining this group has given me a safe place to open up..." - Carers Week

It’s Carers Week ! A time to celebrate carers, but also recognise the potential impact of being a carer, and ensure they’re aware of and able to access support available to them. Caring for someone with cancer can be emotionally and physically exhausting – it’s important for carers to take time to look after themselves, and get su pport if it’s needed. To recognise the above, I thought I’d share a few highlights from our Carers only group, where there’s an astounding amount of supportive discussions and guidance been offered up: "Nobody can do this journey for us, but sharing it makes a huge difference." Just a distracting moment – Birdfeeder shares a very heartfelt, positive post, talking about how the group’s helped her, and the friends she’s made along the way. “ Nobody can do this…

Former Member
Dining with an Ostomate - Butternut squash and sage risotto

Debbie, our resident ‘chef to the Ostomates’, is back this month with another tasty and nutritious recipe she’s been making following an ileostomy earlier this year. This week’s recipe is a tasty looking butternut squash and sage risotto. “Squash is easily digested from early on as an Ostomate, and makes a nice change from carrot or parsnip!” Debbie The health benefits of butternut squash are pretty well documented – they’re rich in fibre, vitamins (including A, B, C and E) and minerals such as calcium, magnesium and zinc. Just 3 tablespoons will count as one of your 5-a-day. As well as also being good for your immune system and bone health, butternut squash is great for digestion – on account of all that fibre! Butternut squash and sage risotto Serves 4, easily halved Ingredients…

Former Member
"...reading the message has lifted mine and my grandad's hopes." - Bladder Cancer Awareness Month

Off the back of rily’s Bladder Cancer Awareness Month piece last Monday, I thought I’d also throw a spotlight recognising the cancer by highlighting a few positive, helpful and interesting bits and pieces from our Bladder cancer group, as well as a little feedback received for the group. If you’re affected by bladder cancer, go ahead and share your tips of thoughts with us using the comments section below. Discussions: An Introduction – nickfreckle was diagnosed at the start of this year and posted in the group looking for support and guidance. Our members responded with a flood of guidance, sharing their experiences and offering support and comfort as best they could. "Huge thanks and much love to everyone on the site, it's been a lifeline in the dark days, and an inspiration on the…

Former Member
"Everything you say describes how I'm feeling..." - Skin Cancer Awareness Month

May marks Skin Cancer Awareness Month, so to recognise this I thought I’d put the spotlight on our Skin cancer and Melanoma groups, and highlight a few really positive, helpful and interesting discussions that have been going on in the groups. I’ve also put together a few ‘top tips’ that members of these groups have been sharing – but if you’re affected by skin cancer, go ahead and share your tips of thoughts with us in the comments section below. Discussions: "It’s reassuring to see how well skin can potentially heal." One year post-surgery – Sue, known to the Skin cancer group as Ess , had an operation for BCC removal in November 2017 – this included a skin graft. She’s shared several positive photos of her progress and recovery since then. “Your photos give others hope that the skin…

Former Member
"We discussed how to talk to the people we love..." - Attending a Death Café...

This week marks Dying Matters Awareness Week , and to recognise this, David – author of our recent Life after cancer piece, is back to share his thoughts on death – in particular, his recent visit to a Death Café – something he describes as being a “remarkable” experience. David’s piece also coincides with Macmillan’s current ‘Let’s Talk About Death’ campaign, which seeks to encourage people to have conversations about death and plans for it. You can find out more on Macmillan's campaign, alonside information and support on making plans, via this page of our website. Enjoy… The doctors, huddled at the end of my hospital bed are muttering, just out of earshot. My sister is staring at me, trying to lock my gaze, as if she is searching for an answer, or a reassurance of some kind. I feel…

Former Member
"...try not to let it take over so much that it stops you enjoying the things you usually find pleasurable in your day.” - Wellbeing Wednesdays: April

May’s here, so without further ado, here’s a summary of April’s Wellbeing tips. We’ve revamped our ‘Wellbeing Wednesday’ tips since last month – going forwards we’ll be choosing tips shared with the Community by our members. Here are a few highlights for April… 'Keep doing what you’re doing, or even start doing something else' Tim90 – “Keep doing what you’re doing, or even start doing something else. Don’t put a block in the way. Be careful of course, don’t take unnecessary risks, but maybe you don’t have to put your life on hold.” Pollydog – “But what might help too is to say; be really kind to yourself. Let people you know, and love know how you are feeling – and if you can, let them listen and support you.” 'Plan yourself some treats to look forward to.' Fairycake – “Plan yourself…

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.

Additional content from Macmillan

Access cancer information and more stories from around Macmillan.

Cancer stories and resources

Get further support from our Men and Cancer campaign:

Find the words to talk about cancer