Community News

These news items are generated and published by Macmillan's Online Community Team. In this section you’ll find some posts written by the Online Community team in partnership with our Cancer Information Development team. We also feature personal stories from our members.

  • Coping with bereavement

    Saying goodbye may always be a difficult moment. Sometimes, we may not want to say goodbye to friends after a lovely day out, other times we may use it prematurely to get out of an awkward situation. Then comes what some may class as the most difficult goodbye, the one where it’s time to say farewell to a loved one forever. The loving connections we make throughout our journey called life, be it our siblings, our friends, our loved ones and our children. It may become almost impossible to say goodbye when it’s their time. It can be a difficult thing to process. Realising that your loved one may not have long left. We may all eventually experience loss but in this blog, we will take a focus on the ways that members of the Community, may find helpful when coping with grief. Seeing a loved…

    Syed - Macmillan
  • Life after cancer – getting the all-clear, recurrence anxiety, and moving on

    The Macmillan Online Community plays host to a wide range of different discussion forums. As well as different forums for a whole range of cancer types, the Community also has spaces for a range of cancer experiences. One such space is our Life after cancer forum . It’s a common misconception that every person will have an exclusively positive reaction to being given the ‘all-clear.’ It’s tempting to think that getting this hoped-for news will be the moment all your stresses and worries instantly melt away forever. But is that true? Although feelings of relief are common, they can sometimes be short-lived, or at least far more complicated under the surface. “How do we do this? How do we manage to put one foot in front of the other and get out the door? Then meet people, who may…

    Matthew - Online Community Team
  • Online Community downtime: Thursday 20th July 2023 - 7am to 9.30am

    There is some planned maintenance taking place on Macmillan’s website on Thursday 20th July, from 7am-9.30am. So that this essential maintenance can take place, the Online Community will experience some downtime. This means that members will not be able to log in, or join the Online Community, between 7 am - 9.30am On Thursday 20th August 2023. We know how important the Community is as a source of support for our members, so we always do our best to ensure the site is not unavailable for any longer than necessary. Please know that while the site is down you will not be able to create an account, log into the site or post, however you will still be able to view the Community and read posts and discussions for support. We understand that this may impact members who rely on the Online…

    Megan- Online Community Team
  • Being in Nature: Mind, Mood & Moors

    When the weather takes a turn for the better, some folks like to go outdoors for a stroll, some like to sit under a tree’s welcoming shade, and some may just enjoy a nice lemonade in the back garden. Whatever your vice may be, we take a look at how some of the Community members in the Breast Cancer forum use their love of nature to help try and put the mind at ease. It can be a difficult trying to go about daily life after receiving a diagnosis. Finding something, like a hobby or activity, can be vital when it comes to clearing your mind and put you at ease when it comes to coping with your diagnosis. In this blog, we will take a focus on how some members of the Community use nature to try and help them find peace. Please note that some of the links may include wonderful pictures captured…

    Syed - Macmillan
  • Living with cancer and coping with stigmas- Kiwi and Indravadan's story

    Kiwi and his father, Indravadan, talk in their mother tongue, Gujarati, about Kiwi's chronic myeloid leukaemia diagnosis, how the family responded, and some of the stigmas still prominent in their community. This video is part of Macmillan’s mother tongue project. (4 minutes and 9 seconds). We hope to feature different lived experiences here on the Online Community to represent different ethnic cultures and communities so that nobody feels they are facing cancer alone. Please see an English transcript written below. There are also English subtitles available when watching the video. For additional support information in other languages, scroll to the end of this blog page. Kiwi: Within our Community, depression and mental health are not spoken about, leading to a lack of understanding…

    Megan- Online Community Team
  • LGBTQIA+ support and safety on the Online Community

    If you identify as part of the LGBTQIA+ community, there is lots of help and support available for you from Macmillan . We want to help you to feel you can get the support you need both during Pride Month and all year round. We’ll be exploring how we keep the Online Community a safe place to find support. We'll also share cancer stories from the LGBTQIA+ community, further support and more. The term LGBTQIA+ represents individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, asexual, or any other identity within the LGBTQIA+ community . If you would like to learn more about how you can support LGBTQIA+ loved ones or members of the community, we have resources and information in this blog . Getting support on the Online Community…

    Eliza -Online Community Team
  • Sleep after Surgery: How does the Community sleep?

    It’s recommended that as human beings, we aim to get 8 hours of sleep a night. Some people can manage with only 4 hours, others may need just a bit over 10. It’s always difficult to get the balance right on normal days. However, for those affected by cancer, it seems particularly difficult to try and get some sleep after having a surgery. There is no right or wrong way on how to get your sleep after surgery. Everyone has their own unique way of finding a comfortable way to the land of nod. If you feel you’re struggling and need some tips, The Community and its members are there for you. If your sleep has become problematic as a result of surgery, please feel free to use some of these examples to try and put your mind at ease. You should always contact your GP or medical team first if your…

    Syed - Macmillan
  • Online Community downtime: Thursday 9th March 2023- 7am to 9am

    There is some planned maintenance taking place on Macmillan’s website on Thursday 9th March from 7am-9am. So that this essential maintenance can take place, the Online Community will experience some downtime. This means that members will not be able to log in, or join the Online Community, between 7 am - 9am On Thursday 9th March . We know how important the Community is as a source of support for our members, so we always do our best to ensure the site is not unavailable for any longer than necessary. Please know that while the site is down, although you will not be able to create an account, log into the site or post, you will still be able to view the Community and read posts and discussions for support. We understand that this may impact members who rely on the Online Community for…

    Megan- Online Community Team
  • Winter Wonderland on the Online Community

    Header image: Thehighlander The Winter Picture Festival is held every year here on the Online Community. The festival is to celebrate the season and our members’ creativity. Our members, as always, have shared some amazing photographs with all of us. We’d firstly like to say a big thank you to everyone who shared a picture and helped make the Online Community magical this December. Your pictures have spread a lot of joy and comfort across the Online Community. The Winter Picture Festival is also a great way to highlight how creativity and nature can be great for self care and your mental wellbeing. There was a clear theme in this year’s Winter Picture Festival. This turned out to be the beauty of nature at this time of year. From snowy castles to frosted leaves, Community members took the…

    Eliza -Online Community Team
  • Coping with loneliness over the holidays

    Loneliness is something we see members of the Community talk about throughout the year in our Community forums. Feelings of loneliness are often experienced when you have cancer as you may not have told anyone about your diagnosis or told them how you are coping. This time of year can be difficult for many people for lots of reasons and not alone if you’re struggling. Hopefully, this blog will provide some comfort as we’re highlighting conversations from our forums and including support information. “Christmas can be an awful time of year - not just for those of us who have undergone/ getting on with cancer treatments - yet also anyone that feels lonely/ suffering mental problems, etc. It's a very difficult time of year!” Community member, Bowel (colon and rectal) cancer forum “It’s a…

    Megan- Online Community Team
  • Showing your support over the festive season

    With the festive season often being a time of giving, we are sharing some guidance for how you can give support online, or in person at this time of year. R ecently there have been discussions about different Christmas gift ideas for someone with cancer, and what to say in a greeting card. We thought we would share a few ideas from these discussions as a guide to help you show support to someone living with cancer this Christmas. Of course, these ideas can be used for other celebrations too. Finding and giving support online There will be lots of celebrations taking place over the next couple of weeks however the holidays are not always an easy time for a lot of people. This time of year can cause a range of emotions for those affected by cancer and Macmillan are here to support you. If…

    Megan- Online Community Team
  • Talking about body image after cancer treatment and improving your self esteem

    When cancer or cancer treatment affects your body image, it can change the way you think and feel about yourself. Body image is important as it can be linked to feelings of self-worth. Members of the Community often talk about how the loss of their hair or change of appearance has affected them. In today’s Community News Blog, we will be sharing conversations about body image from around the Community. There is lots of support available and hints and tips to share. Please do have a read through and share with everyone who might need a boost to their self-esteem following cancer treatment. “I finished my chemo just over two weeks ago but feel so down, I think I thought I’m done, now to start feeling better but feel so awful all the time I look in the mirror and don’t recognise myself I…

    Steph - 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. 

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