Community News - Macmillan Online Community

2021 on the Online Community

In the spirit of the n ew year, we’re looking back at what’s happened on the Online Community over the past year. It’s been a challenging year for many with continued uncertainty around the coronavirus pandemic and the impact this has on cancer patients and their loved ones. What has helped a lot of people get through is talking to others who can understand how you may be feeling here on the Online Community. We’ve welcomed around 21,901 new members since the start of 2021 and we’ve seen 161,844 posts, comments and blogs. There’s a lot of support to be accessed here on the Community and we hope all our new and existing members find it helpful to have a safe and supportive space to share personal experiences and offer support each other. "Thanks so much, I totally appreciate all the…

Megan- Online Community Team
"...despair, madness, the darkest if thoughts. They are all temporary." - World Mental Health Day 2019

Today, October 10 th marks World Mental Health Day – a day for global mental health education, awareness, and an advocacy against its social stigma. One of our members who suffered with depression as a result of his diagnosis, Greg, has agreed to share some of his thoughts in a 3-part Community News series entitled ‘Unseeing the bus’. ‘Unseeing the bus’ carries an incredibly positive message for anyone struggling with their mental health. I’ve shared below a few quotes Greg sent me from an earlier diary entry, to show how low Greg felt prior to writing the piece. Our hopes are that for anyone feeling this low right now, that ‘Unseeing the bus’ shows you can “…still come out the other side and feel like yourself again…” (Greg). “I hate hospital. I hate my condition. I hate every single…

Former Member
Signatures are back

Hi everyone, We are happy to say that signatures will be back on the forum. We know how important these are for our members and we received a lot of feedback from you telling us you'd like to see them underneath each of the posts you make. Signatures will now appear underneath every reply, but not underneath the original post (the post that starts the thread). This is the only way we can configure signatures in the new platform. We're happy to have these back up and running on the site and we'll look to release this at 1pm. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to reach out to the team on community@macmillan.org.uk Best wishes, Ellen

Ellen - Macmillan
"In your 30's, you are supposed to be in your prime..." - Diagnosed at a young age: greg777

Being diagnosed with cancer at a young age often means you’ll face challenges that differ to those who sit under an older age bracket; you might feel it has a significant impact of your education, your career, dating and perhaps starting a family - to give but a few examples. For the above reasons we have our Diagnosed at a young age group – a space for those diagnosed at a young age to share and talk about their experiences. Over the next month I’ll be sharing a few Community News posts from members who’ve been diagnosed with cancer at a young age, and agreed to share their story, thoughts and experiences with us. In today’s post greg777 , who was diagnosed with myeloma at the age of 36, shares his story… Losing the lottery – what was it like being diagnosed at 36? The closest thing…

Former Member
"If you look good, it helps you to feel good" - Community member Rhapsody's tips for hair, skin, nails and beauty during cancer treatment

Community member Rhapsody (pictured above) is here today to share her tips on hair, skin care and looking good during cancer treatment. After going through treatment for breast cancer, Rhapsody thought that the Community might benefit from learning about some of the things she feels have helped her. She says “if you look good, it helps you to feel good” and thinks that having the right support in place is important to feelings of well-being whilst undergoing cancer treatments. Rhapsody adds that this is a personal account and not intended as recommendations for any particular products or services, rather a list of what has helped her . Hair loss "When my hair started falling out two weeks into chemotherapy treatment, my scalp felt like my hair was being tugged all over. It was actually…

Steph - Online Community Team
International Cancer Support: Connecting across borders in our Online Community

In today’s world, geographic boundaries no longer limit compassion and support. In our Online Community, we welcome members from across the globe, including the USA, Australia, India, South Africa and beyond. Regardless of your background, culture, race, or religion, our Community is a safe space for anyone affected by cancer to give and receive support. “Hello there from across the pond. Very humid here in Florida but cooler weather coming.” Community member - Breast cancer forum From North America, all the way to Asia, members are keen to connect with others that are in a similar situation. No matter the country of residence, a cancer diagnosis can bring along the same challenges and questions. Recently, we had someone join the Community from India, hoping to connect with other members…

Dylan - Online Community Team
Be kind to yourself: Self-compassion and cancer

When navigating the challenging journey of a cancer diagnosis, our Online Community often provides gentle, yet profound wisdom. The phrase "be kind to yourself" echoes through many of our forums on a weekly basis. This blog is a collection of quotes from our members that centre around the concept of being kind to oneself. These snippets reflect the shared wisdom and experience of individuals facing the challenges of cancer. Patience and self-compassion in recovery While recovering, patience and self-compassion play significant roles. It's important to take things slow and take each day as it comes. The following quotes illustrate the lessons learned through patience and self-kindness. “It takes time to recover and everybody's journey is very different. Please be kind to yourself…

Dylan - Online Community Team
Finding comfort in Community: Catching up with our Emotional support forum

After receiving a cancer diagnosis, you may experience different emotions. These can be difficult to cope with. The same feelings may also be felt by partners, family members, and friends. Sharing your feelings can help you and others in your situation. In this blog, we will highlight some of the profound discussions that have taken place within our Emotional support forum . Our emotional support forum offers a safe space for connection, empathy, and shared experience. Embracing each emotion Many Community members have expressed feeling angry at some point after being diagnosed. Anger can be directed at oneself, a loved one, or even a medical team member. One member reached out for support in our forum. They wrote about their struggle with anger and asked for advice. “I’ve been…

Dylan - Online Community Team
How a cancer diagnosis is communicated – your experiences with online test results

The following blog is posted on behalf of John N - Macmillan . John is one of our Service Knowledge Specialists working to deliver best practice within the Macmillan Nurses team. In today’s blog, John is looking at the rise in NHS hospitals delivering cancer test results online, as well as the impact new services like this can have on patients. At the end, he’ll be asking for you to share your experiences with any of the topics mentioned in this blog. How much information do you want? Finding out that you have cancer can be a shock, even if the cancer diagnosis was strongly suspected. Some people try to learn as much as possible about their diagnosis. Being informed can help when talking to medical teams or telling family and friends. It can also help people feel involved in their care…

Matthew - Online Community Team
Exercise and cancer: Questions and Advice from the Online Community

Physical activity plays a crucial role in the lives of those affected by cancer, whether you are currently facing a cancer diagnosis or undergoing treatment. In this blog, we’ll highlight some of the questions asked and advice given in our Online Community. Give it time and take it slow It can be tempting to get moving too quickly post-op, specifically once you start feeling better and with renewed energy. In a post-op scenario, one Community member was eager to get back on his Ducati, motorbike. He reached out to the Community for some advice. “Ok, it's now 7 days since my operation. I just wanted your thoughts on keeping fit. I'm busting to get out on my Ducati.” Community Member, Prostate cancer forum A few members of the forum were quick to reply with some…

Dylan - Online Community Team
A big thank you to our Community Champions - volunteering on the Online Community

Following on from Macmillan’s ‘Thanks to You’ day at the end of May and National Volunteers week 1 st- 7 th June 2023, we’re taking a moment to appreciate our amazing Online Community Champions. Through this Community News Blog, you can learn more about our Community Champions, volunteering for Macmillan and join us in saying a big thank you to them all. “I have looked around the community a bit and there are certainly some 'Champions'...how kind and empathetic they are - such unselfishness to spend time in responding to other is often rare these days. This website is excellent and has been an enormous help.” Community member Who are the Community Champions? The Community Champions are a dedicated team of volunteers here on the Online Community. They are members…

Steph - Online Community Team
All the details you need for the upcoming improvements

After the ‘ Look out for our improvements’ blog we posted last week, we wanted to give you some more information about our upcoming improvements and all the details you need to know about when these new features are going live. Once the improvements go live later this week, the following information in this blog should help show you how to make the most of some of the new exciting functions we are introducing. Don’t worry, we’ll also be updating our Help pages with some step by step guidance should you need a helping hand. When will these new improvements go live on the site? We are hoping that our improvements will be finished and ready for our members to use by 10pm on Thursday 10th of March 2022 . In order for us to bring you these improvements however, there will be some scheduled…

Megan- Online Community Team