Community News - Macmillan Online Community

Thanks to you, our Community members and Community Champions.

https://youtu.be/kWX6g1XCjWc Today is Macmillan Cancer Support’s thanks to you day and this Community News Blog is dedicated to you, the Online Community members and our amazing Community Champions. Macmillan are sharing a video of thanks to everyone who supports us, or who helps Macmillan support others. You can watch it by clicking play on the video above. Feel free to share this blog and our thank you video on your own social media accounts. On behalf of the Community team, we wanted to say a big thank you to you all for the support you share with each other across the Community. With your support, Macmillan can be there for more of the three million people living with cancer in the UK, their family and friends. We are a Community of over 90,000 members affected by cancer. We support…

Steph - Online Community Team
Finding support for stoma reversal and LARS on the Online Community

The Ileostomy, colostomy and stoma support group on the Online Community is a place where members can support one another through surgery, managing a stoma , diet tips and keeping comfortable. Following surgery for bowel cancer , colorectal cancers , other cancers and pre-cancerous conditions, some members have a permanent stoma , others may have been offered a temporary stoma . When you have a temporary stoma, you might be offered a stoma reversal. Members recently asked if we could provide a dedicated space for conversations around stoma reversal and Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS). We’ve responded by adding a new forum to the Ileostomy, colostomy and stoma support group called the Stoma reversal and Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS) forum. The new forum which you can find…

Steph - Online Community Team
Oesophageal cancer: Michael’s story

Getting a cancer diagnosis and going through treatment can change a lot. This experience might change how you feel about yourself, alongside how you feel physically and emotionally. Everyone’s experience of cancer can be different. But it can be comforting to know someone else might know how you feel. Someone else here on the Community might have gone through what you’re experiencing. Every month, we share a person from Macmillan’s Digital Storytelling project here on the Online Community. Today, we’re featuring Michael who has shared his experience of oesophageal cancer. Michael is here on the Online Community as Jamesp. If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, there’s kindness and understanding on the Online Community. You might find it helpful to look at our…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Spotlight on our supportive Bladder cancer forum ahead of Bladder Cancer Awareness Month in May

May will be Bladder cancer awareness month and there is lots of information and support available from Macmillan. Ahead of the start of the month, we are taking this opportunity to highlight some of the bladder cancer support available here on the Online Community. We are catching up with our Bladder cancer form and sharing how the members support each other every day of the year. If you have bladder cancer, or know someone who has, our online support group is here for you as long as you need us. Testing, diagnosis and waiting for results If you have been referred for further tests following signs or symptoms of bladder cancer , it can be a very worrying time. Waiting for results can often be a time when you need a lot of support, as it can be difficult to think of anything else…

Steph - Online Community Team
“AI is a really useful tool if used correctly.”

Advances in technology means Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being tried and tested to improve the way we live our lives. Some people use online AI tools to find information. From finding opening times for shops and looking for travel information when planning a trip. When it comes to cancer care, there is lots of information AI can provide, but do you know what information can be trusted? In this blog, we explore how Community members have used Artificial intelligence, and how AI is being used in cancer care. What is AI? Artificial intelligence (AI) is technology that helps computers perform a variety of tasks in ways that used to require human intelligence. From understanding language, analysing data, and even providing information. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is both part of the problem…

Megan- Online Community Team
"That there is love in the world when sometimes nothing makes sense..." - A teddy bear's picnic

Just last week, Anna got in touch with me to share the below heartfelt and uplifting story which can only be described as “the ultimate teddy bear’s picnic”. Anna’s mum sadly passed away with cancer quite recently, and given the family’s rather creative history, the picnic served as the perfect tribute to Anna’s mum... A teddy bear’s picnic Recently my mum passed away from cancer after only finding out about it 5 months ago. It was a very tough journey and opened our eyes to the suffering of what sick people go through, especially with cancer. We were strong all the way through but sadly lost the fight. "A celebration of life! And what else did my mum love, but always a cup of tea!" A brief history of the family - we are all creatives, and my mum and dad loved teddy bears. For 50 odd…

Former Member
Planned Community Maintenance - 11th August, 7am-10am

Hi everyone, We’re writing this afternoon with an important update. Tomorrow morning, Tuesday 11 th August , the Community will be entering a read only state from 7am until 10am . This is to allow us to fix two issues that we know users are experiencing just now. This maintenance will fix the below: Logging in issue where users are receiving the error message ‘the user already exists’. See below a screenshot of the error message: Being logged out every 30 minutes or so. Whilst in a read only state, you will still be able to view the Community and read all of the discussions on the site, but you will not be able to log in or post. The main Macmillan website (macmillan.org) will also be unavailable from 7am-10am. If you feel you need some support in the meantime, please remember…

Ellen - Macmillan
Adapting to change - baking a difference

Many of us are forced into learning to adapt when there's a cancer diagnosis. How do you deal with change? In the current pandemic, many of us are experiencing disruption to our normal lives. Whether it’s having the kids at home or things missing off our shopping lists, we’re all having to adapt in some way. How we deal with this change can really affect our well-being. You all help make the Community a safe and supportive space where we can all share our worries, but also a positive place where we can share hints and tips to get through this together. Today, I’ll be sharing some of my tips and recipes for making the most of cupboard items when ready-made products, or crucial ingredients aren’t available! Quick Loaf Did you know, you can make a delicious loaf of bread, without…

Ellen - Macmillan
Head and neck cancer - when food is fuel

We know that receiving a cancer diagnosis can be scary, especially when you don’t know what to expect. Members in the Community have been there. They can help you to face those worries. Through shared experiences, they can help you face the unknown and make you feel much less alone. In this Community New Blog, we’re highlighting the head and neck cancer group and some of the issues members face through treatment and beyond. We’ll be focusing on eating problems, maintaining weight through treatment and staying as healthy as you can. Many members come to the Community looking for support with eating the right foods through treatment and dealing with side effects. "End of week 3 and taste buds have gone. Does anyone have any ideas of what foods they can still taste?" - Carran, head & neck…

Steph - Online Community Team
Let's talk about cancer and sex

Our recent Community News blog ‘Cancer and Fatigue – when will I start feeling less tired’ sparked off a conversation in the bladder cancer forum around sex after cancer treatment. It’s also a subject that many of you are talking about across the Community. Some people might find sex an embarrassing or tricky subject to talk about. Some are worried that it might be considered trivial or irrelevant to think about your sex life when you or your partner have cancer. Here in the Community, no subject is taboo. You can post completely anonymously and talk with others in similar circumstances. You can talk about any erections and penis pumps, vaginal dryness and lubricants, dilators or prosthetics. You can chat about how your cancer diagnosis, side effects or body image have affected your sexual…

Steph - Online Community Team
Radiotherapy: Tips from the Community

Radiotherapy is part of many people’s experiences with cancer, and lots of members talk about Radiotherapy here in the Online Community. No matter what treatment you’re experiencing, here in the Community there might be someone who really understands. We’ve collated some of our members’ tips and support below. Radiotherapy uses high-energy rays, such as x-rays, to treat cancer. People can have radiotherapy for different reasons, and you can read more about how radiotherapy works, side effects and more on Macmillan’s information and support website . It’s important to remember that the tips below are from Community members’ personal experiences. Everyone’s experience of cancer and radiotherapy can be different. If you have any questions or concerns about radiotherapy, it’s important to seek…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Coping with anniversaries - Bereavement support

This photo was taken at 7:05 am on a Sunday while I was volunteering at Kielder for the running weekend. The grey bar across the middle is actually a fog bank drifting over Kielder water and there is one lone duck swimming from the shore to the jetty. – David Anniversaries can mean something different to everyone, it can be the birthday of a loved one, a wedding anniversary, or the anniversary of a diagnosis or of their passing. These significant dates can be difficult to cope with for many reasons. You may want to spend the day thinking about the person who has passed to celebrate their life or mark their passing in some way. You may find you would prefer not to mark the day at all, and instead choose to treat the day as any other. There is no right or wrong way to feel or react when an…

Former Member