Community News - Macmillan Online Community

The power of peer support

As cliched as it might sound, this year has certainly been unprecedented. COVID-19 has had a huge impact on the cancer Community, affecting diagnosis, treatment, and causing many to have to shield or self-isolate away from loved ones. Yet despite all that 2020 has thrown at us, here on the Community we have seen our members pulling together to support each other through what has been an incredibly difficult year for many. At a time where face-to-face support hasn’t been possible, our Community cancer forum has been there night and day as a safe space for anyone who needed comfort, or just a place to be with others walking a similar road. Here on the team we wanted to thank each and every one of our members for all the amazing support they have provided to one another through one of the toughest…

Former Member
Carers Week - Are you supporting someone living with cancer?

This week is Carers Week. It is a time to recognise the important role carers play in supporting loved ones through cancer and to highlight the support available to them. We know that caring for someone with cancer can be both rewarding and difficult. It can bring many feelings and challenges, and it is not always easy to know where to find help and support. At Macmillan, we want to help people understand the experiences and challenges carers can face. In this blog, we share some of the support and information available in the Online Community, where carers, family members and friends can connect with others, share experiences, and find support from people who understand. So, what challenges do carers face? Many carers find themselves juggling multiple responsibilities, including work…

Lizzie - Online Community Team
Finding Cancer Support Online – Where do I start?

We know from our Online Community that dealing with cancer can be overwhelming. People with cancer and their family members, or loved ones, often look for emotional support and practical advice or ways to get involved with others for cancer support online. With Macmillan’s Online Community, you have come to the right place to talk to others who understand. Here you can find peer support and talk to other people with real lived cancer experience. www.youtube.com/watch But where do you start? In today’s Community News Blog that’s exactly what we’re talking about. We're highlighting all the different support available on the Community and also providing tips to help you get started. Using the Online Community The first thing to say is that we know new websites or technologies can be overwhelming…

Tom C - 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
Cancer & Me 35 Years On - Vol 3 - The Journey Home

Fantasy (batik) by Willo Today in our Community News blog Willo is back with the third instalment of our series called ‘Cancer & me 35 years on’ . In this series, Willo, known on the Community as patsyann85 , tells us about her experience of being diagnosed with Anal cancer in 1986 while living in Zambia. We will be sharing more of Willo’s writing and incredible artwork throughout the next few months in the Community News. If you missed Vol 2 – Best Friends Forever, you can click here to catch up. It was early February – still hot when I flew from Lusaka to winter in Germany, where I had to catch a connecting flight. When we reached Frankfurt the pilot announced it was minus nine degrees, but with the wind-chill factor it was -16°. The passengers gasped when the doors opened and the cold…

Former Member
Cancer and the Menopause: watch our Instagram Live with the Titty Gritty

Whether it's early menopause due to treatment, or going through menopause whilst living with cancer, menopause and cancer is something we often see being discussed on the Community. From hot flushes to mood swings, brain fog and fatigue, our members have been sharing their experiences and offering tips and support to one another. To help raise awareness and break down taboos surrounding the menopause, this Friday, 3rd February ahead of World Cancer Day on 4th February, Macmillan’s National Clinical Adviser Dr Hannah Tharmalingam will take part in an Instagram Live event with cancer campaigner and broadcast journalist Helen Addis. Known to her followers on Instagram as @thetittygritty , Helen is dedicated to raising awareness around cancer, following her own experience of breast cancer. …

Ellen - Macmillan
And last, but not least - our third and final Christmas prize draw

So far, we’ve asked for your favourite Christmas traditions and songs and what a response we’ve had! It’s been wonderful to hear all about what our members do over the holiday period and today, we’re wanting to hear more. This week, we are giving away 9 echo dots. Echo dots are smart speakers which you can use to voice control your music and smart home, connect with others by making calls and it comes with in-built assistive technology where you can ask 'Alexa' to answer questions, read the news, check the weather, set alarms and more. Our prizes this week have been kindly donated by Loyalty Consulting UK Ltd. Christmas can be a magical time of the year but it can also very difficult. Therefore, we want to focus on how you look after yourselves throughout the holiday period. We want…

Ellen - Macmillan
Wellbeing 'This or That' quiz

Which do you prefer? This or that? Below are some 'this or that' questions to help you understand what your preferred resting type may be, so you can try some of the suggestions in our Helping You Rest Better blog . To join in, select your preference out of the 2 options in each question by clicking the 'vote' button. The links at the bottom of the page will take you to the relevant information for your preferred rest type. This is not in any way medical advice for your physical or mental wellbeing, but a fun way to help you find ways to get better rest and maybe try something new. If you answered: Hot bath - you may find sensory rest to be helpful. Hot yoga - physical rest may be helpful. Meditation - s piritual rest and mental rest may be helpful. Journalling…

Megan- Online Community Team
Taking Care of Yourself – COVID-19 and Lung Cancer Awareness

Autumn is fully upon us and as the dark nights close in, it’s as important as ever that we have access to the support and health services that we need. In today’s Community News Blog, we’re talking about the impact of COVID-19 on health services and cancer. November is lung cancer awareness month too, so we will highlight some of the specific issues related to lung cancer. COVID-19 has had a huge impact on cancer patients. The first lockdown over the UK summer (April – August 2020) saw 350,000 less people put onto urgent suspected cancer referral lists. Not all those referred have cancer of course, but it does raise concerns about the implications for people that do. In a thread posted in our Lung cancer forum, 'mum diagnosed during pandemic' , we can read and feel what it’s like for a…

Tom C - Online Community team
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
Being bodies - Sophie, body confidence and her double mastectomy

Our new series “Being bodies” aims to explore our relationships with our bodies, from head to toe and everything in between. We recently featured Sophi e ’s story, where she talked about her experience being diagnosed with the BRCA2 gene mutation at 24 years old. Today, she’s here to talk about how having a double mastectomy changed how she felt about her body, for the better. A bit about me... I’m Sophie, 28 years old, queer and a BRCA2 gene carrier. Many of my family members have been affected by breast cancer. At 24, I decided to get genetically tested for the gene after my dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer. After that test came back positive for BRCA2, I decided to have a preventative double mastectomy with reconstruction. I have always had a positive relationship with my body…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Winter Picture Festival 2021 - Creativity and crafts

Grasan 's a beautiful MDF painting. First of all, we’d just like to say a big thank you to everyone who shared a picture with the Online Community as part of our Winter Picture Festival. Your pictures brought the Community team, and our members, a lot of happiness this December. The Winter Picture Festival gave members the opportunity to share a picture they’d taken, or something they had made, on a winter theme. Something that we love about the Winter Picture Festival is that it is a celebration of creativity. Being creative can be fun and can also be a helpful way to relax. Mind , a charity which specialises in mental wellbeing, features an activity on their website called drawing calming circles . They also suggest trying a colouring book as a mindful activity. Anyone can be creative…

Eliza -Online Community Team