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
  • Staying in the present at Christmas: how I coped with each 'last time'

    This blog was originally published in December 2022. It has been updated by the original author to include their most recent experiences. When a loved one has an incurable cancer diagnosis, it can be hard to avoid thinking about what events might be 'the last time'. The last holiday season. The last birthday. The last anniversary. Macmillan and the Online Community are both here to help you through what may be the hardest days and weeks of the year. Wee Me’s husband was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma brain tumour in September 2020. She has previously shared her experience as a carer and family member on Community News. In today’s blog, Wee Me is talking about how she’s learned to navigate and cope with those potential 'last times'. “My husband’s initial prognosis in September 2020 was…

    Matthew - Online Community Team
  • Pancreatic cancer awareness and support information

    Have you or someone you love been diagnosed with Pancreatic cancer? If so, then this blog will be useful for you to read. We’re sharing support information and highlighting some of the conversations members of the Community have had recently. November is Pancreatic Cancer awareness month, so we’d like to take some time to show you that the Online Community is here to support you every day of the year. Even if you’re not affected by Pancreatic cancer, you may be interested to hear how members of the Community support each other. What is Pancreatic cancer? The video below (02:21 minutes) is an abdominal surgeon name Charles, talking about Pancreatic cancer. If you need more information and guidance around symptoms, diagnosis and treatment options for pancreatic cancer, please visit the…

    Megan- Online Community Team
  • Keeping safe in the sun.

    May 6 th -12 th was Sun Awareness week in the UK and as many of us are self-isolating, furloughing or working from home, it’s a good time to remind ourselves to stay safe in the sun. Although it’s unlikely any of us living in the UK will come into contact with foreign climates over the next few months, many will end up spending more time outside. Whether you’re taking the time to relax or work in your garden; taking a walk instead of the gym, if the sun is out, please do stay aware. Staying safe in the sun can reduce your risk of some cancers. It can also be particularly important for people going through some cancer treatments to stay out of the sun. '...when I was on chemo one of the nurses said to stay out of the sun. And then when I had my radiotherapy planning meeting they said of…

    Steph - Online Community Team
  • “One night I was woken up with an odd feeling.” – Alyson’s story

    This week in Community news we’re sharing Alyson’s story and experiences with Renal cell carcinoma, a form of kidney cancer, from her first diagnosis to today. At the age of 20 years old, I emigrated to South Africa with my then husband Gerard. At the age of 40 years old I was working as a Logistics Manager for Howden Safanco and had been divorced for 2 years. I had by this time two daughters, Kimberley (16 years old) and Katherine (15 years old) and I was holding down a very busy lifestyle. "One night I was woken up with an odd feeling." I started feeling very tired and had a niggly pain in my right kidney, which I thought could be the start of kidney stones or something. I wasn’t one for running to the doctor all the time so I just put up with it. The pain wasn’t excruciating. One night…

    Eliza -Online Community Team
  • Lived experiences of dating with cancer

    We all deserve support, love and kindness in our lives, especially when living with cancer as you need emotional and practical support. Along with many other practical challenges cancer brings dating is one of them. Cancer treatment may have changed some of your personal relationships, your appearance and self-confidence, so you are worried about meeting new people. When the time feels right to look for a new relationship, you may find yourself asking questions like these Community members: “So, what does everyone do Re dating post breast or any cancer? Body not the same, medication has not so nice side effects and this effects various parts of my body. I work full time and have varying degrees of fatigue. Where do people go to date similar or match/companion with people who 'get it'?”…

    Megan- Online Community Team
  • Sick of all the bad news? Our members have a plan!

    As the dust starts to settle after the lockdown announcement, we all begin to face the reality of a few weeks, maybe even months, at home. Everybody’s situation is different, the challenges of living alone are very different to those of large families suddenly locked down together. One thing that's undeniable though is that those affected by cancer are certainly impacted more than most by the coronavirus. It’s important now more than ever that we pull together as a Community. The not so breaking news we’re delivering today … is that this is already happening! Check out just some of the many examples below. Our daily Boris Break Tit-Bits - A space for sharing your feelings and staying connected. Lockdown......don't panic...... Lacomtekp - Lovely post by one of our members living in…

    Tom C - Online Community team
  • Community in Bloom

    We’re starting to see the first signs of spring and welcoming the brighter evenings. You may remember the ‘Winter picture festival’ that was featured on the Community cancer forum at the end of last year but because we received such great feedback from members that took part, and others who loved seeing the pictures posted, we have decided to launch our very own ‘Community in bloom’. This will be featured in our Express yourself group so please do join and get involved. This is a space for members to share springtime images of wildlife, gardens, seasonal foods and cooking, alongside anything which fits within the springtime theme. It’s a chance to show off your creativity if you enjoy crafts or have taken a picture which could brighten up the site. You’re invited to post as many images…

    Megan- Online Community Team
  • Let's talk about HPV

    After last week’s Cervical screening awareness blog ‘ Overcoming smear fear with the Online Community ’, we wanted to talk about the human papilloma viruses (more commonly known as HPV). HPV can be detected in cervical and anal screenings and today we’re highlighting some of the most recently asked questions about here on the Community. If you need more information, please visit the Macmillan website here or get in touch with the Macmillan Support Line by calling 0808 808 00 00, emailing or using live webchat during the hours of 8am-8pm. When you have been for a cervical or anal screening test, understanding the test results can sometimes be confusing because of the language used, or it not being clear what is going to happen next. Members turn to each other on the Community to support one…

    Megan- Online Community Team
  • The Online Community Festive Quiz - 2024 Edition

    Frost-kissed windows, bald trees and hedges become a platform the robin redbreast’s grand, virtuoso winter performance that fills the chilly air with a sense of warmth and comfort. You could say ‘tis the most wonderful time of the year. That being said, guess who’s back? Back again. The quiz is back! Tell a friend. After extensive research, conducted by hundreds of researchers. Kidding. This year, we’re going to continue using the same format as the previous quiz. Multiple choice questions, a variety of them surrounding the festive theme. We hope you’re warm, cosy and comfortable this holiday season. So grab a mince pie, a cuppa or any food that will keep your belly warm, as it’s time for the 2024 Online Community Festive Quiz. How to play It’s very simple, you use the voting buttons…

    Syed - Macmillan
  • Bereavement Support in the Online Community

    On this day of remembrance across the UK, we’re talking about bereavement support in this Community News blog. We understand that the death of someone close to you isn’t something you ‘get over’. It’s something you attempt to come to terms with. The Community can be a comforting place to share your feelings and get bereavement support from people who understand. “I just don't know how to shake this feeling, it’s been a year and it feels raw now, it didn't feel that way last year I think I was just in shock, but I can't help but feel so lost without her.” - Mario189, bereaved family and friends group. Learning to live with your grief can mean so many different things to different people. There’s no set period of time in which you should expect to ‘feel better’. “No one knows how…

    Steph - Online Community Team
  • Finding cancer support over the Easter bank holiday weekend

    As we head into the UK bank holiday weekend, some of us are celebrating Easter with family and friends. Some of us are almost halfway through the month of Ramadan, a time for reflection and spending time with loved ones. For some of us, it might also be a worrying or sad time. You might be waiting for results, coping with the side effects of treatment, supporting a loved one with cancer or struggling with a bereavement. We wanted to reach out through our Community News blog to highlight the support available to you over this weekend and beyond. “ My family is coming over Easter. I like that very much but now I need to prepare food and stuff. A bit stressful and my energy level is still low.” - Community member, living with cancer outside of the UK forum. Cancer support from the Online…

    Steph - Online Community Team

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