Community News - Macmillan Online Community

Cervical Screening Awareness Week - how the Online Community can help

It's Cervical Screening Awareness week (17-23 June 2024) and in this recent article Macmillan have answered some frequently asked questions about cervical screening. With nearly 1 in 3 not attending their cervical screening test we also want to share where to find information and support if you’re worried about cervical screening or your screening results. It can be helpful to share any worries you have around cervical screening. You could talk to someone you know, to your GP or practise nurse. You can also chat anonymously with people here on the Online Community. Many Online Community members have talked about their fears around cervical screening, especially when they have been referred for further tests. "I had a routine smear this morning. After the nurse had finished she said…

Steph - Online Community Team
Peer support on the Online Community – the year so far

As we move into Spring it’s a good time to reflect on where we’ve been and where we are going. Sharing some of the amazing emotional support and kindness you have been offering to others. We’ll also look at some of the changes we’ve made. The Online Community team would like to thank you for making the Community what it is, offering kindness and support to each other. We currently have over 68,000 members and over 7,100 have join this year so far. You have posted over 45,000 messages of hope, support and encouragement already this year. Your words offer so much when others may be feeling lonely or scared. People find a lot of care and support when going through a cancer treatment. Family members and friends can also find a lot of support when helping their loved ones through cancer. Here…

Su - Macmillan
Online Community downtime: Thursday 13th October 2022- 7am to 9am

There is some planned maintenance taking place on Macmillan’s website on Thursday 13th October, 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 13th October2022. 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…

Moderator - Macmillan Community
The Community team are now available on webchat!

When looking round the Community recently you may have noticed a new ‘ Chat with us’ button appearing when looking at our ‘ Ask an Expert ’ pages or our ‘ Help section’ . This is Macmillan’s webchat feature and we are pleased to announce that the Community team are now available for you to live chat with for technical support Monday – Friday 9am – 5pm. What is webchat? Webchat is a service that has been available on Macmillan’s main website for a number of years. It is now available directly on the Community as well. Webchat allows anyone to connect with a member of our Macmillan specialist teams online and live chat with them for help and support. This means that you can message one of our specialists directly and receive live support from them as they answer your questions, or help…

Former Member
What does the Online Community mean to you?

Last month, shared a wonderful Community News blog highlighting the kindness shown across the Community. “No matter what has brought you to the site, no matter how cancer has affected your life, our members will support you through. The kindness of strangers soon becomes the kindness of friends.” – Rachel - Macmillan, Community News Blog, June 2021 It was lovely to hear from Community members in response to Rachel’s blog. We heard that you really enjoyed the chance to read some of the kind and supportive messages from across the whole site. If you haven’t yet read Rachel’s blog ‘Our members are here for you’, you can catch up by clicking here. Although we’re sorry that circumstances have brought each of you to the Community, we’re so proud that the site provides so much support. We’d…

Steph - Online Community Team
"Everything you say describes how I'm feeling..." - Skin Cancer Awareness Month

May marks Skin Cancer Awareness Month, so to recognise this I thought I’d put the spotlight on our Skin cancer and Melanoma groups, and highlight a few really positive, helpful and interesting discussions that have been going on in the groups. I’ve also put together a few ‘top tips’ that members of these groups have been sharing – but if you’re affected by skin cancer, go ahead and share your tips of thoughts with us in the comments section below. Discussions: "It’s reassuring to see how well skin can potentially heal." One year post-surgery – Sue, known to the Skin cancer group as Ess , had an operation for BCC removal in November 2017 – this included a skin graft. She’s shared several positive photos of her progress and recovery since then. “Your photos give others hope that the skin…

Former Member
Living with Lymphoma- Yamour's shares her story with her mother Isaf.

Yamour and her mum, Isaf, talk in their Mother Tongue Turkish, about some of the issues and cultural stigmas they encountered when Yamour was diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma when she was aged 21. . This video is part of Macmillan’s mother tongue project. (4 minutes and 49 seconds). We hope to feature different lived experiences here on the Online Community to represent different ethnic cultures and communities, so 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. Transcript Yamour : In the early days after I got diagnosed with cancer my father would say, “No, daughter…

Megan- Online Community Team
Chemotherapy support: Tips, discussions, and expert advice

Starting or undergoing chemotherapy can be daunting, and the side effects can be tough to deal with. Whether you're new to treatment or looking for ways to manage its challenges, you're not alone. In this blog, we’ll highlight some of the discussions in our Online Community, hints and tips shared, as well as expert guidance. Hints and tips from a Community Champion In 2021, Irishgirl16 (a Community Champion) wrote a popular blog post sharing things she wished she'd known before starting chemotherapy. This blog has helped many Community members over the last 3 years. Her tips cover general preparation, managing sickness, dealing with hair loss, and more. If you’d like to read her full list of helpful suggestions, please click the link below: Chemo Side Effects - Hints & Tips Ask A Nurse…

Dylan - Online Community Team
Bowel Cancer Awareness Month. Meet Laurel, writing for release and renewal.

It's Bowel Cancer Awareness month in April and we are sharing Laurel's story. Laurel, known as 'Writing Lola' on the Online Community has been using writing to help cope with and navigate a bowel cancer diagnosis and treatment. We really appreciate you sharing your words, Laurel, so we will hand over now to your voice. In the city where I live, the marking of the Chinese Lunar New Year came with a riot of colours and costumes, lanterns and illuminations, dances of lions and dragons. I looked longingly through the exciting programme of festivities, knowing that this was yet another thing I couldn’t contemplate attending. My body, coping with another harrowing round of chemotherapy, could barely manage making dinner that night, let alone face the effort of getting dressed and leaving the…

Steph - Online Community Team
Deaf Awareness Week 2021

This week (3 rd -9 th May) marks Deaf Awareness Week 2021, a week where we raise awareness of deafness and the Deaf community as well as the support available for deaf/Deaf people. You may wonder why I have written the word deaf with a lower-case d, as well as with an upper- case D. This is because we want to reach out to anyone affected by hearing loss, whether they are part of the Deaf community and identify as a Deaf person (Deaf), or not (deaf). The word deaf can be used to describe someone who is severely hard of hearing. With a capital D however, it is a term that is used to describe someone who is part of the Deaf community and culturally Deaf. What is the Deaf community? The Deaf community is a community of people who identify as Deaf and who share their culture and sense of identity…

Former Member
Are you new here? Tips and guidance from the Community

Welcome to the Online Community, we hope you find it to be a place of comfort and support. You might be feeling worried, upset, happy or just a bit strange right now, but the Community is here for you 24/7 no matter what you are going through. Our New to the Community group is a great place to start here on the site, and we’ve collated some great tips from our members which have been posted in the group to help you make the most of the Online Community. Everyone who is affected by cancer has a different experience, but the Community is here to show that you are not alone. Update your profile “When you feel up to it, it would be useful if [you] could pop something about your journey so far into your profile as it really helps others when answering or looking for someone with a similar…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Breaking the news

Do you need help telling your family and friends about your cancer diagnosis? Read this blog for some friendly advice from those who have been there, it may help you break the news. This blog is a collection of lived experiences from our forums. We have gathered a collection of posts where members share how they told their family members and close friends about their cancer diagnosis. Talking about cancer It’s natural to worry about telling others you have cancer. Talking about cancer is probably something you never thought you would need to do, but now you find yourself thinking about how you are going to tell your family and friends you have cancer. It’s not easy starting difficult conversations but we are here to help. Who you tell is your choice and you shouldn’t feel any pressure…

Megan- Online Community Team