Community News - Macmillan Online Community

Planned maintenance - Tuesday 10th November, 7am-1pm

Hi everyone, Due to some planned maintenance on the main Macmillan website, www.macmillan.org.uk , the Online Community will enter a read-only mode between 7:00am and 1:00pm on Tuesday 10 th November. This means that you will not be able to log in, post or reply on the Online Community during this time. You will still be able to read posts and blogs on the site. If you feel you need some support while the Online Community is unavailable, please remember our Support Line is here for you. Our teams are available 8am-8pm, 7 days a week on freephone 0808 808 00 00 , or by email or webchat . Thank you for your continued support and patience as Macmillan continues to update and improve our online services. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us at community…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Cancer & Me 35 Years On – ‘against all odds we can survive’

Willo is back today with the final Instalment of her blog series, ‘Cancer and me 35 years on’. Willo is a member of our Community who was diagnosed with Anal cancer in 1986 while living in Zambia. In this blog series Willo has been sharing her experience of living through and beyond cancer. Alongside sharing everything she has been through, Willo has also been sharing the amazing artwork she created during this time in her life. We shared Willo's first blog, ‘ To begin at the beginning ’ back In May 2020, and over the last 18 months, Willo has talked about everything she has been through. From moving back to England for treatment, her Abdominoperineal Resection , going back to art school post-surgery and the amazing friends and family that helped her through. When Willo first started her…

Former Member
Community Round-Up Blog - March 2022

March sparks the season of change. As nature starts to repair after winter and spring starts to arrive (although I wish spring would get a move on with the temperature change!) March has also been a time of change for us here on the Community as we have welcomed some fresh new features to the site. We also welcomed 1,764 new Community members last month. So get ready to read all about the what’s been going on on the Community for the marvellous month of March. We kick-started March by releasing some new changes on the Community. We took your feedback to the drawing board and created a new look for the platform, you can find out more about these changes on the Look out for our improvements blog. It takes a deep dive into all the changes that have been made this past month. Here is some of…

Syed - Macmillan
Cancer and Peripheral Neuropathy - support from the Online Community

Online Community members are affected not only by cancer, but other conditions caused by cancer or cancer treatment . The Community is a place where people can come together and share experiences and tips so you don’t have to go through it alone. Peripheral neuropathy is damage to the nerves connecting the brain, spinal cord and the rest of the body. It can be caused by cancer, or its treatment, and is one side effect we hear mentioned a lot across the Community. In today’s Community News Blog, we will be highlighting some of the support shared across different forums in relation to peripheral neuropathy . Members of the Community often share experiences of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and how it affects quality of life following chemotherapy treatment “Hi anyone else got…

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
Awake and can't sleep? Some help with getting through the night

Difficulty sleeping, also known as insomnia, can be hard to deal with. If you or a loved one has a cancer diagnosis, not getting enough sleep can sometimes cause additional difficulties. The Online Community is here for you at any time in the day or night. Sleep problems may be caused by how you’re feeling emotionally, or as part of the side effects for cancer treatment. If you find it hard to have a good sleep, you’re not alone. Here in Community News, we’re here to help you find support. Macmillan has information and support around insomnia and having difficulty sleeping on our website . This webpage discusses different sleep problems, how a lack of good sleep can affect you and how you can change your sleep habits to potentially help you to sleep better. “I think night times are often…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Looking after you - coping with a recent bereavement

There is no right or wrong way to feel if you have just experienced a recent loss. Everyone is different, and everyone’s relationship with the person who has passed away is unique, so it’s natural that each person will need different support depending on how they feel. The most important thing to remember is that you are not alone. The Community, and Macmillan, are here to support you. As part of this support, we wanted to put together some information about looking after yourself after a recent bereavement. In the days or weeks after the loss In these early days after a bereavement being kind and gentle with yourself is so important. You may be experiencing shock, numbness, anger, extreme sadness or a whole range of different emotions. There is no wrong or right way to feel, but there…

Former Member
Are you worried about hair loss? Hair loss support from Macmillan’s Community forums

We recently shared Ellie's story as part of the digital storytelling project. Ellie shares her concerns about her kidney diagnosis and hair loss. Today's blog is sharing support information if you are also worried about losing your hair. Hair loss can be a side effect of your cancer treatment and often causes a range of emotions. Your hair can often form part of your identity so it's natural that losing your hair is causing some concern. Our Community members regularly share experiences and tips for coping with hair loss. In this blog, we are highlighting conversations about hair loss from different Community forums and sharing support information. Hair loss support from our forums You’re not alone if you’re worried about losing your hair. It's also natural to have questions and concerns…

Megan- Online Community Team
'It is a much-loved family recipe'- Dining with an Ostomate: Spaghetti bolognese and carbonara

Debbie, our wonderful 'chef to ostomates' is back today with not one, but two delicious spaghetti recipes. All of Debbie’s recipes are, of course, designed with Ostomates in mind and in case you’ve missed any of her recipes to date, you can find them all in our Ileostomy, colostomy and stoma support group here . So why not put an apron on and get cooking! Enjoy… Here are two recipes with pasta, a failsafe for me when I need to thicken my stoma output. I love to have mushrooms in my Bolognese but with that and celery, I was a bit wary of it at first - until I decided to try blitzing the veg et voila! Dry frying the meat means it’s a healthier recipe than most Bolognese, which add oil. The Carbonara is a great comfort food that I often ate after chemotherapy. It is a much-loved family recipe…

Former Member
Have you experienced cancer ghosting?

Some Community members have been discussing the term ‘Cancer Ghosting’ in the Online Community forums. It is a social term that those living with cancer use to describe family and friends not being there to support them once they have told them about their cancer. “Have any of you experienced cancer Ghosting? It’s where friends and relatives suddenly disappear when you announce that you have cancer. It’s a recognised syndrome apparently- Google it. I am afraid I have experienced it. It can have a big impact.” Community member, Cancer ghosting discussion, Bladder cancer forum “Since my diagnosis last year my friends have all disappeared. Messages have stopped, and I'm left with my husband and dog. My husband is my rock, but I miss the distraction my friends provided. It makes the journey…

Megan- Online Community Team
World Poetry Day: Holly’s Cancer Poems (Part 1)

Today is World Poetry Day, where we’re taking this opportunity to share Holly’s poems. Here on the Online Community, it’s clear how much being creative can help. Poetry can be a way to cope, a fun distraction and sometimes even a form of art therapy. Members in our “Express yourself” group and across the Online Community enjoy writing and sharing poems. Holly was diagnosed with breast cancer in January 2005. Holly has shared her experience through poems, written at different points of her experience with cancer. In today’s blog, Holly shares her emotions, thoughts and worries from her initial breast cancer diagnosis. We’re sharing 4 poems from Holly’s poetry collection, titled “Holly’s cancer poems…The truth behind my smile.” Holly also describes what was happening and how she was feeling…

Eliza -Online Community Team
The cost of cancer - need help with transport and parking fees?

This new miniseries about the additional costs a cancer diagnosis can cause, is highlighting a few of the most common concerns members of the Online Community talk about in our forums. We know that cancer can have an impact on your finances and we often see members talking about the cost of transport and parking when attending hospital appointments. If this is something you are concerned about, hopefully you’ll find the information in this blog helpful. Some people need to travel a long distance for hospital appointments which can cause a lot of worry when it comes to arranging how you will get there. Arranging your own transport arrangements can feel overwhelming especially when looking at the cost involved with parking, fuel or public transport. Even if you aren't travelling far, these…

Megan- Online Community Team