Community News - Macmillan Online Community

Feeling the heat? Here are some tips to help you stay cool

This week, parts of the UK will reach record-breaking temperatures. It's nice to be able to enjoy the summer weather, but wherever you are and whatever your plans are, we hope you manage to stay cool and be safe in the sunshine. This blog can be used as a useful resource if you're looking for some guidance on keeping cool in the heat. If you have any tips that you'd like to share, there's a comment box at the bottom of the page. Click here to add your comment. The heat may affect you in different ways when you’re living with cancer. You may find that the side effects of treatment are making it difficult for you to stay hydrated and regulate your body temperature. On the Community, there are people who understand what you’re going through, so we’re sharing some tips to help you stay cool…

Megan- Online Community Team
Lung Cancer Awareness Month - support and kindness shared in the lung cancer forum

November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. In this Community News Blog we will be catching up with the lung cancer forum on the Community. The lung cancer forum, which you can find here is a friendly online support group for anyone with lung cancer , or for anyone supporting a loved one with lung cancer . It’s a place where you can share your thoughts, worries and anything else you might be going through with people who have been there themselves. Read the blog to find out what support has been shared in our lung cancer support community recently. “I have only been a member here for just over a week but find it really helpful.” Community member, lung cancer forum Thinking of joining the Community for support? When you or your family member has been diagnosed, it can be a whirlwind…

Steph - Online Community Team
Getting support when living alone with cancer

Having a cancer diagnosis can affect every aspect of someone’s life. Living alone with cancer leaves many people with added obstacles to getting the support they need. Whether this is physical support and care, to help with daily tasks, or emotional support and guidance through the most challenging of times. The Online Community is here for anyone affected by cancer to find support from people who understand. Recently, we asked members of the Community about their experiences of living alone with cancer , the challenges they face and how they have coped or adapted to these challenges. This blog brings together what they have shared with some added information that we hope you find useful. Emotional effects of living alone with cancer Members spoke about the emotional challenges faced…

Wayne - Online Community Team
"I became a stage 4 lung cancer patient from an ordinary man overnight." - James shares his story

James and his wife Helen, talk in their Mother Tongue Cantonese to share some of the cultural stigmas and issues they faced when James was diagnosed with lung cancer. This video is part of Macmillan’s mother tongue project. (4 minutes and 38 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 James: Before I was diagnosed with lung cancer, I had no idea that cancers can actually be treatable. From my own experience, I learned…

Megan- Online Community Team
“When I am up at 'silly o'clock' I will try to remember this thread”

This week, the Awake and up all night discussion in the cancer chat forum reached a one-year milestone. For a whole year, people have found support from posting in the discussion thread and reading the ongoing conversations. Sleep problems may be caused by how you’re feeling emotionally, or as part of the side effects of cancer treatment. If you find it hard to get a good sleep, you’re not alone. The Online Community is here to support you 24/7. The Awake and up all night discussion thread was created with the aim of being a dedicated space for people to access peer support when experiencing sleep issues. “What a great idea for a thread. I often had trouble falling asleep, especially when I had been diagnosed but was waiting results, my brain was in worry overdrive.” Community member, Awake…

Megan- Online Community Team
Macmillan Community Breakfast with Chef & Brewer

We are delighted to share with you all a lovely offer from Chef & Brewer pubs this December. They are offering a free breakfast for you and a plus one – as we know turning up to things on your own can be daunting. There are 10 places per every Chef & Brewer site. This is a wonderful chance to connect with others, share stories, and enjoy a relaxed festive morning together. Chef & Brewer are part of the Greene King group, you can read more about the partnership with Macmillan here. The sign up is really simple: Visit the Chef and Brewer website and enter your postcode to find your local pub and select ‘Book a Table’ Choose Friday 5 December at 10:30am for your reservation (this is the only day and time the offer is available) Set the number of Adults to ‘1’ or ‘2’ (if bringing…

Megan- Online Community Team
Hair Loss - Information and Guidance

Image: Landscape of Yorkshire moors with dark clouds sitting over a valley on a spring day. On the Community team we often ask for your input or feedback, we want to make sure we’re listening to our members. In a recent newsletter we asked for you to get in touch with the topics you would like to see us write about. In today’s Community News Blog, we’re talking about a topic you asked for - hair loss. We know from many of our members’ comments that hair loss can be difficult to deal with, both physically and emotionally. "The hair loss was something I was absolutely dreading and absolutely heartbroken about." , Breast cancer forum "Main one for me is hairloss Hair loss was awful but I've learned to accept myself with short hair now. Take each day at a time." , Breast cancer forum …

Tom C - Online Community team
'I do find it helps to go outside and just breathe in the fresh air for a minute or two' - (Denby) Wellbeing roundup: January

January can be a bit of an odd month, both full of the promise of a new year and a fresh start but also a time where the mornings and evenings are dark, the weather chilly and the routines of the pre-holiday season hard to settle back into. To help us all through the next few weeks, we have put together some amazing wellbeing tips and expressive thoughts that we have collected from the Community. So why not put the kettle on, settle down on the sofa and take a moment to look through our favourite wellbeing tips of the moment? 'I do find it helps to go outside and just breathe in the fresh air for a minute or two - especially when tearful.' - Denby 'Never give up! Look at all the options open to you and use the wonderful NHS and Macmillan staff for advice and support.' – 'I do know that…

Former Member
Living with cancer and lymphoedema

We recently published the Life after cancer: dealing with health conditions after cancer blog. Sharing experiences from our forums and guidance for adjusting to a ‘new normal’ after cancer. But what if you are living with cancer alongside health conditions such as lymphoedema? This blog features lived experiences and support information to help you manage your lymphoedema. Living with cancer alongside other health conditions can be difficult when you are already dealing with the emotional effects of cancer. Speaking to your healthcare team for advice and talking to others with similar experiences can help you find coping strategies that work for you. Lymphoedema is a condition that many people live with after cancer treatment. It can develop months or even years after cancer treatment, and…

Megan- Online Community Team
November is lung cancer awareness month - 'we're all here to support each other'

November is Lung Cancer Awareness month. When you or your loved one has lung cancer, it's important you can find the right emotional support. In this Community News blog, we'll be highlighting the support shared in the Community's lung cancer forum and sharing some other ways you can find help. The Online Community's lung cancer forum is an online support group. It's open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and you can find support from people who understand. Because they've been there themselves. You might be looking for tips to help you get the best from your cancer nurse and healthcare team or ideas around coping with side effects and improving quality of life. You might just need to talk. Whatever support you're looking for, the lung cancer forum is here for you. “We are all here to support…

Steph - Online Community Team
Do you need help managing stress

The focus of this month’s Wellbeing Wednesday is all about stress, as April is stress awareness month. As most of our members know, cancer can cause a range of emotions, including stress. Stress can impact mood, sleep, and overall wellbeing. Managing stress can be a challenge, so this blog features some coping strategies and lived experiences. Tips to help you manage stress Change your environment Something as simple as breathing in fresh air can help when stress gets out of control. When you feel under pressure, staying in the same environment for too long may make things worse. Before you know it, words seem to lose meaning and it’s hard to concentrate. Sometimes, it feels like your brain has suddenly stopped working, and this feeling can cause you to panic. Changing your scenery can…

Megan- Online Community Team
Information overload? We're here to help

Trusted information from day one When you or your loved one is diagnosed with cancer, it can feel like the whole world has turned upside down. You may feel upset, angry, sad, worried or simply numb. “Still trying to take it all in! As I had been expecting to be told I had kidney stones.” Community member , ‘ Bladder cancer ’ forum “I was told I had bowel cancer and my world fell apart.” Community member , ‘Bowel (colon and rectal) cancer ’ forum “Hi, I was diagnosed with Vulval cancer last week…I am in total limbo and do not know how I am supposed to be feeling ” Community member , ‘ Vulva cancer ’ forum As well as being worried about your health, or the health of your loved one , you may find your head is full of lots of different questions. ‘What will treatment be like?’ ‘How will…

Former Member