Community News - Macmillan Online Community

Pregnancy and cancer support from the Online Community

A cancer diagnosis is upsetting. If you’re pregnant when diagnosed with cancer it can be even more frightening and confusing. You might feel you need additional support as you receive your cancer diagnosis , navigate treatment options and cancer treatment . The Community is here to support you, in addition to a wide range of help available from Macmillan and other support providers. Members of the Community might also be supporting a loved one with cancer at the same time as going through a pregnancy. Or perhaps you are coping with your own cancer diagnosis at the same time as your partner is pregnant. Whatever your situation with cancer and pregnancy, y ou might benefit from additional support as you go through this difficult time. The Community is here for you as a virtual cancer support…

Steph - Online Community Team
Ethnic minority cancer awareness on the Online Community

As part of Ethnic minority cancer awareness month, we are sharing the lived experiences of ethnic minority communities posted in our forums and blogs, alongside sharing support resources. Here on the Online Community, all our forums are intended as a safe place for you to talk anonymously about your emotions and experiences with other people who may be going through a similar situation. We realise that sometimes a person’s identity can impact their personal cancer journey. This could be because they have experienced racial health inequalities, breakdown in relationships and family dynamics, religious and cultural challenges, stigmas with their gender, and so much more. There may be stigmas linked to a cancer diagnosis, which can result in isolation and loneliness. We want our Online Community…

Megan- Online Community Team
2020 on the Online Community

Picture from , as part of 2020’s Winter Picture Festival Looking back on this year, life might feel very different now than it did a year ago. One thing hasn’t changed: the Online Community is still here for you as a source of support. Here in the Community team, we are so proud of all of our members for sharing their experiences, and offering support to others. We wanted to reflect on everything that the Online Community has achieved in 2020. Our Community Champions won the Vicky Clement-Jones Award Here in the Community team, our volunteers winning the Vicky Clement-Jones Award was an absolute highlight of 2020. The Vicky Clement-Jones Award is for individuals or groups who use their own cancer experiences to improve the lives of other people affected by cancer. We’re sure you’ll agree…

Eliza -Online Community Team
Planned Online Community Maintenance - Thursday 28th of April, 4am onwards

Hi everyone, Due to some planned maintenance, the Online Community will enter a read-only mode for 4-8 hours, beginning this Thursday at 4:00am . It may last until midday but has been planned at this time to provide minimal disruption to our members. 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 by phone on freephone 0808 808 00 00 and also by email or on webchat . Thank you for your patience and support as Macmillan continues to update and improve our online services. If you have any questions,…

Tom C - Online Community team
Make Blue Monday a You Monday

Today is known to be the bluest day of the year, so why not make your Blue Monday a YOU Monday. Last year Jimmy published ' Blue Monday is the most depressing day of the year? Only if you insist! ' in the Community News Blog. Here he talks about the formula that explains why we feel so depressed on this day. Click here to read more. What is Blue Monday? If you don’t know what ‘Blue Monday’ is, it is known to be a day where people feel at their lowest. After the recent festivities and the new hope of a new year, the annual ‘winter blues’ creep up on us. It is ok to feel down, but when we feel this way often it may be a time to practice some self-care. Sometimes we can feel guilty for wanting or taking some time for ourselves as our day to day lives can demand so much of our time or we are focussed…

Megan- Online Community Team
“Don't feel guilty whatever you do. You're doing your best in a rubbish situation…” (buttercup01) – Family and friends

Our Community is for everyone affected by cancer, that can be the person with the diagnosis, or the person’s partner, husband, wife, son, daughter, relative, colleague or friend. That’s why we have our Family and friends group . This is the second Community News post in a series that looks at our Family and friends group which is a great place to get advice on talking to, listening to, understanding, and helping someone who has cancer. Here are a few recent highlights from the group to show how vital a source of support members of the group are to each other. Helping my friend Pippin66 posted on the Community for the first time asking how to best help a friend: “…I really appreciate the guidance you have given me here and will certainly follow up on it. This is going to be a hard…

Former Member
Breast Cancer Support Online in 2022

With October wrapping up and it being breast cancer awareness month, today we’re taking the time to check in and catch up with one of our most active groups on the Community – our breast cancer forum. New to breast cancer support online? If you’re new to our Online Community and affected by breast cancer, why not introduce yourselves in the ‘ New here, say hello ’ section of the breast cancer forum . You might be surprised at just how much support you find. "Thank you so much. That is so helpful to hear. I'm glad that your surgery went well and I hope that you are continuing to recover well. Thank you again." Community member, Breast cancer forum . Popular Discussions Whether you are a new member, or established on the site, there are always places to find support. One thread that always…

Tom C - Online Community team
"Thank you all so much for sharing your journeys" - thanking all of you, our Community members

We wanted to take some time today to really focus on thanking each and every one of you for the support that you all give on the Community. Below are a few of many examples of the ways that members of the Community provide truly wonderful support to each other every single day in what may be an incredibly difficult time. Why not take a look through? 'You have found this amazing support group and there is always someone here to answer your questions no matter how trivial you may think it is. ...someone somewhere may have been through exactly the same at some point.' - Madesp "...there is always someone here to answer your questions no matter how trivial you may think it is..." 'No matter how much friends and family try to comfort you they will never truly understand how you feel. This…

Ellen - Macmillan
International Nurses Day: Reflections from the Online Community

International Nurses Day (IND) is celebrated each year on 12 May, marking the birthday of Florence Nightingale. It’s a chance to honour the incredible work nurses do every day to support and care for others. In the Online Community , many members have shared how much nurses have helped during some of their most difficult times. Today, we’re sharing a few of those messages, along with ways you can speak with a nurse yourself. “I spoke to a Macmillan nurse this morning who was very reassuring and kind.” Community member, Bowel cancer forum The difference nurses make “The most amazing nurse who has been an incredible practical support both in terms of getting pain relief quickly from my GP and visits to check on progress and kept my morale up as much as possible.” Community member, Head…

Dylan - Online Community Team
The Visit - coping with bereavement

Photo taken by David We are back today with the 4 th volume of our bereavement series. This series aims to shine a light on some important topics and key experiences that people may go through when they have lost a loved one to cancer. We began our bereavement series with the aim to normalise discussions around death, dying, and what comes after. Even though these kinds of discussions can be incredibly difficult, talking more openly about these experiences can help patients and loved ones find the right support to suit them in end of life and throughout bereavements. Grief, and what you may go through after someone close to you has passed away, can be a really difficult topic to talk about. It can be especially difficult if you have been recently bereaved, but by sharing experiences on…

Former Member
Online Community downtime, Tuesday 14th June, 5am-10am

There is some planned maintenance taking place on Macmillan’s website on Tuesday 14th June, from 5am-10am. 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 5am - 10am On Tuesday 14th June 2022. 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…

Ellen - Macmillan
Online Community downtime: Thursday 18th August 2022- 7am to 9am

There is some planned maintenance taking place on Macmillan’s website on Thursday 21st July, from 7am-10am. 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 18th August 2022. 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…

Megan- Online Community Team