Community News - Macmillan Online Community

"...despair, madness, the darkest if thoughts. They are all temporary." - World Mental Health Day 2019

Today, October 10 th marks World Mental Health Day – a day for global mental health education, awareness, and an advocacy against its social stigma. One of our members who suffered with depression as a result of his diagnosis, Greg, has agreed to share some of his thoughts in a 3-part Community News series entitled ‘Unseeing the bus’. ‘Unseeing the bus’ carries an incredibly positive message for anyone struggling with their mental health. I’ve shared below a few quotes Greg sent me from an earlier diary entry, to show how low Greg felt prior to writing the piece. Our hopes are that for anyone feeling this low right now, that ‘Unseeing the bus’ shows you can “…still come out the other side and feel like yourself again…” (Greg). “I hate hospital. I hate my condition. I hate every single…

Former Member
"...give that extra cuddle and hug to a special person in your life." (MetalMicky) - Wellbeing Wednesdays: October

It’s October already, and with it another ‘Wellbeing Wednesdays’ summary. So, grab yourself a cuppa, get cosy, and take in some tops tips from the Community for the past month. "A busy mind won't have time to think about other things. This is easier said than done but in time it will get easier" ( Tony Soprano ) “Deep breathing really helped – I needed a psychologist at one point, and he did some breathing with me, and at the end, I honestly felt a calmness in not minding whether this was going to be my last breath or not. It was kind of the notion of letting go of control and noticing the simplicity of the breath and everything around us.” ( Greg777 ) “No one can know how long, or when – so holding on tight and remembering to breath is keeping me going, and knowing that my job is to…

Former Member
"...it remains a rare and preventable cancer." - Mesothelioma: What is it?

Last Friday, September 26th marked Mesothelioma Awareness Day, and to recognise this Mesothelioma.com got in touch a while back, asking if I'd like to help them raise a further awareness of Mesothelioma, the dangers of asbestos and other asbestos-related diseases. Below is a summary as to what the day's all about: Mesothelioma Awareness Day (MAD) strives to inform others about this rare cancer caused by asbestos. The ramifications of asbestos exposure have lasted far past its first connection to mesothelioma. It continues to affect people who come in contact with locations, products, or appliances that still contain this fibre. The U.S. continues to allow one per cent of asbestos in construction and other commodities today, though many countries like Australia and the United Kingdom have…

Former Member
"That there is love in the world when sometimes nothing makes sense..." - A teddy bear's picnic

Just last week, Anna got in touch with me to share the below heartfelt and uplifting story which can only be described as “the ultimate teddy bear’s picnic”. Anna’s mum sadly passed away with cancer quite recently, and given the family’s rather creative history, the picnic served as the perfect tribute to Anna’s mum... A teddy bear’s picnic Recently my mum passed away from cancer after only finding out about it 5 months ago. It was a very tough journey and opened our eyes to the suffering of what sick people go through, especially with cancer. We were strong all the way through but sadly lost the fight. "A celebration of life! And what else did my mum love, but always a cup of tea!" A brief history of the family - we are all creatives, and my mum and dad loved teddy bears. For 50 odd…

Former Member
"...it was teatime and I hadn't thought about my 'alien'..." - Wellbeing Wednesdays: September

It’s September, so time to share our favourite ‘Wellbeing Wednesday’ tips for the past month. What a month it’s been for, so I’ve gone ahead and thrown in few extra ones – this month there’s a focus on ‘distractions’. “I watch my dogs happy and content in the moment. Be like them, forget the past, you can't change it. Live for the moment, enjoy all you see and hear. Look forward to the future. Be brave, ask for help, and love all around you…” “What I'm trying to say is when you are at your lowest and you think things are never ending, things will get better...There is light at the end of the tunnel so don't give up!” "Yes, having a garden or an allotment is a lovely way of spending our free time. Being active outdoor, growing vegetables and fruit, picking our own fresh crop and making…

Former Member
“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
“Everyone needs time to feel crappy and sorry for themselves.” - Family and friends

Our Online Community’s a real ‘Community’. However you’re affected by cancer, the Community’s a place where you can ask questions, and talk through your thoughts and feelings with people who understand what you’re going through. For family and friends, a diagnosis can have a huge impact of them emotionally, and also stretch relationships and support available within family and friendship groups. Whilst it might not always feel a priority, it’s so important for these people to take care of themselves and ensure they’re getting the support they might need. For these reasons, the Community has its Family and friends group. Here are a few recent highlights from the group to illustrate the support available: Having a bad day – a discussion that’s been running just shy of 3 years. Discussions…

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"Being diagnosed at a young age affected me more than I ever imagined." - Diagnosed at a young age: Gbear

After last month’s work-focused ‘Diagnosed at a young age’ piece with Ginajsy , this week sees Gbear opens up to the Community - sharing with us the impact her diagnosis had on both her family and social life, as well as its emotional impact. Being diagnosed at a young age affected me more than I ever imagined... This was me, pretty much a carefree scuba diver. I used to work retail which paid for my holidays to Egypt where I did most of my diving, aged 37. All this changed when I realised that something was very wrong and went to see my GP, who was great very understanding and got me sent off to the hospital to get scans done. I found that I was bleeding in-between periods at first just spotting but I kept feeling sharp pain that wasn’t normal. This was July 2016, I had been told that…

Former Member
"...and remember the mantra - chew well!" Dining with an Ostomate: Salads

It’s time for another instalment of ‘Dining with an Ostomate’. In today’s post, Debbie talks to us about summer salads, and shares her deliciously fresh and nutritious ‘Pesto lemon chicken salad’. All of Debbie’s recipes are of course designed with Ostomates in mind, and in case you’d missed any of her recipes to date, you can find them all in our Ileostomy, colostomy and stoma support group here . Enjoy… Summer salads As an Ostomate, I was nervous about trying salad vegetables at first. As my surgery was in January, I didn’t really give it much thought until March, when I was beginning to yearn for salads instead of soup for lunch. Having eaten spinach in soup, and then cooked as a side vegetable, the first salad leaves I tried were baby spinach. As this was a success, I then moved…

Former Member
"In your 30's, you are supposed to be in your prime..." - Diagnosed at a young age: greg777

Being diagnosed with cancer at a young age often means you’ll face challenges that differ to those who sit under an older age bracket; you might feel it has a significant impact of your education, your career, dating and perhaps starting a family - to give but a few examples. For the above reasons we have our Diagnosed at a young age group – a space for those diagnosed at a young age to share and talk about their experiences. Over the next month I’ll be sharing a few Community News posts from members who’ve been diagnosed with cancer at a young age, and agreed to share their story, thoughts and experiences with us. In today’s post greg777 , who was diagnosed with myeloma at the age of 36, shares his story… Losing the lottery – what was it like being diagnosed at 36? The closest thing…

Former Member
"Summer is a time to eat lots of fresh, seasonal vegetables." - Dining with an Ostomate

We’re well and truly into Summer now, and Debbie – our ‘Chef to the Ostomates’, is back to talk to us about her favourite fresh, seasonal vegetables, and also to share with us a rather delicious ‘Courgette and mozzarella bake'. All of Debbie’s recipes are of course designed with Ostomates in mind, and in case you’d missed any of her recipes to date, you can find them all in our Ileostomy, colostomy and stoma support group here . Summertime – Courgettes and tomatoes: "For me, the stars of the season are courgettes and tomatoes." Summer is the time to eat lots of fresh, seasonal vegetables. For me, the stars of the season are courgettes and tomatoes, particularly if you are lucky enough to be able to grow them yourself. In my early days as an Ostomate, I peeled the courgettes, but after…

Former Member
"...putting on make-up and knowing I look good gives me a boost..." - Boots Macmillan Beauty Advisors

The visible side effects of cancer treatment can arguably have a huge impact on a life. It can change how your body looks, works or feels, and really impact on a patient's confidence. Patient.info editorial assistant, Milly Evans recently put together a post for the Patient.info website entitled How to manage the visible side effects of cancer treatment . In it she talks to one of our Boots Macmillan Beauty Advisors , Natasha, offers some top tips on how to feel more like yourself as you face cancer.. Here's Milly's piece... Cancer and cancer treatment not only have an impact on your physical well-being but also change your appearance and skin. Some are able to embrace these changes whilst others can struggle with confidence and feeling themselves. Lost identity... For Anita Brown…

Megan- Online Community Team

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