Community News - Macmillan Online Community

Awake and up all night? Get emotional support around the clock!

Trouble sleeping? Receiving news of a cancer diagnosis can often trigger a time of great uncertainty. Whether the diagnosis is for yourself or a loved one, it is often accompanied by feelings of dread, sadness, and anxiety. Those negative emotions can significantly impact your ability to concentrate during the day and relax at night. Similarly, cancer treatments and the side-effects of various drugs can have an impact on finding restful sleep. During the day, there are usually plenty of commitments to take up your time, and plenty of people around who might need your attention. Be it in your own home, at a place of work, or perhaps at a medical appointment – there are no shortage of distractions. But what happens toward the end of the day? Maybe your friends have gone home. Family members…

Matthew - Online Community Team
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
Have you had your green medicine?

Picture by Winkers60 in the Spring spotting 2025 discussion thread. It’s Gardens and Health Week from 3 rd to 11th May 2025. To celebrate this, we are sharing information about Macmillan’s partner, The National Garden Scheme, and how you can get some green medicine during Gardens and Health week. What is the National Garden scheme? Our longest standing partner The National Garden Scheme have donated over £19 million to Macmillan Cancer Support since 1984, funding over 150 Macmillan nurses and professionals along with helping to fund three major care units. In honour of Gardens and Health Week 3-11 May 2025 the National Garden Scheme’s Garden and Health program brings to life the power of ‘Green Medicine’ which emphasises and raises awareness of the physical and mental health benefits…

Megan- Online Community Team
Meet Kirsty Part 2, diagnosed with breast cancer alongside an existing health condition

Last month , we introduced you to Kirsty to share her story about coping with a breast cancer diagnosis alongside other long-term health issues. Kirsty described living under the shadow of acute Ulcerative Colitis for 21 years before finding a lump in her breast in April 2024. In Kirsty's story, she describes with candid honesty and humour how she dealt with tests for cancer whilst managing relationships with her loved ones. In this second part of two blogs telling Kirsty's story, we will continue to share Kirsty's experience as she told it to us. Kirsty's story, continued. "I was ultimately lucky enough to have what I call 'the good breast cancer'. That is a thing. My sister had the good one too and I can’t believe how incredibly fortunate we are. Because even though breast cancer…

Steph - Online Community Team
"Finding my new normal"- Jane's story

Cancer is a journey that none of us would choose and that many people will experience either directly themselves or through family, friends or colleagues. My endometrial carcinoma sarcoma journey began in 2022. I had major surgery, and this was followed by chemotherapy and external beam radiotherapy. For me there was life before cancer, life with cancer, and now there is life after cancer. This blog looks at my wellbeing, physical changes, emotional moments, social challenges and my journey to find my new normal. “ After cancer, I think it’s not so much about getting back to normal, it’s about finding out what is the new normal for you now.” Read Jane’s previous blogs: Diagnostic testing for endometrial cancer Check up appointments after endometrial cancer treatment- Jane’s story…

Megan- Online Community Team
Meet Kirsty, diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024 alongside an existing health condition

May we introduce you to Kirsty, who is here to share her story about coping with a breast cancer diagnosis alongside other long-term health issues. Kirsty described living under the shadow of acute Ulcerative Colitis for 21 years before finding a lump in her breast last April. In Kirsty's story, she describes with candid honesty and humour how she dealt with tests for cancer whilst managing relationships with her loved ones. In this first of two blogs telling Kirsty's story, you will hear Kirsty's experience as she told it to us. "I thought that I had been given my slice of bad luck with my health until last year. On April 28th I found a lump in my left boob whilst in the shower. My sister had had breast cancer 3 years previously, so I had taken to regularly checking my own and thank…

Steph - 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
Dating with a stoma- Sarah's story

As part of the Dating and cancer series, Sarah shares her journey of navigating the dating world since her bowel cancer diagnosis in 2018 and why being open and honest about her stoma bag is important for her. “I've really welcomed having a stoma bag because my bag saved my life. I was always going to embrace it, but it is something that factors into my dating life. If you're going to be intimate with someone or if you're going to live with someone, you have to have a conversation at some point about the bag.” Watch the video below to hear Sarah talking about her dating experiences living with a stoma. If you have a dating with cancer experience you want to share, or have been thinking about starting a new relationship but are feeling worried, join the Let’s talk about dating and…

Megan- Online Community Team
"I saw that I wasn’t alone": The power of peer support when caring for a loved one with cancer

March is Brain Cancer Awareness Month. We want to take this opportunity to highlight our Glioblastoma Multiforme Brain Tumour forum and Brain cancer forum . These are safe spaces for people affected by brain cancer, to find emotional support, discuss treatment and share experiences In this blog, we hear from Chris ( Branoc ), who joined the Online Community shortly after his wife was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour. He later became a Community Champion, supporting other members affected by brain cancer for 2 years. Here, he shares some of his story and explains why he believes peer-to-peer support is so important for those affected by cancer. My wife was diagnosed with a glioblastoma (an aggressive brain tumour) in June 2022. I immediately wanted to find out everything I could about…

Dylan - Online Community Team
‘Cancer can’t take my sense of humour’- Brian's story

Brian is one of our Community Champions who was diagnosed with prostate cancer three years ago. He’s married with four children and loves life. Humour has always been a big part of his family life and in this blog, he is sharing how laughter helped him through his prostate cancer diagnosis. For me humour is great because cancer is such a serious topic, it helps folk relax and realise that life continues. Cancer can’t take away my sense of humour. Three years ago, I was one of those men who thought Prostate cancer only affected other people, how wrong was I. Due to various symptoms I ended up in hospital. A few days later my consultant urologist came along with his entourage, drew my bedside curtains, sat on my bed, removed his glasses and in all seriousness said, “Brian, I am so sorry to…

Megan- Online Community Team
Dating and cancer- Mason's story

Valentines’ day was last week, and we started a discussion around dating and cancer here on the Online Community. If you have a dating with cancer experience you want to share, or have been thinking about starting a new relationship but are feeling worried, join the Let’s talk about dating and cancer discussion thread. It’s a dedicated space for Community members to support each other and share personal experiences with dating. In the Lived experiences with cancer and dating blog posted last week, Lauren shares her story. At the age of 25, Lauren was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma. As she navigated a cancer diagnosis and treatment, Lauren was also starting a new relationship with Danny. The couple have now been together for six years and recently got engaged. Click here to hear Lauren…

Megan- Online Community Team
Lived experiences of dating with cancer

We all deserve support, love and kindness in our lives, especially when living with cancer as you need emotional and practical support. Along with many other practical challenges cancer brings dating is one of them. Cancer treatment may have changed some of your personal relationships, your appearance and self-confidence, so you are worried about meeting new people. When the time feels right to look for a new relationship, you may find yourself asking questions like these Community members: “So, what does everyone do Re dating post breast or any cancer? Body not the same, medication has not so nice side effects and this effects various parts of my body. I work full time and have varying degrees of fatigue. Where do people go to date similar or match/companion with people who 'get it'?”…

Megan- Online Community Team