Blogging can be a great way to journal your experiences and share with others. Why not create your own cancer journey blog, or have a read of other blogs created by our members?
Unsure how to get started? Take a look at our help pages on blogs.
Last week I had my first PET CT since the end of my chemoradiotherapy. I had previously only had one PET CT (August) 2017 before my major surgery. The surgeon felt that it was not necessary to hit me with more radiation if avoidable. My previous MRI and Ultrasound had come back clear, but as I was now 19 months on fro the first PET CT, I thought it was a good time to get some baseline of where I am at; not least because I am leaving Qatar shortly and wanted to have some certainty as to my progress...
This Sunday’s Mother’s Day, a day to celebrate mothers mean to us; all they do for us, and all they mean to us. To recognise this year’s Mother’s Day, I’ve been talking to several mothers on the Community about how having cancer has affected them as a mother.
I’m not going to take any further time introducing or the piece – so without further ado, here are our mothers of the Community…
'The thought of them got me off the floor, got me talking, smiling...
Just a couple of weeks back I was fortunate enough to have the LGBT foundation get in touch asking if we’d be interested in hearing from a friend of theirs, David, who was diagnosed with cancer last September. David wished to share with us his story about being a gay man and facing cancer – fortunately, David's recent chemotherapy treatment has been successful!
David’s story makes for an extremely heartfelt and eye-opening read, from a perspective perhaps shared too little on the...
Dear blog/diary, I went to the Monday appointment and met the surgeon consultant who specialises in melanoma (and probably other stuff) to be honest it was unnerving. In my February blog which I’ve just read back I seemed to have my thoughts together of what I was scared of and why I felt I was feeling unnerved, in a 10 minute consultation it’s hard to get those feelings across so I had an unsatisfactory encounter. He seemed to be going through his set patter about 3 to 4 week wait for surgery, it...
In today’s Community News piece, I thought I’d share with you all just a handful of the feedback recently received for our Community cancer forum – feedback myself, Ellen and Jess see day in, day out on the site. The Community’s such an invaluable source of support for people affected by cancer, and the below speaks volumes for you, our Community members, who are the ones sharing your experiences; talking to those who need a listening ear; and offering support and comfort to those who...
Today I discovered the stigma around mental health is very much alive and well, and much to my surprise in a setting where I didn’t expect it to be.
Following my last appointment with the lovely Prof (lovely because he is straight talking and gets to the point) he felt I would probably benefit from some support with my mental health and I agreed.
I have various symptoms, anxiety, insomnia and I cry at the drop of a hat, I feel overwhelmed and disoriented at various points in my day, looking...
March is Ovarian Cancer Awareness Month, so to recognise this I’ve been speaking with three members of our Ovarian cancer group, and asked them to share with the Community a little about their experiences, and any tips they might have on coping.
If you’ve had any thoughts or an experience with ovarian cancer you’d like to share, go ahead and do so in the comments section below.
'My main difficulty was telling people I loved...I felt guilty...'
Posie:
“My diagnosis came...
"I feel really privileged to be in a position to provide support to people."
The above quote speaks for itself as to the time and generosity Kate – our radiographer expert, has given to Macmillan’s Community the past three years. Here’s one of our Cancer Information Nurse Specialists, Kim, to tell you a little more as to why congratulations are in order for Kate:
Each year the Macmillan Volunteer Awards celebrate our amazing volunteers around the UK. These awards offer...
Right here right now I’m feeling quite mellow, let’s say cautiously positive, things could be heading in the right direction, maybe for the first time since my journey with melanoma began. I hesitate to be overly positive as we all know how cancer has a habit of not conforming
I’m receiving immunotherapy treatment on a 28 day cycle of Nivolumab infusions and have the second one coming up this week. I previously completed four rounds of combination ipilimumab and nivolumab combined infusions...
We’re back on the treadmill. I’m now on cycle 3 (out of 4) of Irinotecan by IV followed by 14 days of Capecitabine. This has gone largely side effect free. I’ve had a bit of nausea, but the major issue has been fatigue. There have been days when I’ve just wanted to sleep.
I’ve also completed 5 sessions of radiotherapy on my sciatic nerve. The process was very easy. The only issue I had was that they put 3 small tattoos on my abdomen which they use to line up the machines to...
