Farming, rural communities and cancer

Lots of farmers and people in rural areas have shared their cancer stories as part of the Rural Communities Cancer Project. From managing a cancer diagnosis during lambing to travelling long distances for treatment, you can read these stories (and in some instances watch videos) on the FCN website: Rural Communities Cancer Project - Farming Community Network

Hi there, I'm from a farming family and we've been recently navigating a cancer diagnosis in our family during lambing season.

Its amazing to hear there is support and work going in to helping families like ours.

We live so far from the hospital and its been such a challenge that people just don't seem to understand.

Hello DaughterCarer 

A warm welcome to the online community, although I am so sorry to find you joining us. I am Brian one of the Community Champions here at Macmillan.

The Community is divided up into Cancer Specific and Cancer Experience groups. If you let me know what type of cancer you are dealing with I can give you a link to that group. If you are a carer - here's the group for you:

Carers only forum 

Just click on the link I have provided and once the page opens up click on "join" on the black banner at the bottom of the page - you can then introduce yourself in the "New Here - Say Hello" section.

If you do need any further help in navigation the Community, please do get back to me.

Best wishes - Brian.

These videos are so uplifting and comforting. It's great to hear from other people and their family who have been through the same as us.

Hi Brian,

Thank you for this and for your reply. 

At the moment I don't feel I need cancer site specific support from the online community, but I am really interested in the experiences of others from rural and farming communities.

We don't talk much about our cancer experiences in our local community, and we don't see many people day to day where we live, especially during lambing or during summer and the longer days.

So it would be great to connect with other rural/farming families. 

Hi

I live in a small rural N Yorkshire farming community.
Not a farming family but the farmers are our community. Diagnosed with rectal cancer in Jan. The farming community have been awesome and supportive. They too have had cancer in their lives, which I never knew before so maybe talk openly to others in the farming community?
So we’ve supported each other- I’ve helped with some lambing during chemo radiation and they have provided a place to laugh and shovel some shite together. 

I had a 1 1/2 drive to radiation treatment and 1 1/2 hours back for 5.5 weeks  it was draining!

I’m lucky that there are 4 farms in our neighbourhood and a close community. 

Farming is tough and isolating due to the long hours and being so rural. Reach out - as I’m sure you’re not the only farming family in your area going through cancer or have been through it. Young farmers? 
I wish your family a successful journey with a diagnosis none of us wanted. 

I would be really interested to know how many people living in rural areas are able to use public transport to get to their treatment centres?

None where I am. No bus service. It’s a 2 mile walk! 

Not possible here either. 

3.5 mile to our nearest bus stop, and it would take a taxi, 2 buses and a train to get to our treatment hospital or else a taxi and 3 buses. Which is very difficult for our elderly loved ones to navigate in a city they are very unfamiliar in.

However there are some incredible charities that provide a volunteer driver service. 

Thank you for all your comments, we really appreciate you being here and getting the conversation started.

It seems that travel to hospital can often present barriers for people in farming and rural communities.

As DaughterCarer says, there might be help available through charities or other organisations. 

Macmillan has this information about transport and parking that might be really helpful to have a read through. It details the different practical and financial support that might be available to you when attending hospital.