Confidence help for my aunt

Hi and welcome to the online community and sorry that you've had to reach out to us but it's a very nice thing you are trying to do to support your aunt 

Having any type of surgery can be an emotional rollercoaster and can really hit our confidence for six and your aunt is no exception but with the help of the group members I'm sure we can offer help, support and advice to you to help your aunt.

I'd like to invite you to join some of our groups and introduce yourself to the members and the groups I have selected for you initially are

1. Breast cancer forum
2. Breast cancer forum this group is not a active as number one but if it's appropriate it might be worth having a look
3. Family and friends forum

All the members of the groups are very friendly and extremely supportive towards each other and I know that the members do talk about wigs very often and I'm sure they'll give you lots of helpful advice.

If you click on any of the green links I have created for you this will take you to the individual groups where you will find at the top a tab "Join this group" click on it and look for a new tab "start a discussion" click on it and you will be able to ask questions and I would suggest you paste the post above into whatever group you like and start a new discussion you can also type various keywords into the search box and if you select a topic such as wigs or confidence you will be able to read through the previous discussions that have taken place 

It's nice that you are thinking about taking your aunt to London and yes you will find many exciting things to do but please remember, as you probably know, London is a very tiring place to visit and your aunt may not be up for much sightseeing but there's always theatres where she can sit and enjoy a show and forget for a few hours everything she's been through, boats trips up the Thames is another outing where she can relax amongst other people but it's a matter of taking each day as it comes but I'm sure whatever you decide your aunt will have a pleasant and enjoyable time.

Please do head over to the groups and introduce yourself and if you would like to add something into your profile telling the members something about your aunt's journey this really helps the other members to make a connection with you both (click on your name at the top and this will take you back to your homepage, then look for Edit my profile click on it and start to tell us as much or as little as you want then press save.

As the members of 1 and 2 above have all been in the same place as your aunt they will eagerly share their experiences with you and they have lots of advice and tips to make life a bit easier for your aunt. Number 3 above is a place you can visit for help and advice at anytime.

I hope that the above is of help to you and by joining the groups you will receive lots of replies and help, anything you need to know just ask.

Ian

Hi

I am sorry to hear about your aunt. You sound like you all come from a very loving family. 

I can only speak from my own experience and first, yes I agree that loss of confidence is a real thing. I think it’s a very common reaction. Our bodies have let us down and we are going through scary treatment. No wonder! 

My nieces were - are - brilliant at helping me when I’m on scary treatment. I also have teenagers who have gone through exams while I’ve been living with cancer over the last five years. Basically, they come over and make life fun. We play games and do crafting and cook and do the gardening. They don’t expect too much of me, especially when I’m exhausted from treatment, and they give me a break by taking my daughters to fun things that I can’t manage. 

There are several places in London where your aunt can get help to feel better. Are you near a Maggie’s Centre? Check it out here: 

https://www.maggiescentres.org/

You can check out cancer support services that provide the wider, whole person support such as counselling and complementary therapies by scrolling to the In Your Area section of the Macmillan home page here 

https://www.macmillan.org.uk/

You could also encourage your aunt to join this community where she will find support from other women going through breast cancer treatment in the breast cancer group. There’s a monthly chemo club where women going through chemo share their experiences. It can really help to know you’re not alone and talk to others who really understand what you’re going through. 

https://community.macmillan.org.uk/cancer_types/breast-cancer/

Above all, I think the most precious thing my nieces give me is time. Just be with your aunt. It will take time for her confidence to return and you can help by making her feel safe 

xx

Dear , Sorry about your aunt's diagnosis. It's so nice of you thinking for her out of the box. I can see lovely people suggesting a lot of things to you. I just wanted to add that during chemo, we have Nadar days where immunity is on the lowest. I planned to go to the museum (RAF) near Coventry which is not very far and it's not very tiring as well but I caught some infection from being in a public place. I fell very ill and had to stay in the hospital for about 5-6 days. I am not scaring you but just advising you to make sure to plan the outing accordingly. Better avoid an indoor public place and go for somewhere outdoor, green and relaxing. nature has its own curing effects and the weather is lovely as well. Hope things start improving for you all soon. Take care.