breast cancer with secondary lung, liver and bone

Hi TheaT and a very warm welcome to the Community but sorry to hear about your diagnoses.

Navigating the cancer journey can be such a stressful and challenging time but getting support from people who have walked the ‘exact same' cancer journey can help a lot. (I have a completely different cancer).

The New to Community is like our reception desk where we look to direct you to the best part of the Community for you to get support. The Community is divided into dedicated Cancer Support Groups (Discussion Rooms) so can I recommend you join and post in our dedicated Breast Cancer support groups. These groups are safe places to talk to others with a similar diagnosis, treatment experience, to ask questions and get support.

To connect in with the group click on this link>

Breast cancer

and

Breast, secondary cancer

then once the group page opens click on “Click to Join” when the black banner appears or “Join” under “Group Tools” (this all depends on the device you are using)

When you are ready you can introduce yourself by clicking “+new” or “+” in the top right next to the group title. You can copy and paste the text from this post into your new post.

It’s a challenging time for you so you may want to use the Macmillan Support Line is open 8am-8pm (timings may differ across services) 7 days a week on 0808 808 00 00. This service provides cancer information, practical information, emotional support, benefits/financial guidance or just a listening ear.

We also have our Ask an Expert section but do allow a few working days for a reply.

Talking to people face to face can be very helpful so do check to see if you have any Local Macmillan Support in your area, do also check for a local Maggie's Centre as these folks are amazing and give support to all the family.

Do get back to me if you need further help navigating the community.

Hello TheaT, and welcome, as Mike has given such good advice all i can say is, like you i have incurable cancer  in six places, and it was difficult to come to terms with. but thanks to the wonderful support i got from the people Mike mentioned, my local cancer charity and hospice, i found myself in a good place. i still have an occasional bad day. TheaT finding yourself is so much easier with support, especially from people who understand what you are going through. please take care, Eddie

Thank you so much for all this advice. Its good to know there is support out there. I will look into finding local support as I know Im going to need practical and emotional support. I am usually very independent but this is one journey I can't make alone.

You've nailed the issue that I need people who understand. I rang my two best friends and they tried but I knew it was too much for them to take in - its too much for me so I get it - and its Christmas time so everyone is being jolly and no one wants to hear 'incurable cancer'. Im hoping I can find the right people and will look in the places you have both suggested. Thank you 

Always happy to help, I went from a happy 57 year old to being told i was terminal in 7 weeks, but Thea i have a good life now thanks to the emotional help i have received, I also have counselling ,but not as often, arranged through Macmillan at my local hospice. I hope you have a local Maggies centre as you can get wonderful support any time you need it with no appointment. please take care, Eddie

Oh Eddie that's so good to hear. I'm just a bit younger than you and my first thought was What! I'm too young and have too many plans how can life be this cruel! Ironically I just started a course in September to change career into being a counsellor so I know how good counselling can help. I'm glad to know there is specific counselling for coping with cancer - I definitely need it now. And I've just had a look at Maggie's and found one not too far away. 

Any advice on navigating this website as it is a bit overwhelming and I am aware that its public. 

Evening Thea the forum is a public website but Macmillan operate a strict anonymity clause where any information which may indicate someone's details are immediately removed, You can go on your homepage and request a friend, you just type in the username of the person you want and wait for them to answer. and as conversations with "friends" are just between you and your friend you can be more personal. I have one friend on another forum where a wonderful lady passed recently and as i  am from the same town i offered to go to her service and represent her friends here, You can also join other forums which are relevant to you, I am on 9.Thea I really value my counselling sessions and my chats at Maggie's, and as i was lucky to be able to retire at 55 i go to my local "75 minutes" away twice a week, which is handy as my partner migrates to Australia every winter, health reasons. take care Eddie