I’m 16 no one cares

Stay strong, you are a young and your body will fight back and you will have recovery soon.Yes, mental health being is a massive issue at your age.It all depends what works for you, you should have been offered a psychologists at this stage.There is online forum for young adults to Express your feelings.Speaking to some one in the same situation helps a lot and there are some online games available to practice your brain.Call Maccmillion and speak to them how you feel, it also helps when you speak to an unknown person.

Make sure, you plan your day every day, morning,  afternoon and evening.

Sending you strength and loads of love xxx

Hi Ha1103 and a warm welcome to this corner of the Community although I am always sorry to see folks joining us. I am Mike and I help out around our various Blood Cancer groups. I don’t have AML but I was diagnosed back in 1999 with a rare, incurable type of NHL Stage 4a so although my Blood Cancer ‘type’ is different I understand the challenges of this journey well.

Going through treatment at any age can be a lonely place but good that you have found this community, although at the moment there are no others in the group the same age as yourself.

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.

Do also check out Leukaemia Care UK who produce very good information and various support platforms including a buddy service where you may be able to be connected up with someone the same age as yourself.

The Teenage Cancer Trust would also be a good place to get support 

The Macmillan Support Line is open 8am-8pm (timings may differ across services) 7 days a week on 0808 808 00 00 or via Webchat and Email too. This service provide cancer information, practical information, emotional support or just a listening ear.

Always around to help more or just to chat

Stay strong, young man. We do care for you and wish you well. It is a difficult, but you are coping well. Do not get discouraged, you will get better.

Hi - I'm sad reading your post :-(.  I phoned the Macmillan helpline to prepare to tell my grown-up children (then 17 and 20) that I had cancer.  (This was in Jan 2022).  One of the questions was around peer support and mental help for them, even if not now, for the long term.  Here are the organisations they recommended:

Hope support dot org dot UK

Riprap dot org dot uk

I am writing it like that as frequently internet links are removed for security reasons. Riprap help teenagers and Hope Support deal with young people up to 25.  

Hope it helps.  You articulate yourself so well and seem to have a handle on the problem. We care. Wishing you all the best.  

Hi, there is some great advice on here from the others… you are gone through something terrible that as a young person, shouldn’t have to, no one should, let alone a youngster while you are still growing mentally and physically and trying to work it all out, just life in general…without cancer in the mix. My husband had AML, it has been a long road, because he’s older and had health issues before. You have youth on your side and you CAN get better, have faith, you seem strong, I think you are as you’ve reached out and expressed so well. Don’t ever think you are a burden on your parents, they love you, any parent will do what they can for their child to be there and support. Please don’t worry about them, they are the adults in this situation, you work hard on your own mental health and get through this. One thing I can say about my husband is that he didn’t talk or reach out and this did him no favours, you’ve started already, which is such a big step and brave. Being honest with your family could help if you can open up, talking is a big healer, don’t bottle things up. But these forums are great and speaking with others of your own age in the same situation I’m sure will help so much. Be strong. One last thing, my neighbours son 30 years ago had throat cancer, the treatments were not as they are today….but I saw him today at a family gathering he is now 40, thriving, enjoying life. You will be ok too xxx 

Sorry to hear about your diagnosis. I know the chemo is really rough as I used to give it. I used to work in haem for 12 years and in my old hospital they had a TYAC (teenage and young cancer) nurse specialist she was amazing and would focus on the mental wellbeing as well as physical health. They also use to have groups where all the TYAC patients would meet up and go out together. You may find this useful.

It’s hard for you as you just want to be a normal teenager and you have this looming over you.

 I always used to tell my patients to climb the mountain you need to climb the hill first!! A patient on a course I did told us this and it always stuck in my mind when it comes to getting through treatment.

It’s ok to not to be ok and you are allowed to feel how you are. It’s hard as some people do not understand and when I was a haem nurse I had a lot of empathy but I never really knew how it felt to have cancer until now. Every type of cancer affects everyone differently and we are all on our own journeys. You will have some ups and downs but you will get through this.

If you were in isolation for the 6 weeks that will drive you stir crazy as when our patients were neutropenic they had to stay in a special room til their counts came up.

Hang in there and get up that mountain 

Take care xx

Hi mate.

I understand how you feel. I was diagnosed in June and I'm 24. My husband brushes off the subject, my father resents me for the diagnosis and my mother in law thinks I'm attention seeking. There are people out there to help and support you, such as this group. 

Stay strong and take of your self. Keep fighting and you always have support here if you need it xx

Hi Essential Thrombocythemia diagnosis and welcome to the community.

I just wanted to highlight that we do have a group that covers ET and you will find it by following this link MDS/MPN/ET/PV/myelofibrosis (MF)