Advanced Prostate Cancer - Emotional Support

Hi Eddie (eddiel) 

It's a hard one to answer this question as we all have different emotions and needs. So with my Community Champion's  Hat on here we go:

* There's our Macmillan Centres - around most hospitals - they are a hub for local support and there's our support line on 0808 808 00 00 (8am to 8pm 7 days a week).

* There's "Maggie's" A support charity for anyone affected by cancer - to find your local "Maggie's" 0300 23 1801 or https://www.maggies.org/

* BCAP - British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy which is an online directory of accredited counsellors 01455 883300 or www.bcap.org.uk

* Anyone suffering from cancer may be entitled to free counselling from BUPA and here's the link - https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/get-help/emotional-help/bupa-counselling-and-emotional-well-being-support

* There's also our "Buddy Service" where we can allocate you a "buddy" to give you a call once a week for a chat and again - here's the link - https://www.macmillan.org.uk/cancer-information-and-support/get-help/emotional-help/macmillan-buddies

* There's the Online Community - whatever Cancer you may have there's a forum for it where you can find peer to peer support.

If you contact the Support Line they have details of local support groups which are active

The more I do this Champions job the more I realise we are all different and all have different needs and quite often need something to just give us the final push to find what we are looking for - sometimes we don't even know until we find it.

I hope this helps and if anyone reading this wants to contact me - either by this thread or by personal message please feel free to do so and I will try my best to help.

Kind Regards - Brian.

Thank you Brian, I appreciate your reply, I do have a psychologist and counselling at my hospice, had an operation on the19th, a benign tumour removed from rectum, a minor op minimal anaesthetic needed, though still a risk for my heart. Had dinner with family day before and all i could think was, this could be our last time together, a thought I'm having trouble forgetting. Anyway back to the post, my closest friend has metastatic breast cancer and would like to join a counsellor led group of people with a similar diagnosis.

Eddie                                                                        

Hi Eddie I go to a well-being hub on a Monday for my mental health and have been for 6 years,definitely helps as I can unload and the support definitely helps,Robert 

Thank you Robert, I have wonderful support, though i have done wellbeing, It's my friend who needs it and i am trying to find  anyone who has/is doing a therapy course with a counsellor they could recommend. I'm up your way at the weekend, Fort William to see family, If i remember your radiotherapy is due soon at either Inverness or Glasgow, hope it goes well.

Eddie

yes tomorrow I have an appointment so hopefully get a start on the treatment road cheers Robert

That's great news Robert,  have they said where you will be having it. I can guess it will be a long way from home.  Best wishes 

Eddie

Yes the Beatson so I’ll stay in the hotel beside it and travel home at weekend’s too long to travel daily plus hotels free for patient’s

Love Glasgow and it's people, fabulous they have a hotel for patients though understandable as some could take half a day to get there, No doubt you will make new friends.

Eddie

Robert1 said:

Yes the Beatson so I’ll stay in the hotel beside it and travel home at weekend

Hi Robert1  I had my RT treatment at the Beatson back 2019 and also stayed in the Pond Hotel during the week. The Beatson staff were outstanding. Also the hotel staff were very understanding if you needed to stay in the room during the day

Whilst you are there, be sure to take advantage of Maggie's Centre behind the hospital, the Beatson Centre on the top floor and the Cancer Centre in the old chapel. You can get free Aromatherapy treatments there but they are in high demand so you need to book early. I booked my first session when I was at my planning scan two weeks before I started treatment!

I would be interested to know if the fancy bell rope that I made for the cafeteria is still there as it may have worn out in the intervening years.

Good luck with your treatment.

Good to know I will definitely check that out and I’ll be pounding round that pond a few times a day