Random question...

Hi Anniie you're right, it seems like it's in your face all the time. The good thing is it's no longer the thing people whisper about and nudge each other when you go by and look at you in pity. My dog walking friends are always lovely and supportive. I wear my (not so) baldness with pride and if anyone asks me about it I'm happy to talk. 

I do admit though, I rarely watch soaps but sometimes watch Emmerdale as my late Mum loved it. One of the characters has terminal, I prefer incurable, cancer and she's portraying having chemo as someone throwing up all the time. I was given anti nausea pills and they worked pretty well but it could be enough to make someone refuse it - not good. On a lighter note she has the scan on Monday, gets the results on Tuesday and starts treatment on Wednesday - that's why it's cloud cuckoo land!

Hugs, Barb xx

Hi Barb

I recall there was a cervical cancer story line on Coronation Street just when I’d been first diagnosed. It really didn’t match reality either! And it was disappointing the story didn’t have a positive outcome. I was ultra sensitive to seeing all the cancer adverts etc-it really seemed cancer was everywhere you turned. 

Sarah xx

Hi AnniieI said exactly this to my husband yesterday when a rather downer Macmillan ad came on the telly. I said 'who is this for?' because if you're having treatment, or under investigation the last thing you want to is it rammed down your throat when you're trying to relax in front of the TV, if it's a relative you're caring for or worried about it's similar - you don't want to think of them being in that position. But equally, if you're getting on with life and think you're fit as a fiddle you would think 'this is isn't for me'? I don't mind the conversation being more open and raising awareness is good but some of the angles they take make it so depressing you end up purposely tuning out or feeling like you're consumed by it. 

Hi Anniie, I’m now post-surgery and post-treatment, but when I was first diagnosed I became super sensitive to mentions of cancer on TV or on social media because one of my ways of getting through it was to limit when I thought about cancer or looked things up. I tended to choose spend a couple of hours in the evening on cancer related stuff, and tried not to think about it the rest of the time. So if it popped up in social media or on TV in a storyline or advert it very much felt like an interruption of my “trying to keep going” and “giving my brain a break” time. I didn’t even like it if my CNS called me without warning, didn’t want to have to think about it without being prepared. So I think things did stand out more for me. I did notice an increase in my Facebook feed about funerals and powers of attorney, as well as posts fundraising for cancer, and I “hid” those. 

On a more positive note, I was very pleased to see Chris Evert talking openly about her cancer in an interview at Wimbledon with Sue Barker yesterday. She was open and candid about losing her sister to cancer, her own diagnosis, having BRCA testing, her surgery etc, and to me it came across very naturally, clearly and had an overall positive message.

Hi Annie,

Yes, I know what you mean. I think it's just because it's on my radar now. Seems to be more people being diagnosed with cancer but I think that's just because I'm taking more notice now, interested in their stories and looking for hope.

I like true life programmes, the Deborah James one was lovely and showed the reality of treatment but also the work she did to raise money for bowel cancer. It also showed her positive character and outlook in the face of an incurable diagnosis.

I also watched a Stacey Dooley one about a young mum with small children and how she is facing a stage 4 diagnosis. These programmes are interesting to me and could be a tad morbid to others but I find they make me feel less alone.

Amanda x

Hi AnniieI think there are genuinely are more ads about cancer from all sides, research, diagnosis, treatment and care, and of course being a cancer patient makes them much  more noticeable. What I do find is social media, as soon as I joined this community I got loads of MacMillan posts at the top of my feed, I just blocked them, it always happens, Google holiday accommodation in London and suddenly your feed is clogged with hotels, air bnb etc in London ! Big Brother is watching you, but I’d rather decide when and what I look at. On the other hand it’s good that cancer is something people now can talk about honestly rather than hiding it. Having said that I’ve been circumspect about who I’ve shared my cancer diagnosis with - I hate fuss, but I’ll probably tell more people once I’m finished treatment. 

Chrissie xx

Hi 

Yes I've noticed on my Facebook account there are lots of adverts relating to MacMIllan or Cancer Research and the support they can offer and I don't think they appeared before my diagnosis.  I've not mentioned to anyone on Facebook about my situation so don't think they have picked up on certain words being used.

It may just be coincidence as there has also been a lot of media attention around Deborah James and her story which may have prompted support agencies to be more visible in social media etc, but I do think that we also notice it more because of of our own situations.