Life and cancer
the life and cancer blog
The life and cancer blog will bring you all sorts of information on anything and everything to do with living with cancer. From recipes to celebrities, from cancer stories to marathon glories...
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A good friend's son has advanced, stage 4 melanoma. He's 15, which is rare. Despite a missed diagnosis and a few major set-backs he's doing pretty well.
At last, the sun is shining, the sky is blue, it's actually warm enough to go out without a coat (well it was when I started writing this!) and everything suddenly seems much nicer. Most of us feel better in the nice weather and also we tend to feel we look healthier with a bit of colour, and even more fit with a deep tan!
As a nurse working on the helpline, I'm aware that some of the most common feelings people experience when faced with a cancer diagnosis are a sense of uncertainty,
June is Male Cancer Awareness Month, which is supported by Everyman who fund research with the aim of stamping out male cancers. I thought now was an ideal opportunity to blog about the two cancers in question - testicular cancer and prostate cancer - to raise awareness, and hopefully dispel some myths.
Carer's Week is from the 8th - 14th June 2009. The theme this year is "Carers...the UK's secret service".
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Lots of people dealing with cancer - doctors and nurses, researchers and statisticians, patients and carers - talk about a 5 year period. But what does it mean? When does it start? Why is it so significant?
The reality is that this magical point in time, means different things to different people.
On the nurse helpline we often speak to people who have been asked to make decisions about their treatment. One treatment versus another treatment, which treatment first, treatment versus no treatment - the list is endless and it's no wonder people end up anxious and confused.
There are lots of potential side effects to cancer treatments. One of the most difficult to come to terms with is a change in body image. Body image is the mental picture we have of our own appearance. This image is drawn from what our body actually looks like, and also from how we think we look. Throughout life, our body image is constantly changing.
There has been some speculation posted that asparagus can cure cancer.
As most of our bloggers have said, it’s best to treat theses claims for asparagus as a cure for cancer with a good dose of scepticism. There’s no good evidence that eating asparagus prevents or cures cancer.
As nurses on our helpline and email service, we come from all sorts of backgrounds. We have lots of experience of looking after people with cancer in different environments. This may be on hospital wards, in out-patient clinics, at hospices, or visiting patients in their own homes. As well as t
I'm sure that most of us, at some point in our lives, will have feelings of complete and utter despair. When life seems hopeless and there seems little point in going on. Fortunately, for a lot of us these feelings and emotions, although very difficult to cope with at the time, are short lived and pass with the support and love of our family, friends and health care professionals.
April is bowel cancer awareness month. Bowel Cancer UK has a new campaign called Check It that you might like to read about.
I'm in the middle of revising Cancerbackup's booklet (and web information) about sexuality and cancer, and thought it was an ideal time to write a quick blog on the subject.
Talking about serious illness, or death and dying is never easy. And talking to kids about it is really hard.
As adults we often struggle to understand and come to terms with someone we love and care about dying so how can we possibly explain something to a child we don't understand ourselves?
With the announcement that ovarian screening may be beneficial, I thought I'd take a look at the issues around screening for prostate cancer.
I recently attended a prostate cancer awareness evening in Colchester, Essex, and I thought it might be of interest to some of you to know these events are taking place.
I was driving back from visiting my family on Sunday with my partner when the news came on the radio. The news reader discussed the global economy, an MP having to justify his expenses on his home, and then the sad news that Jade Goody had died. My partner and I talked about how irrelevant everything else becomes when you're faced with the death of a loved one. And h
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I'm sure you're aware of the vast amount of coverage in the press about Jade Goody's sad situation. As a result, we've noticed an increase in enquires to our service about cervical cancer. Many people are also telling us about how the media is affecting them in other ways.
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Today is No Smoking Day. We all know about the potential harm that can be caused by cigarettes. But are we so aware of all the health benefits of giving up? As you can read from the link, these benefits start very soon after you quit.
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Just in case you haven't heard yet, from 1st April 2009 cancer patients in England will be eligible for free prescriptions. Anyone undergoing treatment for cancer, the effects of cancer, or the effects of cancer treatment can now apply for an exemption certificate.
You can apply by collecting an application form from your GP surgery or oncology clinic.
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I was reading through some of the blogs on the site and came across a long discussion in answer to a query about preparing for chemotherapy. The thread included loads of great suggestions - and a few less good ones - and made me think that some pointers from a nurse might be useful.
About 36,000 people are diagnosed with colorectal cancer each year in the UK. Around two thirds of colorectal cancers are in the large bowel (colon) and one third are in the back passage (rectum). It is unusual for people under 50 to get bowel cancer. More than 8 out of 10 bowel cancers (83%) are diagnosed in the over 60’s.
It's worrying to know that 24% of people with cancer feel they don't have anyone to talk to about their cancer and one in five people find it hard to talk to their friends and family about it.
I'm one of the cancer information nurses working on our freephone helpline taking calls from people affected by cancer. Sometimes people call us and think we're Macmillan nurses. While we're cancer nurses working for Macmillan, we provide a different service.
December is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Childhood cancer is devastating for all concerned. The treatment can last for months, which may mean long stays in hospital and being away from home, school, friends and siblings.
As some of you know, two of the nurses held a webchat on the side effects of chemotherapy today. Please feedback any comments you would like to make about this here.
Thanks.
Amy
Cancer information nurse
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Christmas might be the season of goodwill and a time for socialising with friends and family but for those affected by cancer, it can be a very difficult time of year. This may be because you have cancer yourself or someone close to you has cancer. It can also be especially hard if a loved one has died.
Great news . . . possibly? The UK government is now considering allowing 'top-ups' within the NHS. But is it really that simple?