cancer support specialist blogs

October 2011- Flu Jabs

August 2011- Going back to school/ work

Hi Ticers,

How’s your summer going?  September’s round the corner so some of you will soon be going back to school or work…   Have you had to have treatment over the holidays? Do you feel excited, or nervous (or maybe both) about going back?

You might be really keen to catch up with your friends and colleagues if you’ve been out of school or work for a while. But maybe you’re also feeling slightly nervous about the way people are going to react to you. Be as upfront as you want to be (or if you don’t want to mention anything about it then don’t). Do what feels right for you. Everyone’s different and only you know what’s best for you.

If you do have any worries it might help to talk to someone close to you. Talking to someone in your family or a close friend or teacher may make things less daunting for you.

You can also check out TIC’s education section or work section, or send me message with your questions.
Bye for now,

Laura (TIC Nurse)

June 2011- Holiday Time

Hey Ticers!

It’s nearly the longest day of the year which means summer’s here!  Are you planning on going anywhere nice for your holidays?  Are you finding it hard to get holiday insurance because you’ve been affected by cancer?
 
If you have been diagnosed with cancer some insurance companies won’t insure you which can be really annoying if you feel fit to travel.  There are some companies that specialise in giving insurance to people with health problems, like cancer.  You can see which companies might be able to help by looking at the travel insurance section on the Macmillan website.  To find out more about getting insurance and why it’s important check out the travel insurance section of TIC. 

Have you ever thought about going on a holiday that is all organised for you?  There is a list of holidays that are available for young people with cancer on the TIC website so check out holidays if you are interested.

On that note I am going to wish you a happy and sun fun- filled summer and remember if you have got any questions or worries either send me a message or call the Macmillan Support Line on 0800 808 00 00.

Bye for now,
Laura (TIC Nurse)

April 2011: Fun in the Sun!

Hi Ticers,

Have you been enjoying the spring weather?   It’s that time of year again – the days are longer and the sun is shining.  Parks and beaches are packed and everyone’s soaking up the rays!  It’s great to enjoy the sun but remember to be safe.
 
Sunlight is the main source of vitamin D which we all need because it helps to make our bones strong.  It’s important to have some time in the sun, but you only need a short time to get enough vitamin D.  Getting burned or spending too long in the sun is the most common cause of skin cancer – so it’s really important to slap on the sun cream.

Still want to enjoy the sunshine even though you’re having (or have had) cancer treatment?  Usually you can, but you should take extra care in the sun and cover up. It’s important to check with your doctor because some treatments, like radiotherapy, might mean you have to totally cover the area that’s been treated and some chemo drugs can make you a bit more sensitive to the sun. 

If you have any questions or want to find out more about being safe in the sun you can email me or call the Macmillan Support Line on  0808 808 00 00.  There’s also more info on the TIC page ‘taking care in the sun’.

Bye for now and if you have any questions let me know.

Laura (TIC Nurse)

February 2011: Delay in Diagnosis

Do you feel like your doctor didn’t listen to you when you got the first symptoms of cancer? Maybe you had to go back to the doctor lots of times before you were sent for more tests? If you did you’re not alone.  A lot of people have to go back again and again before a diagnosis is made.

It’s easy to get angry at your doctor about this but it’s not always their fault. Cancer in young people is very rare and so any symptoms that they experience are much more likely to be to caused by something else. But if you have symptoms you’re concerned about and you feel like your doctor isn’t listening to you then it’s ok to stand up to them.  Stamp your feet and shout from the roof tops until they take notice of you!

Some of you might have seen Kris’s charity and blog, Coppafeel. She is an inspiration to lots of people.  Unfortunately Kris’s cancer wasn’t diagnosed straight away and by the time it was it had spread. This doesn’t always happen but it shows just how important it is to be persistent and keep telling your doctor if you’re not getting better.

Another reason that young people might not get diagnosed for a while is that they don’t like going to the doctor and might wait - hoping that things will go away.  It’s important to listen to your body and if you don’t feel right go and see your GP. If you want to talk about anything to do with cancer you can call the Macmillan Support Line on 0808 808 00 00. It’s free and confidential and specially trained people will be able to help you. Remember you can also send me a message and I’ll answer any of your questions.

Bye for now,
Nurse Laura  

December 2010: Christmas Time

Hi TICERS!

I hope you are all getting ready for Christmas and wrapping up warm in the cold weather! Have you all started your Christmas shopping? While many people really enjoy this festive time of year others find it hard for lots of reasons.  How does Christmas make you feel?

If you’re in hospital over Christmas your might feel sad. If you’ve had some bad news over Christmas time or you  have to have treatment you might feel like it’s just not fair. If you want to talk to someone about how you feel then remember you can always call our nurses on 0808 808 00 00. They can help you by talking to you on the phone. It’s important to talk about how you are feeling and remember you’re not on your own. If you don’t feel like talking to someone on the phone you can use the forum on TIC or send me a message.  Remember that you can also tell your nurse and doctor how you feel.

If you are able to enjoy Christmas I hope you have fun and have a good New Year. TIC looks forwards to seeing you in 2011 and if you have any ideas for us send Nurse Laura a message and let me know.

Bye for now,

Nurse Laura 

October 2010: Relationships and Sex

Hi Ticers,

In this blog we’re talking about something that some people might find a bit embarrassing.

I’m sure you know that cancer and its treatment can affect people emotionally and physically in many different ways. And this includes a person’s  relationships and sex life.  It’s completely normal for this part of life to be affected after some cancer treatments but most of us find it hard to talk about.

You might not have thought that you’d ever have to talk to a doctor or nurse about something so personal at your age.  You’re not going to be the first person to ask them about sex and relationships and you won’t be the last either.  They’re totally used to talking about this stuff and will know how to help you so don’t be scared to ask.

Many young people wonder how long the physical side effects will last.  It’s hard to say. It depends on which parts of your body have been affected and what treatment you had.  Your doctor can tell you more about what to expect.
It’s not just the physical side effects that can all affect your sex life.  Your emotions and how you’re feeling can have a big impact too.  You might worry that all of this will mean your boyfriend/girlfriend won’t like you anymore. This usually isn’t what happens.  It is really important to try and talk to them about it. Although it can be hard and you might feel upset, it usually really helps to say what’s on your mind.
 
Find out more information by looking at relationships, sex and fertility on TIC.  If you feel that you can’t talk to someone face to face about your feelings call our nurses on 0808 800 00 00 (all calls are free and confidential).  Remember you can always send me a message and ask me anything you might be worried about.

Nurse Laura 

September 2010: Do teenagers with cancer get enough support?

Hi Ticers,

Having been out and about at a few hospitals recently and getting some thoughts from some of you I’m wondering what you think about support groups for people your age? Are there groups dedicated to young people in your area and are they useful? Maybe you don’t feel the need for a group because you’ve already connected with people in a similar situation through hospital?

What I’ve heard from some of you is that support groups for young people would be useful because - in a regular support group - it can be harder to relate to the adults in the group.  Others think that they are already getting the support they need so wouldn’t necessarily go to a support group. Let me know your thoughts. You can send me a message by contacting Nurse Laura.

If you want to find out if there is a support group for young people in your area either contact Nurse Laura or phone the Macmillan Support Line for free on 0808 808 00 00.

I'd love to hear from you,

Nurse Laura

P.S - you can also check out the TIC Facebook group.

June 2010- International Charter of Rights for Young People with Cancer

What is this charter and what has it got to do with you? 

Throughout the world cancer in young people is an issue.  You are not a child or an older adult which means that sometimes your needs aren’t always looked at properly.  The International charter of rights for young people with cancer is hoping to raise a bigger awareness and get more attention for the needs of young people with cancer. 

Do you agree that you should be able to get information and support that is aimed at your age group?  Do you think that your treatment should be given to you in special young people’s units?

As a teenager or young person you are in a group of your own when it comes to having treatment and getting support.  This campaign is trying to get people in Britain and in other countries to recognise, act and improve cancer care for young people.  It is hoped that this will mean you will be recognised as an individual group and that all your treatment and care will be aimed directly at you.

There are 10 main points that the charter looks at.  If you want to find out more about it go to the International Charter of Rights for Young People with Cancer website.  If you agree with what it says you can sign the Charter for yourself and hope to improve services for young people with cancer.

If you have any questions or need some support with anything you can send Nurse Laura a message or call the Macmillan helpline on 0808 808 00 00.

Bye for now TICers,
Nurse Laura

June 2010 - Have you just finished treatment or are you about to finish?

Are you worried about what happens next?

The end of treatment has come and everyone expects you to be really happy. Some of you might be, but don’t worry if you aren’t feeling totally over the moon. It’s completely normal to have mixed emotions at this stage. In one way it’s great because you won’t be feeling sick from the chemo and other drugs anymore, you won’t have to spend as much time in hospital and you’ll probably be able to go back to school/college/work.

These things will hopefully make life easier for you. But you might still feel worried and fed up. Maybe you’re worried that the cancer will come back but just remember most young people’s cancer doesn’t.

You may feel like the life line and easy access to your hospital has gone. It hasn’t. It’s really important to realise that the doctors and nurses that were looking after you while you were having your treatment are still there.

If you have any worries they’ll be more than happy to see you. You will probably have follow-up appointments quite regularly after your treatment  finishes. This is just to check things are ok. But your visits to hospital will become less and less as time goes on.

Many young people feel worried about losing their support: worried that the cancer will come back and worried about getting back to ‘normal’ life. That’s a whole lot of big concerns to have to cope with. But you don’t have to cope by yourself. It’s important to tell someone what’s on your mind. You can either talk to someone in your family, your doctors and nurses, your teacher or call the Macmillan helpline on 0800 808 00 00. 

You can send me a message asking about anything at all.  Just send a message to Nurse Laura. 

TIC's going to have some information on surviving cancer soon but it might also be useful to check out the After Cure website.       

Jade Goody: focus on cervical cancer - April 2010

Hi TIC-ers!

Some of you might have seen on the TV and in the newspapers that it’s been a year since Jade Goody sadly lost her fight against cervical cancer. Jade did a lot of campaigning about the age that girls should start being screened for cervical cancer. She thought the legal age for screening should be reduced from 25 to 20. 

What do you think? Do you think that cases like Jade’s show that smear tests should be given to people at 20?  Do you think the government should make it law? In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland the test is already available to woman of 20. But in England, screening doesn’t start until the age of 25 – they reviewed this last year but haven’t changed the age. This is based on research that says that screening in women aged 20-24 is less effective that screening women 25 and over. So is this unfair to women in England? 

Cervical cancer is the 2nd most common cancer in women under 35 and many people don't go on to develop the disease because of the screening that is offered but do you think the screening offered to people young enough?

Some of you may have had or been told about the HPV (human papillomavirus) vaccination. It's offered to all girls between 12 and 18. It’s a vaccine that helps protect against 2 types of HPV that cause cervical cancer in over 70% of women. But between 18 and 25 women in England aren’t being screened or vaccinated. Do you think this matters or do you think that because girls are now having the vaccine it’s not so important that screening starts at 20?

It'd be great to know what you think. If you need any support or want to speak to someone about any issues from this blog or about anything to do with cancer remember that you can always speak to someone on Macmillan's helpline on 0808 808 00 00 or send me a message.

Nurse Laura

If you've just found out you have cancer - March 2010

As it was International Childhood Cancer Day last month I thought I’d talk about how people might feel when they’re newly diagnosed with cancer. Being told you have cancer is something that no-one expects to be told - especially when they’re young, fit and otherwise healthy. It can be a really scary and difficult time. 

If you’ve just been told that you have cancer, it’s totally natural to feel scared. But sometimes finding out a bit more about the type of cancer you have or the treatment you’re going to have can really help. You can look on the TIC section ‘I’ve got what’ for cancer information that’s written specially for young people.

It’s a good idea to speak to a close friend or an adult who you trust so that you don’t keep your feelings to yourself. People often find that this really helps them cope with the news that they have cancer. Remember that everyone’s different, so what you see on the TV or read about in newspapers won’t necessarily happen to you. Speaking to another young person who’s been affected by cancer can also be very reassuring. Your doctor or nurse can usually introduce you to someone in a similar situation. You may also find it helpful to post a message on the forums  and chat to others on the online community.

If going to hospital feels a bit alien to you at the moment, don’t worry - this is normal. When you start treatment you’ll quickly get to know the other people on the ward/unit where you are. It’s likely that you’ll make good friends with other patients and the staff too. When you feel comfortable with your new friends it’s worth talking about some of the things that may be on your mind. Chatting about stuff that’s worrying you often helps you feel better. You might also want to ask the nurses or doctors any questions that you have. For example:

• Will I be in pain?
• Will I lose my hair?
• Will I be sick?
• How much time will I have to spend in hospital?

Although you’re probably feeling pretty scared right now don’t keep things to yourself. There are people there to help you. As well as messaging me you can also call free on 0808 808 00 00 to speak to us.

Nurse Laura   

Tell us what you really think

Hello again,

The eagle-eyed among you might have already spotted the TIC page highlighting our I’m Still Me booklet? As well as the TIC website, Macmillan produces a range of materials and publications to help young people come to terms with a cancer diagnosis.
 
I’m Still Me is a guide for young people affected by cancer that aims to answer some of the questions you may have about living with cancer.

You can download I’m Still Me and once you’ve had a chance to look at it, if you could spare a minute to tell us what you think of it that’d be great. There are a few questions on the I’m Still Me booklet page for you to fill in.
 
Don’t be afraid to be brutally honest about what you think: we need to know if there’s anything missing and if it’s easy to read and understand.

Thanks for your help guys,
Nurse Laura

Introducing our new TIC nurse: another Laura!

Hi Everyone!

A belated happy new year! Even though it seems like ages ago I hope that you enjoyed the Christmas break and that Santa was good to you. I’m Laura (yes, another Laura!) and I’m the new TIC nurse so I just wanted to say a quick hello. I’m really excited about working on the TIC site and about hearing from all of you. 

Are there any cancer-related topics that you’d like me to discuss on my next blog?If so then just let me know and I'll look into putting something together. You can post your ideas on the forums or contact me through my profile page. It would be great to hear your ideas and thoughts. 

This is literally a quick hi but I will be doing regular blogs so can’t wait to hear your topic ideas.

Bye for now!
Laura  

Are you worried about swine flu? by Cancer support specialist, Laura

There’s loads of stuff in the news at the moment about swine flu.  

Perhaps you know someone at school who has had it? It can be scary to think about, especially if you’ve been told you have more chance of picking up colds and flu because of your cancer. 

Hopefully this blog will answer some of the questions you might have about swine flu and cancer. 

As you probably know, cancer and its treatment can sometimes affect the number of healthy blood cells you have in your body. White blood cells help your immune system fight infection in your body. So if the number of white blood cells goes down, you might have more chance of picking up infections. Sometimes doctors and nurses call this ‘low immunity’. 

Here’s what you can do to help reduce the risk of getting a cold or flu (including swine flu) if you have low immunity: 

• ask friends and family not to visit you if they feel unwell
• avoid public transport, especially during the rush hour
• avoid crowded places like shopping centres or cinemas
• wash your hands regularly with soap and water, particularly before preparing or eating food
• ask your doctor if you need to have a flu jab.  Some people worry about having it if they’re having chemo but that’s ok. Your doctor will know the best time to give it to you.

If you do get an infection, it’s important to tell your doctor straight away. Also let your doctor know if someone in close contact with you has swine flu. 

Do you have any other questions about swine flu and cancer?  

On the main Macmillan Cancer Support website, we’ve answered another question about it, which you might find useful.

June 2009 - When someone important to you dies - Cancer support specialist Laura

When someone important to you dies, it really hurts. You might hear some people call this grief. Grief affects people in different ways and sometimes understanding a bit more about it can help you deal with it.

I guess the first thing to say about grief is that there's no right or wrong way to cope with it.  Everyone reacts differently because we're all so individual. Your personality, other experiences in life, and how you've dealt with things in the past can all affect how you cope with grief. No two people are the same and you need to be given the time and space to deal with it in your own way.

Grieving when someone important to you has died is a natural and healthy reaction. But that doesn't make it any easier. You can feel a whole range of emotions that may be really hard to cope with at times. You might feel shock, disbelief, numb, empty, fear, anger, resentful, guilty, confused, intense pain, sad, hopeless, and lonely. You may not be able to concentrate and find that you're crying when you don't expect to. 

Sometimes people don't feel anything for a little while because there can be lots of things going on. Some people find it's not until after the more practical things are sorted out that they notice how they're feeling. Occasionally people find it's months after the person they love has died that they start to feel anything.

Feelings of grief can also change over time. You might have days when things feel a little better followed by moments when you can't imagine the pain and sadness ever going away. It can be hard to understand these changes but it's natural to have ups and downs.

In time, you will begin to adjust to life without the person who died and life will start to feel better. This doesn't mean that you stop thinking about them or that you love them any less. It just means that you're starting to adjust to life without them.

Whatever you're feeling, it's important that you're able to express it in some way. This might be by talking to your friends and family or by talking to other people who are going through something similar. Some people find it hard to talk but they can get their thoughts and feelings down in writing or through art work. 

Below are some practical ideas that may help you cope. These certainly aren't the only things you can do and it would be good to hear what's helped you cope when someone important to you has died. 

• Remember that what you're feeling is normal. 
• If you can, talk, write, draw, or paint how you're feeling. 
• Try not to spend too much time alone.  This can add to your feelings of loneliness.
• Be honest with your friends and family about what support helps and what doesn't help.  People can have different ideas about this so sometimes it can help to say what you do and don't want.
• Look after yourself.  Try to eat a healthy diet as you're more likely to feel unwell when you're under a lot of stress.  Also if you drink alcohol, avoid drinking too much. You may feel it helps you relax and get off to sleep but this can actually make it more difficult to sleep and rest is really important.
• Think about happy memories of the person who has died and share them with other people.  
• Do something special to help you remember the person who has died and help you express your feelings.
• Spend time with your friends and keep up with hobbies if you feel you can.
• Let your teachers know at school what's going on so that they can support you.  Tell them if you're having any problems with your school work.
• Remember that recovery from grief can take months, a few years, or longer.  This can't be rushed but in time you will begin to feel better.
• Contact Winston's Wish and RD4U which give support to children and young people who are coping with the death of someone important to them.
• If you feel you need extra support, speak to an adult you trust.  This could be a relative, friend, teacher or your doctor.