Support Groups for Cancer

Does anyone belong to a cancer support group, what is offered through your group, is there an age limit? Would you be happy to share our experiences with others?

[Whippit]

Hello, I run a support group for women in SE Wales. We started it up last March through getting in touch with a couple of women locally on this website.

We meet on the last Wednesday of every month except December for 1 1/2 hours in a small friendly hotel which offers good cheap bar snacks if anyone wants to stay on. Most months we stay on and eat something.

The hotel doesn't charge us. We put out some ovarian cancer leaflets and a box of lapel pins so anyone can recognise us and sit in nice comfy leather sofas and armchairs. It's very informal. Just like a group of friends meeting up for a chat. So far nobody has wanted to make things more formal and we are aware that there are women who work and might prefer a Saturday or evening meeting but to date nobody has suggested this.

We have no upper age limit but we do encourage women who have a diagnosis of ovarian cancer rather than offering a group for relatives, etc. Of course if husbands/family come along they're made very welcome. We just try to go with the flow each month.

Hope this is helpful. Please get back to me if you want any more information about support groups or setting up a support group. Our cancer centre distributed flyers for us and encourage patients to come along. We spent a month last March promoting the group and this website in the hospital waiting room when the ovarian cancer follow-up appointments were taking place.

The group seems to work well for everyone.

love Annie xxx

[Hidden in reply to Whippit]

Hi Annie this is really helpful do you ever go to the Cancer Self Help Conference in Manchester? I've been a few times and it has been really inspiring.How have you found this site for feedback? Not got long to write just now but catch up soon Maggie

[Whippit in reply to Hidden]

Dear Maggie

I don't know how I missed your reply 3 months ago! I hope you're keeping well. I belong to the Health Unlocked Ovacome site for Ovarian Cancer but quite a few of us with ovarian cancer then formed a Facebook Group which is more secure for chatting and asking questions that really matter to us.

If HU don't have a community for your type of cancer you can create one free-of-charge. It's a great forum but it needs good moderation to work.

I haven't been to any Cancer Self-Help Conferences. I've been quite busy lobbying for a Cancer Drugs Fund in Wales. I was denied a drug by my health board so moved my address to England where I can have it.

Hope we chat more. Apologies once again for leaving it this long to reply. xxx Annie

[Hidden in reply to Whippit]

Hi thank you for getting back to me. I hope to set up a cancer support group in South Yorkshire soon and hope that the annual pilgrimage to Manchester is something we can offer to the group. Like the idea of a Facebook page Charley who is setting up the under 49 year old group is setting up a website but we might just go for a FB page as it's free. Being from Yorkshire we like free. Thanks rambled a bit thanks Maggie

[Whippit in reply to Hidden]

We've created a Secret Group on Facebook then people can't

even search for it.

It's been a godsend as the terms of engagement are that one of

the group must verify they've met any new proposed member. xxx Good luck setting up your group. xx love Annie