Stories from people affected by cancer

My personal journey through 4th stage cancer diagnosis and treatment and its impact on my identity and family relationships.

Me and my 2.5

My sister faced a brain tumour with courage, faith and humour. Now that I face cancer and Parkinson’s I am choosing both how I wish to live, encouraging others every day, and the legacy of hope I will pass on through my painting and my smile.

My piece creatively explores the physical sensations and emotional impact of my treatment for acute myeloid leukaemia, which coincided with the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. I created it to 'bear witness' to my own experience; by describing one of the darkest, most difficult moments, and the fragile threads of hope that seemed to emerge from this lowest ebb.

Helen describes one way she uses to cope when living with cancer.

For my friends, family and NHS Heroes who supported me, cried with me, loved me and laughed with me and made sure I never walked alone on this journey.

This is about how an ordinary jacket triggered the diagnoses of lung cancer to hit home and changing identities.

You can find out about Chatterbox, the online support group I’m part of, here: https://chatterboxcancergroup.co.uk/

My story will focus on my innermost thoughts, feelings and reflections as I progressed through the final few months of my father-in-law’s life. I place particular emphasis on the strategies I employed, as I travelled this personal and emotional journey.

The impact of having a misdiagnosis and how I deal with that mentally.

From a nurse’s point of view.

This is the story, so far, of my being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer, my treatment and surgery.

My story of being a Macmillan Professional as Project manager for the Macmillan Support Centre at Altnagelvin... and developing cancer during the project.

My story is about the link between the Chernobyl nuclear disaster of 1986 and certain cancers in the West of Scotland. I came to realise that although my cancer might well have been caused by radioactivity from Chernobyl, I wouldn’t have chosen to live anywhere else.

My story From Rage to Sage tells of the different feelings and emotions I had going through my cancer treatment. I hope it reassures someone just starting treatment that no matter what feelings they have that it’s OK, natural and by naming mine I have come to terms with over time.

Acknowledging the fear that exists for us all, but seeing the positive in each new day and finding ways to keep living our best life.

My story is about how secondary cancer means your life can't stop during treatment, this is your life now. I learned that you have to find a way to come to terms with the physical and emotional impact of dying while still trying to live life to the full.

Despite many hardships we face, just appreciate every day and everyone around you, especially your family.

Ordinary is more precious, more extraordinary than anything else in your life but only realised when you envisage it gone.

When cancer has it’s hold, our strength will be drawn from the smallest of gestures, by the people who love us the most.

In the Deafening Silence is my story of growth and reflection on a time when life turned upside down and nothing fit into place like I thought it should.

It's during the worst times of your life that you will see the true colours of the people who say they care about you...

Katy looks at how to speak to people with cancer using her experience with video games.

A shock diagnosis and treatment against the backdrop of a global pandemic have changed me but I’ve learned that doesn’t have to be a bad thing.

From the shock of my initial diagnosis, I was searching for hope, and I found it in an unexpected place.

My story relates to communication and availability of support - it is there, but you sometimes, you just have to ask! We are faced with many challenges, through the Covid and Lockdown periods, but together, and with support. we will get there

A story of challenge, belief and hope in a bid to be normal and the realisation, through cancer, that we are all normal, normal for us.

For my friends, family and NHS Heroes who supported me, cried with me, loved me and laughed with me and made sure I never walked alone on this journey.

My cancer journey story tells of how important it is if you feel anything is not right to keep asking questions.

My kidney cancer journey –about trusting my instincts; the good times, bad times, happy times and sad times and life going on in between, because life does go on, I am still myself.

A story of challenge, belief and hope in a bid to be normal and the realisation, through cancer, that we are all normal, normal for us.