Like Sarah, I know what it feels like to want to talk to someone who understands when you’re told you have cancer. And, after using online forums myself when diagnosed, I know only too well how invaluable the kindness and support of strangers can be.

I started working with Cancer Chat in 2015 and, although I’ve only been part of the team for 3 of its 10 years, I’ve learnt so much in my time here already.

I’m so often moved by the care and camaraderie that people show each other on these pages. Many are just passing through on their journey, while others stay on to help and guide them, and offer kind words of encouragement along the way. Our moderators really do care too, and I’m so proud of the work they do, every single day of the year.

There’s nothing more lonely than being alone with your thoughts at night, unable to sleep. I still remember the relief I felt when, at 3am one night, a person popped up in reply to my message and said “I know how you feel…”

That’s what Cancer Chat means to me. It’s about connecting kindred spirits at a tough and – at times – frightening time of your life, and offering a comforting arm and a kind word.

Thank you to everyone who has been here for someone over the last 10 years. What does Cancer Chat mean to you?

Helen
Cancer Chat Assistant Manager

This site has been a life saver to me, as a carer I feel sometimes we are on the outside looking in and just end up picking up all the debris of living a life filled with cancer.  Logging on every day has its benefits because you get to know others and what suffering is.  So thank you ladies for all your kind thoughts and help and without you a lot of us would be lost.  Kind regards,  Carol

Hi your all a credit to mankind the worlds a better place for you all being in it thank you so much .p

Hi there Sarah and Helen. .

This is a hard one ... as there's so much ...

Firstly the help it gave me in those scariest first days ... waiting for everything,  tests / results / ops and treatment ... I found a lovely lady on here that got me through ... now lots of us trying to help those others newly diagnosed ...priceless ...

Having somewhere to turn when everything feels like it's crashing down ... being able to say exactly as we feel .. even the angry feelings .. the thoughts of no control ... then to chat to some about amusing things ... and chat about other stuff and forgetting cancer for awhile. . High 5s as good news comes for someone ... 

Having somewhere for those who have lost a loved one to cancer ... and for them to know they are not alone ... the heartbraking story's and those who just want to get through one more day ... it's a lifeline ..

And lastly thanks to Brian. . His lovely threads about verses and pictures and his love of keeping other things on here too ... where we can go to see uplifting quotes and funny ones to that make us smile ..

And knowing we don't always have to agree ... many different ways of looking at life ... makes for some interesting threads too .. but best of all ... it's like having a special vertual family all connected by cancer .. but all holding on ... ready to kick cancer butt ... so thank you nurses, moderators, thanks for making this possible .. and for all that you and us cancer buddies do ... priceless

What Cancer Chat means to me... it is hard to summarize in just a few sentences. I joined the Cancer Chat team in 2010 at the same time as Sarah who did a great job at making the forum the friendly environment it is today. In eight years, I have seen the forum change in the way it looks having been involved in all of its relaunches, makeovers and redesigns, but also in the way it feels. As a moderator I very much feel I am not just there to keep people safe online, occasionally removing spammy posts but what gives me greatest satisfaction is to be able to connect people, to help them find someone else for example with the same rare cancer, to feel that I am helping make a difference in the world. 

I have seen a lot of people come on the forum and sadly I have seen some very special people go over the years. People who have touched my life even though I have never met them, people that I have never seen but whom I feel I have got to know, whose vibrant personalities shine through their posts. Sadly some of these wonderful people are no longer with us - I will forever remember Tonysong, Dizzie, Meerkat, Max to name just a few.

Cancer Chat has given me a sense of perspective on life. It has made me realize that there is no point stressing about the little things in life that don't really matter and it makes me smile when I see people around me getting upset about the most ridiculous unimportant matters. Because you as a community have shown me that you are capable of the greatest empathy, being there for others, giving advice selflessly, supporting people you have never met who may live thousands of miles away from you. And you do all this for no other reason than just because you want to make the world a better place, you want to bring about the day when cancer is defeated. 

So thank you to every single one of you for making Cancer Chat what it is, a very special place for everyone who has been affected by cancer, a place where everyone can go at whatever time of the day or night to have a chat with someone who may live very far away but who is going through - or has in the past been through -  the very same experience.

A forum that never sleeps...

Lucie

Hi Lucie, 

Just wanted to say , your reply has really touched my heart ... you have written how many of us feel ... ive only been here a year, but it feels like home ... a safe place to come no matter how we feel ... thank you to your team ... you are all so highly thought of and respected ...  Chrissie 

Hi Lucie,  what a very special person you are.  Like Chrissie I have only been on here for just over a year and I look forward to logging on each day to talk to others going through cancer, or just being diagnosed and lost as to what happens next.  The help and friendship shown by those we have never met is exceptional and I hope to be on here for many more months to come.   Thank you to all the moderators.  Carol x

Hi everyone.

Just over six years ago I found this forum whil searching for info about my prostate cancer. I quite willingly put my hands up and admit I wasnt quite sure what a forum was.I read the first few pages and I was struck by the amount of people suffering not just from cancer but from the side effects of treatment and also the emotional turmoil that cancer brings with it as excess baggage.

I joined up there and then and have been posting on here ever since. Due to my wife making me go to the doctors I feel so very lucky as it could well have been a differnt story had she not done so. Plus I had marvelous treatment from our wonderful N.H.S. and once again the treatment has I truley believ saved my life.So this made me want to try and help others. I remember the first lady who I responded too. Someone posted "Come on guys, this lady needs our help". So allthough I had never responded before I posted a reply to her and got a lovely reply which boosted my confidence to respond to others. .

I havent posted quite so much the past few months. But someone once sumed belonging to this site as "Belonging to an extended family" and the freindly atmoshpire on here often feels that way. 

What cancer chat means to me is a meeting house where we can all use our experiance of cancer, either good or bad to try and help others

Chriss, Thank you for those kind words which are much apprecited. 

You are all lovely people, Brian

Hi everyone, I really don’t know what I would do without this website. After finding a lump in my left breast in April I found this cancer chat it gave me the strength to face things head on with the support of the people on here. I think the biggest thing is knowing how you are feeling has been felt by others so you feel like you are not alone. Although family and friends are great they don’t really understand when your having a down day where the people on here do because they have felt it before. In fact I was lucky Mine was benign but I have stayed to keep connect with my “new family” and help others. Even  now I have found another lump they are there once again for me helping me through it. So a big thank you to you all x