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Hello my name is Dot and I have decided to join as my husband was diagnosed with bowel cancer at the beginning of this year. He is currently half way through his first treatment of chemotherapy. I am doing my very best to care for him . I find the experience very lonely as people don’t know how to react to the news. A few have been brilliant but the rest have stayed away. I am very positive that he will be cured. People in my family have had very negative experience of cancer and I think thus is why they struggle to show support. What have e other people’s experiences been.?

  • Hello and welcome.  I am sorry to hear of your husband's bowel cancer.

    I have only been on this forum since the beginning of December 2017.  I have not had cancer myself but have cared for too many family members and friends over the years.  Most of the people who post here are either going through cancer treatment themselves, are cancer survivors, caring/have cared for friends and family.  Everyone is friendly, nobody judges anyone else and we are even up for a laugh at absurdities when appropriate.  You will certainly find people who understand what you are going through.  The moderators on the forum and the nurses are extremely nice and helpful and put up with our (well, my) errors that occur time to time.    I agree that people who have not had much experience of cancer tend to shy away from it and don't mean but to be hurtful but they don't know what to say.  But it can be frustrating - it's as though some people think you can catch cancer by talking about it! 

    You also will find it is nice to be able to give advice from your own experiences to others who are worried or upset.  So, again, welcome.  Annie