Hi Chris,

I don’t know whereabouts in the country you live and, I expect that facilities differ throughout the country. I have found several groups In my area. There is Maggies, The Haven, Pain management Clinic, Mindfulness Classes, Health and Balance exercise classes and Breast Cancer nights to name but a few. There are also individual meeting groups for different types of cancer.

Maggies and the Haven have a mixture of services. There is always someone to offer you a cup of tea and a listening ear, counselling, courses on dealing with complications of cancer such as lymphoedema, walking groups. There are also alternative therapies on offer for you or your spouse. They offer reflexology, Indian head massage, myofascial release (scar tissue release), Aromatherapy and Reiki. Seated Yoga classes are also run once a week. These are as strenuous as you allow them to be and are run for MS and cancer patients.

Breast cancer moves all around the country demonstrating post-surgical wear. It also holds regular meetings to discuss matters arising from a cancer diagnosis.

You find that one thing leads to another. The classes are run for a set period of 10-15 weeks. After the classes end, attendees often form their own self-help groups and meet either in one another’s houses on a rotational basis, or they meet regularly for a meal. The strength and balance classes move on to more advanced exercise classes.

Have you asked your cancer support team from the hospital about any groups that you could join? You could also ask your GP.

I hope that you manage to find a support group near you as they are very helpful. If there isn’t one nearby, why not start one? Talking to someone who has experienced what you have is  a great way to make you feel better.

Kind regards,

Jolamine