Archive for the cancer survival Category

Let’s Smash The Taboos!

On September 3, 2017   /   cancer awareness, cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment   /   10 Comments
Let's Smash The Taboos!

We often hear about ‘women’s cancers, and men’s cancers,’ of course these exist but I believe that both sexes need to be more open when discussing these with each other. This week I am sharing a post by my great friend Athena Lamnisos who is the CEO of the wonderful charity, The Eve Appeal, showing the general lack of knowledge and awareness particularly by us men, when talking about gynaecological issues. Make no mistake we have a valuable role to play, and must get beyond the ’embarrassment issue.’ There can no longer be any excuses! “‘Not just women’s troubles.’ Speaking to a group of city people recently, I started my pitch about The Eve Appeal by asking a question: “How many of you are aware of prostate cancer and its

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Making Patients Number One!

On August 27, 2017   /   cancer, cancer awareness, cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment   /   2 Comments
Making Patients Number One!

There are times when it feels like I am swimming against the tide, talking about the uncomfortable things that I see, or more to the point don’t see in cancer support. But virtually everyone I hear from sees the same things and we all agree that it is a scandal, the amount of wastage, be it time or money in the cancer sector mostly due to lack of collaboration. But of course this all comes from the top, and I have recently read the below piece which sums things up perfectly.   “Mental healthcare within the UK and globally has come under increasing scrutiny. With mental health problems being the main cause of overall disease burdens, the second leading cause of disability worldwide, and a major contributor to suicide, there

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The Clock Is Ticking!

On August 13, 2017   /   cancer, cancer awareness, cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment   /   2 Comments
The Clock Is Ticking!

Since moving from the commercial world to living full time in the cancer world, the biggest lesson I have learned is patience! During my working days we were penalised financially when things ran late, and I have always had that way of working. Maybe it’s an obsession but bad time keeping is something I cannot abide. Of course there are going to be the odd occasions where you are late but on the whole, I am early! Once I started living my life around hospital appointments I soon realised that very little runs to time, and if I didn’t calm my frustration I would quickly become a very angry man. Now, maybe things have gone too much the other way, where I have become so relaxed about the things I

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Is Modern Day Life Causing Social Isolation?

On August 6, 2017   /   cancer awareness, cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment   /   2 Comments
Is Modern Day Life Causing Social Isolation?

Isolation is a word I am using more and more frequently, not always in the physical sense but the emotional too. We hear it daily in the work we do at simPal, and are doing our best to ease that, by helping people stay connected with mobile communication. We deal with every generation from young to old and it is one of the few subjects common to all, which is ironic really as this generation has the most ways we have ever had of keeping in touch. Recently a lady contacted me with her own story, and wanted to share her experiences. “I am writing because over time, my family somehow let my elderly grandmother isolate herself within her home. This led to depression and bouts of ill health before

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The ‘Cracks And Shadows’ Of Cancer Support

On July 30, 2017   /   cancer awareness, cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment, social media and cancer support   /   14 Comments
The 'Cracks And Shadows' Of Cancer Support

I was listening recently to the head of UK Building Control, discussing the red tape and complexities that had been allowed to develop over the years. This has produced the current system we seem to have, where nobody is sure of who is responsible for what! Regulations originally put there for safety, but now so difficult to unravel that people can hide behind them. Also creating so many cracks that many people slip through the system. This has all come about because of the terrible tragedy at Grenfell Tower.  Listening to this guy speak about it reminded me more and more of what has been created in the world of cancer support. An N.H.S which is struggling to cope with the new challenges that cancer survivorship is bringing, and not

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Cancer Survivorship, A Clinician’s View!

On July 16, 2017   /   cancer awareness, cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment   /   4 Comments
Cancer Survivorship, A Clinician's View!

Through this site I am able to share the many varied experiences we find when living with cancer. Mostly these people are patients and carers, but last year I was lucky enough to meet Dr Oliver Minton, who is a Consultant at my own hospital in London. He had some very interesting views and I was delighted to be able to share them then, however they seem even more appropriate today! “I was invited to attend the inaugural cancer survivorship conference in Brussels at the time our interests aligned (and indeed still do). The conference felt different with patient groups, bankers, actuaries and even royalty alongside all the usual suspects. I left feeling hugely positive about what could be achieved with governmental and organisational backing. However this was in 2014

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Three Years On But Nothing’s Changed!

On July 9, 2017   /   cancer awareness, cancer charities, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment   /   10 Comments
Three Years On But Nothing's Changed!

My inbox is full and our work at Your simPal is getting incredibly busy as word spreads. I often reflect on pieces I have written in the past, and found this one that sums up exactly how I feel today, FRUSTRATED!! Why am I being contacted by so many more people who cannot find what they need with existing organisations? I am wondering what relevance many of our services have today in this fast changing world? I’m shocked that nothing really has improved in this time. Let us remember that cancer is a time limiting disease!  “But I have to admit to writing this piece with a dark cloud of frustration hanging over me. There was a constant theme during this week, and that came every day from very contrasting

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Change Is Changing!

On July 2, 2017   /   cancer awareness, Cancer Support, cancer survival, cancer treatment   /   2 Comments
Change Is Changing!

I have just returned from a lovely visit to Somerset, catching up with long term friends. Of course we are getting older and have more health ailments as the years go by, so much of our conversations included our slowly fading health. It really was more fun than it sounds! But our friends have settled into their retirement and moved south from London, to live a more quiet lifestyle. They don’t embrace change and find it very difficult to deal with. They like things to be as they always were, and to be fair in Somerset many aspects of life have stood still for some time, but even there they cannot escape the feeling of  a constant changing life, and the uncertainty that can bring. This took me back to

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