Now What?

Recovery from cancer is anything but straightforward. For most, it's an ongoing process, one spanning weeks, months and sometimes even years. Managing the physical recovery, as well as the mental one, takes time. In our tenth and final episode, you’ll hear from peers on the other side of their cancer journeys. They’ll talk about the challenges they faced in the short, medium and long term, what th...

Having cancer can be a very lonely and isolating experience. It can put undue strain on your relationships and make it difficult to relate to those around you who are not dealing with a potentially deadly disease. Most people will want to help but not everyone will know how, and relationships that were once comfortable and easy might be fraught with awkward missteps as your loved ones come to grip...

Content warning: This episode discusses palliative care and end of life planning, which can be difficult topics for many listeners. Please take care, and reach out the services in our show notes who can offer you advice and support. Thanks to decades of medical advancement, cancer is no longer the death sentence it once was. Effective treatments mean patients can live much longer with cancer and s...

One thing about cancer that we can all understand on a fundamental level…is that it takes things from us. It can rob us of our health, our time and worst of all, our independence. In this episode, your peers discuss the messy side of cancer, the parts that can be embarrassing for patients to bring up with even their closest confidants. Colostomy bags, catheters and penis pumps will all be up for d...

Cancer doesn’t discriminate and it affects people of all shapes and sizes. But your experience of cancer may be different depending on your beliefs, origins and orientation, or those of the people around you. In this episode, you’ll hear from peers about the impact culture had on their cancer journeys and how barriers still exist that can make it difficult to talk openly and honestly about a cance...

For many patients, the process of recovery from cancer surgery won’t be a straight line from A to Z. It can be long and difficult and pose its own set of challenges. There’ll be medication to take, side effects to deal with, and a need to come to grips with permanent changes to your body. In this episode, you’ll hear from your peers on how they managed the difficult transition from life post-surge...

Whether you opt for surgery or a different treatment like radiotherapy, all cancer patients will find themselves spending time in hospital. For some people, that’s an environment that can stir up a lot of fear and anxiety. In episode four, your peers will offer their candid advice for making your hospital visit or stay as comfortable as possible. This includes practical considerations like what to...

Not long after your diagnosis, you’ll sit down with your doctor and discuss your treatment plan. There are many forms of cancer treatment, and no two patients’ experiences will be exactly alike. However, most patients will have one major question to consider: whether to have surgery. This is rarely a straightforward decision. You’ll need to weigh up your surgeon’s advice, the various risks and pot...

Following your diagnosis, there’s further difficult conversations to be had. How do you let the people in your life know that you have cancer? There are many reasons why you might hold off on sharing your diagnosis with loved ones: a fear of burdening them with such heavy news, a desire to retain your independence, or a worry that others may make a big fuss. Telling your loved ones about a potenti...

Every year, 375,000 people across the UK receive news from their doctor that completely turns their lives upside down: “you’ve got cancer”. The moment of diagnosis is such a destabilising experience that most people will hear nothing else beyond those three words. But you’re not alone. We’re here to help.   In our first episode we’ll introduce you to your peer support group. They come from a...

If you’re reading this, there’s a good chance that you or someone you love has recently received some unwelcome news: you’ve got cancer. Those are three words that nobody wants to hear. There are 375,000 cancer diagnoses in the UK every year and if you’re one of them, no doubt you’ll have a lot of questions. The first of which is likely, “now what?”  Now What? Your Cancer Support Podcast is h...