Macmillan column: Health and wellbeing event to help those affected by cancer

HERE TO SUPPORT: The Macmillan Team will hosting its first face-to-face meetng in three years

From the Southport Macmillan Centre team

‘Cancer is a terrible way to make amazing friends.’

Being told you have cancer is a life changing moment that affects not just the person themselves but their families, friends and even workplaces.

There’s a whirlwind of appointments, clinicians, procedures, tests and then results that must be endured, with some people sadly not getting the news they’d hoped for.

Then there’s potentially a period of treatment that can make you feel poorly and have side effects that impact you not just physically but mentally and emotionally too.

Physically you’ll have a great team of nurses, surgeons, oncologists, and other medical professionals looking after you and although they’re also there to help you with the emotional toll that cancer brings, their time restraints limit them in what they can do.

This is where Southport Macmillan Centre can help because we have the time to sit down and listen, time to talk things through and time to help both practically and emotionally. In short, we’re here to support you, your family and anyone else that is affected by your diagnosis.

Our health and wellbeing events are a one stop shop for anyone affected by cancer and Thursday, November 3, is going to be a red-letter day for the centre as we’ll be holding our first face-to-face event in three years!!!!  It’s been a long time coming but we’re really looking forward to being able to showcase the support available for anyone affected by cancer.

The Southport Macmillan Centre and Southport and Ormskirk Hospitals NHS Trust work together to ensure those living with and beyond cancer have access to the support and information they need at this uncertain time.

We work together to deliver health and wellbeing events for people affected by cancer. The aim of these events is to highlight the local support that is available through diagnosis, treatment and adjusting to life following a cancer diagnosis. The event brings together a range of service providers from health, social, community and voluntary sectors.

Our singing group will be opening the event and you will be able to enjoy complementary therapy tasters from Sefton OPERA and we are hoping that the lovely Boots No 7 ladies will also be attending to give some mini makeovers and tips about make-up and skin care.

At the event you will have the chance to chat to clinical nurse specialists, although please note that not all cancer groups will necessarily be represented.  If you need to speak to a specific cancer nurse specialist, please call the centre to check if they will be attending.

There will also be people from other local support organisations for example support groups, voluntary, community and faith organisations.

The event will take place at Southport College on Mornington Road, from 2pm to 4pm, and anyone we’ve supported this year should automatically receive an invitation – even if you don’t get one though, you’re welcome to book a place (completely free) to come along.

If you’d like to book a place, please give us a call on 01704 533024 or email. If you’re unable to attend but still need support, the centre is based at 29 Wright Street, Southport (between Mornington Road and Church Street) and we’re open Monday to Friday, from 10am to 4pm – no appointment needed.

We’re here to help.

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