Hi I'm a specilaist nurse who works in head and neck oncology and hope it's ok to join you guys. Didn't know this site existed, am impressed at the level of support you give each other and will definitely advise patients to take a look. Does any one out there attend a support group? I am looking to set one up in my area and wondered what would best suit patients needs.

Keep smiling

Welcome to the board - I am new here too and helping my dad through his treatments - I love your idea of an in person support but may be ahrd since folks are so busy and sick during this process but still a great option - Welcome!

Hi Bernie

I belonged to a support group at the hospital where I was treated but ended up leaving it after a year or so because very little of what they covered applied to me. I'm in my forties, female, and a tongue cancer survivor. The core group were older, male and throat cancer survivors. Most of the meetings revolved around the latest in artificial voice boxes, complications from rt and chemo (I didn't need either, so I have no related complications) and discussions of the annual laryngectomee "convention" (i.e., how the preparations are going and who was planning to attend, or talking about who actually had been there as either a conventioneer or as a merchant). I think there is too much variation in this group of cancers to have such a thing as a h&n support group as a whole.

I've subsequently joined a cancer survivors' writing group and found it much more to my liking.

Sorry for ranting.

Julia

Hi Bernie and welcome to the boards. Great idea for a support group. What we need is for more hospitals to send thier patients to this site. I like many others on here found this site by accident. When my son had his cancer last year I could not have got through it as well as I did without this site. Here was where I found the answers to our questions & such tremendous support.

Mum
xx

Hi Bernie, welcome. I didn't find the site until way after my treatment ended. I was 28 when I was diagnosed and although I never went to a support group, a lot of the info about h&n cancer seemed to be geared towards older people. Hagg.

Hi Bernie,

My mum (tongue cancer survivor) attends a group called Croakies in Bradford. There's a link to it here on this website. I am sure someone from that group would be able to give you an idea of how they went about it.

My mum 15 months post-op, still attends and gets great benefit from it.

Link: Support Groups