Living with Cancer - free mini-manual

Cancer is serious stuff so let’s get that settled right now.

The good news is vastly more men will survive cancer than will fall to it. Not a lot of men know this.

Men are expected to be strong, tough and able to cope with anything that life throws at them. In truth, no matter whether they are John Wayne or Steve McQueen (both of whom had cancer), men will feel confused, upset and even desolate when faced with cancer. Just talking to other people about it is not easy, especially when it’s family. Having someone to talk to is important, and they don’t always have to be your best mate. Just talking helps you cope. Don’t knock it, human compassion is still out there, and more to the point, there are people and organisations who can help.

If you are here are lost of questions you'll be wanting an answer to. For instance:

• What happens to me now?
• Who do I speak to if I have any concerns?
• Is there a support group available?
• I am worried about the cancer returning, how can I help avoid this and recognise it if it does?
• How do I cope with physical and emotional changes?
• How can I get in touch with self help groups?
• What is the best way of getting counselling for myself and for those who care for me?
• Who should I talk to about money?
• If I think the cancer may have returned after treatment is over, what do I do?

The first thing to do is to download Dr Ian Banks' mini manual Surviving Cancer - a free download on this site. This is the place where you can start answering these questions.