How did you first hear about The Wellbeing Space, and what made you decide to come along?

"A friend who'd been through treatment at the same time as me first recommended The Wellbeing Space. I also had Kate, one of the founders, as a counsellor during treatment, who referred me. I’m so pleased that I decided to go along."

Can you share a memorable moment or experience from The Wellbeing Space?

"The most meaningful thing was meeting people I could connect with - like-minded people - and feeling like I could be my true, honest self in those sessions, that nobody would judge me. It was probably the first time I could really express myself without holding back because I was worried about upsetting family or friends, because you’re protecting people a lot of the time. I could say how I really felt - which was often that cancer felt very unfair. It allowed me to get everything out that was inside me. From that point of view, I think it's probably the time where I felt most listened to."

How has being part of the Wellbeing Space made a difference during or after your treatment?

"The courses provided crucial nutritional information when I really needed it. After my diagnosis, I'd developed serious eating issues because social media flooded me with people claiming to know what caused my cancer or would continue to cause it. I was probably the closest I'd ever been to an eating disorder - I didn't want to eat anything. Through the courses, when people shared questionable information, Rachel and Kate would say, 'That's not true' or 'Let's check that with the oncologist.' Having that educated support to counter the misinformation was helpful. It's so much more than just a course - they support you through practical things like returning to work too."

What does being part of this community mean to you?

"For me it's been way more of a mental battle than a physical one. It's a safe place for me - somewhere I can be real. It's a network of supportive people who just get it. I can't stress that enough. I can still text people from the group to say I’m having a bad day, is there anyone around to chat. I've got people who live locally from the group, which has been so nice. It means having people who understand without me having to protect them from my fears - like my fear of dying - because with other friends, they'll say, 'you won't die' and I hope I don't, but that fear is real. And people mean well when they say, ‘just fight it’ and you know, ‘you're so strong, you're so brave’ and I think ‘here I am, but I didn't have a choice, I didn't have a choice to decide whether I was going to be strong or brave’. In the group, people understand that.”

Learn more about cancer treatment and care at The Christie Private Care