'I urge you to keep an open mind and go for it!'

‘The worst that can happen is you’ll have a cup of tea and a biscuit with someone lovely’

We understand that taking the first steps towards accessing cancer support can feel daunting. You, or someone you know, may have even come into one of our support centres and turned back because you weren’t sure if it would be right for you, or what it would be like.

Our client, Simon, has been visiting our Isle of Wight support centre, and shares his thoughts…

“I’d walked past Wessex Cancer Support’s support centre on the Isle of Wight many times, and so when I was diagnosed with stomach cancer, which later spread to my liver, I was keen to find out how they could help. I’ve worked in business my whole life and I guess you could say I’m a bit of a hard-nosed professional, but I didn’t feel that I had to tell myself I had to keep my chin up and get on with it. Cancer is a completely different ball game and I was open-minded to the support I could access.

“The support centre is the kind of place you can just pop in any time. It’s very cosy and comfortable and you can just sit in peace and quiet with a cup of tea and a biscuit if that’s what you need. I’m very receptive to the idea of complementary therapy  and found Reiki (a gentle energy therapy which helps trigger the body’s relaxation response), gave me peace – as did counselling and massage. The people are what make it. They’re all kind souls – the salt of the earth, and they make you feel special and not alone. I spoke to a lovely chap called Phil and we worked out what combination of support would work best for me; and Laura, who runs the Isle of Wight support centre, and her team are all wonderful.”

I’m not quite sure what the future holds. Cured is the dream, of course, but in the meantime Wessex Cancer Support is there, picking me up with kindness and showing me a way to live with it.

“If you’ve got cancer, you’re coming to terms with life after it, are supporting someone who has it or are bereaved and are experiencing thoughts and feelings you’re not used to, I urge you to keep an open mind about accessing cancer support. To me, it’s simple – go for it! The worst that can happen is you’ll have a cup of tea and a biscuit with someone lovely. What do you have to lose?”