Wessex Cancer Support has been a lifeline for us as a couple

Roger and Lyn felt isolated when Roger’s chemotherapy for prostate cancer ended. They share how our support helped them through as a couple.

“We’ve equally benefitted,” Lyn tells me from her and Roger’s home on the Isle of Wight. “When Roger was having hospital treatment for prostate cancer we were part of a club, but when that finished we were on our own and it was incredibly isolating. There was still lots going on for us, but the support we’d been receiving at the hospital was gone. We could feel the tension bubbling away, but there was no way of letting it out.

“One day, we were reading the newspaper and came across an article advertising an open day at Wessex Cancer Support’s Isle of Wight cancer support centre. We popped in for a coffee and a chat and it immediately felt like the pressure started to release. The centre is an oasis of calm and you surround yourselves with people who know where you’re coming from.”

Roger and Lyn both spoke to Phil, our wellbeing coordinator, who listened to their individual concerns and needs and put together a tailored package of support for them. Roger had massages and Reiki, and Lyn had Reiki, which she describes as ‘brilliant.’ They both had individual counselling sessions to help them work through their unique feelings and emotions.

“We think it’s fantastic that Wessex Cancer Support can be there for both of us,” Roger says. “We now feel much better able to deal with what life throws at us – for example looking after our elderly parents and dealing with my ongoing hormone therapy. Because of the support we’ve received, we really want to use our experiences to help others and so we now volunteer with the charity. It’s lovely to be able to use our experiences and give back.”

“It’s such a positive experience visiting the centre,” says Roger. “Everyone is incredibly welcoming and friendly, and the Reiki and massage sessions have been so beneficial. It’s been a real lifeline for us as a couple and we’d urge anyone to pop in, have a cup of tea and give it a try.”