People with lung cancer have to cope with many difficulties, including the side effects of treatments. Strained social relationships, stigmatisation and financial problems may also add to the stress of having the disease, and support is needed.
Most people received support from family and friends. (See 'How it affects family and friends').
Many hospitals provide emotional support, and some hospitals have day centres where patients can get information and advice, eat lunch, socialise, take part in various activities, benefit from complementary therapies, and get their hair done.
At first she wasn't aware of the excellent support that was available within the hospital.
At first she wasn't aware of the excellent support that was available within the hospital.
Age at interview: 55
Sex: Female
Age at diagnosis: 55
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Yes I think I've had some very, very good support but I was not always aware of all the support that was available. I was given quite a lot of literature about sort of alternative things you could do like aromatherapy, and it was the Richard Dimbleby literature I think, it's very good literature, but the actual support within the oncology unit I sort of wasn't aware of that in the first instance, because I suppose they thought I wasn't a prime candidate for it. But there is lots of support there and I think it's worth looking and it's worth asking and it's worth thinking about, not from the aromatherapy point of view but from the talk to somebody point of view - if that is what would suit you and ring up and have a chat about this, that and the other. There are nurses available and I didn't realise that for some time.
That's good. Is there a support group that you could go to if you wanted to, a group of other patients?
Of patients, I think there probably is but again I haven't been offered that as sort of verbally, it might be within the literature I think for the hospital, I think there probably is. I personally don't think I would find that very helpful.
Describes the support she receives when she visits the day hospice.
Describes the support she receives when she visits the day hospice.
Age at interview: 46
Sex: Female
Age at diagnosis: 45
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The day hospice for my age group was, is always a Friday but my chemotherapy was always a Friday, so I was supposed to go last Friday but I'd had the bronchoscopy on the Thursday and was just feeling awful and couldn't go. But this Friday I'm going to go and I'm really looking forward to it because they do all the complementary therapies there, and I can get my hair done there, and I am really looking forward to it. And they do art as a therapy and I've got all my art things that I will take with me and have a play with my paint and brushes there.
In many parts of the country patients and nurses have started support groups for people with lung cancer and their families.
She encouraged a nurse to set up a support group which has been a great success.
She encouraged a nurse to set up a support group which has been a great success.
Age at interview: 53
Sex: Female
Age at diagnosis: 50
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That support group, I wish it had been there when I had mine diagnosed. After I had the 'all clear' I said to my husband, "I feel I ought to put something back." So I wrote a letter to the lung cancer specialist nurse and said to her, "Is there any way I can help by perhaps talking to patients who are going through the same thing or just before they go to surgery or is there anything I can do, please let me know." She wrote back to me and said she wanted to do a focus group where people could talk about their experiences. From this focus group myself and two other ladies expressed a desire for there to be a carers' group or care group, support group, in our area because there wasn't one. The nurse took this very much to heart when she went back and did her utmost to try and get one set up because we'd said there was definitely a need for it. It's been going now I think about twelve months and it's a great success and it's just wonderful. To be able to go there, I mean as I say I'm one of the lucky ones but to go there and talk to people who are just going through it now, or unfortunately like some of them are terminal, but we have a laugh and we support each other and it's nice to know other people feel the same way as you do. A marvellous thing - I wish it had been there when I, I mean that's another thing I couldn't approach the nurse, but if I'd have seen an advertisement for a support group I would've gone along to that definitely.
Many people said that joining a support group had helped their recovery. One woman looks forward to the monthly meetings because she meets others in a similar situation, has learnt from their experiences, and had 'quite a good laugh'. A man said that his depression had lifted after he joined a group.
She enjoys her support group and says people's partners can go too.
She enjoys her support group and says people's partners can go too.
Age at interview: 64
Sex: Female
Age at diagnosis: 57
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But this is why I think the support groups are very good as well, the lung cancer support group that I'm a member of. Until I went there I'd never met anyone with lung cancer before, to my knowledge anyway, and it was lovely you know we just meet once a month and it's lovely going. And we just have a right good laugh. You know I mean sometimes some of us aren't feeling too good and we all cheer each other a little bit and we have different speakers come and talk about different things you know and what have you, but it's nice. You know we do have people say "Oh a load of people with lung cancer sat round a table, how horrible," but it isn't like that at all, we all have quite a good laugh. And our husbands and partners go you know and we have a cup of tea and a biscuit and a chat and everything and it's really good. I quite enjoy going there, it's lovely, and it's a right good centre.
Other people talked with enthusiasm about their support group activities. They recalled helpful talks, for example on financial benefits and complementary therapies. They also mentioned parties, quizzes, visits to the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation, raffles and other fund raising activities.
Explains how the support group can help patients and their partners.
Explains how the support group can help patients and their partners.
Age at interview: 57
Sex: Male
Age at diagnosis: 57
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And there are the people that stay away that do, do adequately or fine, and I'm sure there are people that stay away that would do a hell of a lot better if they didn't stay away because there's so much support of all sorts. And the one thing it doesn't do, it's not morbid and it doesn't feel sorry for itself and it's not you know, we're all in this cancer club because we're all dying, you know it's not like that at all, it's a great laugh, we have a raffle, we have a good laugh. We obviously say you know, sorry for the person that's gone and if that person's spouse turns up that time we say sorry to them, if they don't come till the next time we say sorry, if they never come again they don't have to. But it's like this lady's husband he comes now because he knows what it's like to lose somebody, namely his wife, so he then says to somebody else "Well if you do this, that and the other it makes you feel a bit better. And I went away for a few days and that took my mind off it a bit." They tell you all what's best to claim, how is the best way to claim unemployment benefit or incapacity benefit. We have a different person come now each month, it's one day a month for an hour and a half, we have a lady come from the pensions bureau that tells you about pensions or one that tells you the best things to claim, what you can claim according to your age and your sex and all that sort of thing. We have people offering alternative therapies, which for instance a very important thing to know, and I didn't know it, aromatherapy oils, an oil that you stick in the bath and bath in, very, very lovely - oh no not if you're on chemotherapy. You must never use an aromatherapy oil whilst you're on chemotherapy.
One man valued his support group because the lung cancer nurse had plenty of time to talk to him, unlike when he attends his surgery.
He values the time that the nurse spends with him at the support group.
He values the time that the nurse spends with him at the support group.
Age at interview: 66
Sex: Male
Age at diagnosis: 64
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What sort of things do you do at the support group?
Mainly talk to each other. We mainly, we meet at the support group, it's just a lot of talking to each other and it's a matter of having this nurse with us. She's a lung cancer nurse and she can talk to us all, she's the sort of nurse that you can go and talk to and she's got time to talk to you, that's what I like. And you know up until I met this nurse none of the other nurses had got time. It seems as if they'd got a set time to talk to you and once that time was up that was it, finished. But she hasn't got a time limit when you talk to her. It's the same with the GP, the GP that I'm under, when we visit our GP I think our time limit is five minutes, and if you want to talk to him about anything extra, we have to book a double appointment, for ten minutes of talking time. And that's our GP that is. And it happens with all the family that does. So really you can't go down and hold a conversation with the GP for any length of time because he's got his limits there like you know.
Do you want to say a bit more about the support group?
Yes the Lung Cancer Support Group it's, I advise anybody that suffers with lung cancer to join one of these support groups because even we're only, there's only about ten or twelve of us goes to this group but it's the attitude of the other people. And we don't just talk about lung cancer all the time, we have a laugh and a joke. Our families can come with us, in fact they do, my wife comes with me and the other members, their wives and husbands come with them. And occasionally we have the support nurse, she brings a physio with her to advise us on different things or we have somebody come and tell us how to get some extra money off the social if we can (laughs).
A number of people interviewed here had not joined a support group. Some said that they hadn't needed one because they had enough support from family and friends. Others imagined that the groups might be rather depressing, while a few said that they preferred to keep their illness private or that they preferred to forget about it. One man said that he did not think there was a support group in his area and another man was too busy caring for his wife to consider other activities.
Says that he has not joined a support group because he has had wonderful support from family and friends.
Says that he has not joined a support group because he has had wonderful support from family and friends.
Age at interview: 54
Sex: Male
Age at diagnosis: 54
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Have you ever thought of joining a support group or have been told about a support group or anything like that?
I did get some information from, I'm not sure whether I can mention the name, but, can I mention the name, of the Bristol Cancer Help Centre? I got some information from them. I don't feel the need to join a support group at the moment mainly because I think I've got a support group. My wife in particular. She's not a group on her own, of course. My wife, my children, other relatives, colleagues. You know, colleagues at, sent me cards, they've come round and, and so on. So I, I feel that I've got a support network. You know, and as I said earlier, I've, I've had cards from current students who I will be going to see and I will thank them for that. And from ex-students, which is, you know, that's great.
For more information sources see our Resources and information page.
Last reviewed May 2016.
Last updated May 2016.
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