Can I ask if this is open to people outside of QLD? ... View more

Thanks Jules! Cheers, Kate (admin team) ... View more

Hi blossum41, Welcome to the community! I just wanted to let you know that we have an Internet Support Group for women who have experienced gynaecological cancers here on Cancer Connections - see http://www.cancerconnections.com.au/groups/gynaecological-cancer This group has monthly facilitated chat sessions, as well as a private blog space - there are several women who have had ovarian cancer in the group - so let's know if you're interested and we can be in touch with more information. Warm Regards, Kate Cancer Connections Admin Team ... View more

Hi Shennanigans, Sorry about that - yes, it was spam and has been deleted. Warm Regards, Kate Cancer Connections Admin Team ... View more

Hi All, It's great to see the connection and support you have been able to share in this space! Just a word of caution regarding sharing your personal contact details such as phone numbers and email addresses - because these spaces are publically viewable, posting this information may result in undesirable contact such as spam or nuisance phone calls. If you would like to share more personal information with other users, we would encourage you to utilise the private messaging function - you can find this at http://www.cancerconnections.com.au/messages. For more information, you might also like to see http://www.cancerconnections.com.au/content/how-use-website Please don't hesitate to get in contact with us if you have any questions (via http://www.cancerconnections.com.au/contact) Warm Regards, Kate Cancer Connections Admin Team ... View more

Thanks so much for bringing this up (here and in other threads) as it allows us to feedback to the Forgotten Cancers team, which we’ve done and they’re very keen to sort this out. We’ll be in touch via private message with each of the people who have raised concerns on this site so we can follow up further – but anyone else with concerns please let us know. Warm Regards, Kate Cancer Connections Admin Team ... View more

Thanks so much for bringing this up as it allows us to feedback to the Forgotten Cancers team, which we’ve done and they’re very keen to sort this out. We’ll be in touch via private message with each of the people who have raised concerns on this site so we can follow up further – but anyone else with concerns please let us know. Warm Regards, Kate Cancer Connections Admin Team ... View more

Hi All, We just wanted to hop in at this point to acknowledge this conversation. Thanks to everyone for sharing your ideas. We very much welcome constructive feedback about how we may be able to improve things at Cancer Connections, and are glad you’ve felt comfortable to talk about that here. The idea of having an online chat facility available 24 hours per day is one that has come up from time to time, and this is a good opportunity for the team to revisit this. Alongside the benefits, some potential issues to consider include how we manage “spam” and other unhelpful interactions and visitors, as well as how to appropriately care for those vulnerable people who have specific support needs. On this basis it’s something we can’t provide an immediate answer to. However we acknowledge your interest and will come back to the community with our thoughts within the next few weeks. If you would like to contribute to this process please contact us at admin@cancerconnections.com.au. It’s also worth mentioning that live chat is a tool that is used in our online groups (see the “Groups” tab above for a list of the current groups available). Some groups use this regularly (e.g. our Advanced Cancer group), others are in the process of starting this up (e.g. our Gynaecological Cancer group). Our online groups are dynamic –we are always in the process of looking at areas of need - and where possible developing new groups in response. New groups to watch out for in coming months include: Malignant brain tumours Younger adult ‘survivors’ Younger adult bereavement In relation to the provision of support via Facebook and other similar sites, these can be a valuable tool in connecting with others. It’s also worthwhile considering however that these sites are first and foremost commercial enterprises. Any content and information you provide can be and is used for market research and targeted advertising. Considering the potential impact on your privacy is crucial when considering using these types of media service. It remains a matter of personal choice as to whether they should be used or not but being aware of the risks should always play a part in your decision. Thanks again for this conversation - let’s keep talking and sharing ideas! Warm Regards, Kate and Felix Cancer Connections Admin Team ... View more

Thank you so much for your kind comments Silly! Speaking personally, it has been such a delight to witness the growth of this community over the years.  I see such wonderful sharing of both emotional support and practical strategies and information in this place - and that is about so much more than the staffing - it's about people like yourself, who keep coming returning to support others. Warmest regards, Kate (and Felix) Cancer Connections Admin Team ... View more