We asked women who attended the Macclesfield Moving Forward course in February 2025 to tell us how they felt about the course and what it brought to their lives.
Kate
In December 2023, I was told I had breast cancer. Over the next 12 months, I spent week after week having chemotherapy and immunotherapy, then surgery, then radiotherapy, more immunotherapy and a couple of 2-week-long stays at The Christie in Manchester, fighting infections.
During that whole period, I took things one day at a time. I went to every blood test, consultant appointment and treatment with the hope and understanding that if I just did as I was told, it would all be okay. I was being looked after by multiple teams of amazing people. Walking into the Christie at Macclesfield week after week felt like I was being enveloped in a great big NHS hug.
But then what? After my final radiotherapy I met my surgeon, and was told that that was the last of my appointments until the end of 2025, when I would have the first of my annual mammograms.
It was at this point I started to feel lost. Is it gone? Will it come back? How will I know? What if…? What if…? What if…? Carrying on as normal meant going back to the way everything was in 2023, but how was that possible? I had been through a trauma but couldn’t - didn’t - want to keep talking to my friends about it. Though they tried, they could never really understand.
Then I received an email from Breast Cancer Now, inviting me to their Moving Forward course. “Why not?” I thought.
I am so glad I went. There’s nothing like 12 women in a room talking boobs, horrible experiences and feeling alone to bring out the camaraderie, laughter and tears. Here I was being hugged again. I was not alone. We all got it. We all felt the same. It was both hugely reassuring and uplifting.
At the end of the second session anybody who wanted to stay in touch was invited to send me their phone number so I could set up a WhatsApp group. Everybody sent it.
Since then, mixed groups of us have met multiple times, with the cafe of choice ringing with laughter, shared hugs and reassurance, offered advice or simply offered love. We’ve had one-to-one conversations when it felt helpful, and long group chats going on all day. 3 of our members even popped up in Cheshire Life magazine, enjoying strength-building Nordic Walking.
We’re each other’s cheerleaders, shoulders to cry on, voices of support and love. We may never all be in the same place at the same time again, but we’re here and we’re present. And that’s all that matters.
Helen
I thought I was doing OK. I had friends and family supporting me, I'd finished treatment and the outcome was positive. I went to the Moving Forward group anyway, because I thought I might as well.
Here, I met these incredible women, all fighting their own breast cancer battles, each trying to navigate their own journeys without much of a road map.
That's when I found the difference it makes, being with others who really know how it is. Having breast cancer, enduring the treatment, facing life when you come out on the other side - that's only part of the story.
Something changes when you hear that diagnosis. And even if we’re the more fortunate ones, it takes years to be declared, medically, "cancer free". I don’t know how long it takes for the brain or heart to believe it. The physical effects can last a lifetime.
It isn't easy to explain it, but with these women, there was no need to. It's understood - even when it's different, we still know how it is.
We have kept in touch and met up when possible. We talk and support each other in all parts of life and especially in key milestones.
Even if life takes us in other directions in the future, I know absolutely that this group of friends will always be very, very special.
Mel
Being diagnosed with breast cancer is a shock and everybody responds differently. When I heard the words “you have breast cancer”, I went into practical mode, researching my condition, treatment and prognosis.
I got through the mastectomy, reconstructive surgery, lymph node clearance, sepsis and radiotherapy. Then it hit me, a sense of loss for the person I was before. I felt adrift and unsure of myself.
The worst part of the whole thing was the feeling of “now what?” My whole world had been turned upside down, but suddenly the safety net of the hospital appointments and frequent contact, the incredible care delivered by the NHS (at Macclesfield, Wythenshawe and The Christie, Manchester) just melted away: “We’ll see you at your next mammogram - in 12 months.”
Going along to the Moving Forward meeting with other women who had been through a similar experience was invaluable. I realised how essential it is to have the support and understanding you can get only from other women who have ‘been there’. It was clear that Breast Cancer Now understood this too as they welcomed us to our first meeting, which focused on embracing our new normal.
We are very fortunate to have a lovely bunch of ladies in our group. We have met up a number of times and support each other on WhatsApp. And not always about breast cancer-related troubles. We’ve been there through job changes, house moves, the loss of a friend and lots of fun stuff too, celebrating each other’s achievements. I certainly look forward to our regular catch ups.
We are all unique women who together are stronger and are moving forwards after breast cancer.
Jacqui
When I received my invitation to join the Moving Forward course I felt that this would not be "a thing for me". But, at the same time, I had so many concerns around my experience with cancer that I couldn't share with friends and family, nor that I could bother the doctor or nurses with.
At our first meeting we all shared our diagnosis and medical experiences. It was a relief to share our fears and know that others understood the journey, even if theirs had been slightly different.
The second meeting really was the best. We all laughed a lot, shared personal experiences and felt more comfortable with each other. I enjoyed the sessions and welcomed keeping in touch with each other after the course.
It is a support network when questions come up about aftercare and emotional needs. It’s also reassuring to know that life goes on and we can get back to 'normal'.
Want to find out more about Moving Forward?
Through supportive, open conversations in a safe, confidential space, our Moving Forward courses connect you with people, like Kate, Helen, Mel and Jaqui, who understand what you’re going through.