Having cancer can be a lonely experience, and it’s not always so easy to find others with a similar diagnosis. Even if you could, you might not always want to talk about everything face to face.
Sometimes an online discussion board is just what you need.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s (LLS) discussion boards, where people can post messages under a pseudonym and read others’ responses, can be particularly helpful for anyone who has a hard time getting out, can’t find a local support group, or has a less common diagnosis. LLS’s boards offer more than two dozen topics to choose from, including “Newly Diagnosed,” “Young Adults,” “My Child Has Cancer,” a caregiver “lounge,” and individual boards for each blood cancer diagnosis.
By tapping into a much larger community, not bound by geography, you’re more likely to find someone meeting specific criteria or who had a similar experience, according to LLS Information Specialist Rebecca Herman, who recommends the boards as another option for support.
“They can be a good way to find others going through a similar experience and research concrete information and resources,” Herman said. “And if you’re not comfortable discussing something, this allows you to be anonymous and not have to look someone in the eye.”