Meet & Chat Update

Did you know the EGFR+ group holds a monthly Meet and Chat on Zoom? Members from all over the UK (and sometimes further!) meet online to share experiences in an informal and very supportive space. The chats are held on the last Monday of the month at 10am and last for an hour or so, although people can come and go as they need to. Lizzi and Maria do a grand job of hosting them, involving everyone who wishes to speak, although the conversations often flow very organically. There tends to be between 8 and 15 people joining in each month.

The chats are an opportunity to share how things are going with each other. No question is silly; people support and answer from their own experiences. It’s a chance to share the scary and fun times, any niggly worries or some deep thoughts.

Topics that often come up include coping with side effects, different treatments and trials and the frequency of scans. The importance of our own well-being is often discussed, with tips about diet and exercise being shared as well as different ways to cope with stress and anxiety, including breath work and mindfulness.

Holidays are another regular topic of conversation as well as fundraising achievements and advocacy work that has been going on, but all topics, questions and experiences are welcomed.

It’s a good way to put faces to the names that pop up on the Facebook page and it can be very reassuring to speak to other people who “get it”, even if we might all be going through different experiences. It’s a time where you can be yourself in a safe space, share a laugh and a smile and realise that you are not alone.

Whether it’s simply sharing what’s been going on, getting practical tips or receiving emotional support, we try to have interesting chats in an inclusive safe environment where the subjects are really helpful and hopefully everyone always comes away from them feeling inspired and encouraged in some way.

The Zoom details are in the events tab on our Facebook page and a reminder also gets posted about a week beforehand. Everyone is really welcome. We hope to see you at the next one which is on Monday 29th January at 10am😊

**Just a quick reminder too that the Facebook page itself is also a safe space where everyone will support you with any queries, worries or experiences you want to share. The search facility can also be useful to find information about general questions.

By Nicola Wood and Maria Elliott