Guidelines for writing stories

We welcome your stories, and to help you to write yours, we have provided the following guidelines for topics you may like to include in your story:

• What were your symptoms and for how long had you had them before seeking help?
• Past significant medical history- any major illnesses or long term conditions?
• How did you seek help?
• How rapidly were you diagnosed?
• Were you referred to an appropriate specialist?
  Private or NHS? (was it necessary to go private?)
• Duration as in-patient and effective discharge instructions?
• Follow-up:
  Help to cope with aftermath: diet, speech therapy, weight loss, stoma care, wound care etc.
• Counselling offered, complementary therapies etc., and by whom?
• Were you given a phone number if problems occurred particularly at weekends or evenings?
• Were your relatives advised of your care and response to emergency situations?
  Any unmet problems?
   

 
Additionally, as a separate section, it would be useful to us if you would provide the following information. This could help with future research into less common cancers.

Obviously this is completely optional, and not necessary for the submission of your story.

• Your location in the country (city, county).
• The hospital(s) you were treated in.
• Whether other family members (state relationship) have had cancer and what type.
• Your place of work or former place of work, and any known exposure to carcinogens.
• The type of work, and your approximate years in it.
• Your home environment, (town, rural, type of heating - gas, oil, solid fuel etc)
• Lifestyle information e.g. smoking, exercise, normal weight, etc.

You can submit your stories to the co-ordinator by email or fax:

• Email: coordinator@rarercancers.org.uk
• Fax: 01227 732145