Guest blog: Sheena Horner, The Farming Community Network: #NipItInTheBud

By Sheena Horner, The Farming Community Network:

It takes courage to trust your instincts about your health and seek help early. Catherine Drummond-Herdman's honest and open video, created through a partnership between The Farming Community Network (FCN) and Farmstrong Scotland, shows exactly why that matters, and is all part of the #NipItInTheBud campaign by FCN and The Rural Communities Project by Macmillan.

Catherine, a farmer from Megginch near Perth, shared her story of feeling apprehensive about going to get checked when she suspected she might have cancer, what she found most difficult when she was diagnosed, and what helped her get through the early days and her long treatment period.

Catherine’s courage in sharing her story matters because cancer is something that affects so many families. You might not think it now, especially if it hasn’t yet, but unfortunately the stats say that 1 in 2 of you will be affected by cancer. So, let’s ensure that if it does affect you that you #NipItInTheBud 

When you notice or feel something different or unusual then phone your doctor and make sure you get an appointment. The sooner you reach out and get a diagnosis, if it is cancer, the sooner you will start treatment and the better chance you will have of survival.

But we don’t just want you to #NipItInTheBud, we want you to tell us your cancer journey – the good and the bad. We want to feedback those conversations we have had with you, let others know any challenges YOU have faced, so we may help others.

Rural cancer challenges are real:

• Getting there: no public transport, no available hotels or if there are they are too expensive, no accessible flights, journeys taking over a day to receive treatment?
• Getting care: Can’t get an appointment, no one to talk to?
• Keeping things running: no one to look after your shop while you receive treatment, no one to look after your livestock, no one to care for your crops, no one to catch the fish, no one to drive your taxi and the wider implications of that to others in the community?
• Getting support: loved ones can’t support or travel with you due to cost implications?

We can’t resolve this overnight, but we can collect all this data and feed it back to those that can make a difference and have a greater understanding of our rural communities. Let’s not make living in a rural community a barrier, let’s ensure that those who work and live in our communities have the same route to diagnosis and treatment as others.

Like myself, Catherine believes in the power of community, and shared her wellbeing, cancer and farming experience while she welcomed Farmstrong Scotland and The Scottish Rural Leadership Programme to a joint networking event to explore her home and gardens at Megginch Castle.

“Farmstrong shows how important it is for our social wellbeing that we connect with each other; connecting within a small community and then in your wider community. You just never know what you might say that could help someone else, and hearing other people discussing their situations is really beneficial” shared Catherine.

If you would like to give feedback on your own cancer experience, we’d be delighted if you could complete this survey and please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you would like to chat.

Together we can and will #NipItInTheBud

Get in touch:

The FCN Scotland team are available to visit your community or business, offering informal chats and presentations to educate people on the signs of cancer, and discuss services and support options.

You can contact the FCN Scotland team directly, via email: sheena@fcn.org.uk 

We would also encourage you to sign up to our monthly newsletter to keep up-to-

date on our campaign and resources available to you: https://fcn.org.uk/newsletter-scotland

The Macmillan Support Line is available on 0808 808 00 00, seven days a week,

8am to 8pm