The Colon Club

I spent last weekend building out a very basic blog and populating all the Facebook posts that we made in our private group, so that public audiences would be able to see updates from the past 3 and a half years.

Thought there would be about 50 posts - there are more like 135!!

I remember how desperate I was to Google patients who looked just like me in the wake of my first diagnosis; and I'd love to build out some additional content about the kinds of things that were useful.

Maybe a full page of: WHAT NOT TO SAY TO A CANCER PATIENT

For anyone who would like to poke around, one thing that would be valuable is figuring out what kind of tags I want on the posts. Things like HAI pump seem obvious; curious what other things people might specifically want to search for info about - so feel free to weigh in if you have thoughts? Maybe there is an administrator of this forum who would know common search terms!

www.weareallmadeofstars.net

What other things were you looking for when you first got diagnosed? Besides proof that you would live, that is?

ginabeewell wrote: ...I remember how desperate I was to Google patients who looked just like me in the wake of my first diagnosis; and I'd love to build out some additional content about the kinds of things that were useful.

Maybe a full page of: WHAT NOT TO SAY TO A CANCER PATIENT
...

Ginabeewell -

Thanks a lot for posting the link to your new blog-post website! I'm sure this resource will be useful to a lot of CRC patients.

If you are looking for additional content on WHAT NOT TO SAY TO A CANCER PATIENT you can get some ideas from this post:

https://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=53204&p=420586&#p420586

Take care ...

Peregrine wrote:

ginabeewell wrote: ...I remember how desperate I was to Google patients who looked just like me in the wake of my first diagnosis; and I'd love to build out some additional content about the kinds of things that were useful.

Maybe a full page of: WHAT NOT TO SAY TO A CANCER PATIENT
...

Ginabeewell -

Thanks a lot for posting the link to your new blog-post website! I'm sure this resource will be useful to a lot of CRC patients.

If you are looking for additional content on WHAT NOT TO SAY TO A CANCER PATIENT you can get some ideas from this post:

https://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=53204&p=420586&#p420586

Take care ...

Well if this isn’t a wealth of information! And a great reminder that different patients need different kinds of support (sometimes in the same day). Appreciate this, thank you!

Bravo!!! Such detailed stories are what give people hope, thank you for sharing yours this way.

Ginabeewell -

I think the next step would be for you to put a link to your blog website in your signature. That would give viewers here an easy access to your Facebook blog posts.

The link for editing your signature is here:

https://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/ucp.php?i=ucp_profile&mode=signature

The link to your blog website is here:

http://www.weareallmadeofstars.net/

Thank you - I hadn’t thought of that, but it’s a great idea. I think this weekend we will put a bit more time into polishing it up before we make it any more “public.” This audience is my official beta test. : )

But so appreciative of thoughts and feedback as I migrate it from something that was set up to be useful for me and make it useful for other people!

On the bottom of our index page HERE
just under the topics list you will find a set of drop down menus
which defaults to All Posts ... Post Time ... Descending

IF you want to try searching the middle drop down for :
Replies
Subjects
Reviews

you may get some info for what has been popular and searchable here.

I have not found any other forum metrics as yet, which identify the actual search parameters or lists from prior search requests ...

Your "BLOG" is a great resource and please list it in your signature here ... AND ... give the CTalk forum a shout out on your BLOG !

Cheers and best wishes
CRguy

ginabeewell wrote:... What other things were you looking for when you first got diagnosed? Besides proof that you would live, that is?

Ginabeewell -

• The FightCRC organization has done a survey of "unmet needs" of newly diagnosed CRC patients. Here is a list of their main findings:
  
  

  1. Family and caregiver support, that recognizes unique aspects of caring for a CRC patient.
  2. Understanding of side effects at time of diagnosis (chemotherapy, medical marijuana, medication interactions, and ostomy support)
  3. Increased communication and coordination with care teams, especially with patient navigators
  4. Better explanations  of intricacies of cancer diagnosis and care
  5. Access to CRC resources, particularly for those within a specific age group, gender identity, cancer stage, race, ethnicity, etc.
  6. Mental and behavioral support, including counseling and therapy.
  7. Understanding of palliative care, medication adherence, maintenance therapy, and ending treatment.
  8. Treatment and survivorship care, access to plans and supportive care beyond treatment, tools to utilize complementary health and manage cancer as a chronic disease.
  9. Information around genetics. Clinicians to provide information and offer genetic testing.
  10. Help with understanding research, risk/recurrence, and legal support/employment.
  
  Reference: https://fightcolorectalcancer.org/wp-co ... _12.20.pdf

  
  
• And here is a thread with other lists of newcomer needs:
  
  Facts and to-do list for "newcomers"
  https://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1855&p=488742#p488742

Peregrine wrote:

ginabeewell wrote:... What other things were you looking for when you first got diagnosed? Besides proof that you would live, that is?

Ginabeewell -

• The FightCRC organization has done a survey of "unmet needs" of newly diagnosed CRC patients. Here is a list of their main findings:
  
  

  1. Family and caregiver support, that recognizes unique aspects of caring for a CRC patient.
  2. Understanding of side effects at time of diagnosis (chemotherapy, medical marijuana, medication interactions, and ostomy support)
  3. Increased communication and coordination with care teams, especially with patient navigators
  4. Better explanations  of intricacies of cancer diagnosis and care
  5. Access to CRC resources, particularly for those within a specific age group, gender identity, cancer stage, race, ethnicity, etc.
  6. Mental and behavioral support, including counseling and therapy.
  7. Understanding of palliative care, medication adherence, maintenance therapy, and ending treatment.
  8. Treatment and survivorship care, access to plans and supportive care beyond treatment, tools to utilize complementary health and manage cancer as a chronic disease.
  9. Information around genetics. Clinicians to provide information and offer genetic testing.
  10. Help with understanding research, risk/recurrence, and legal support/employment.
  
  Reference: https://fightcolorectalcancer.org/wp-co ... _12.20.pdf

  
  
• And here is a thread with other lists of newcomer needs:
  
  Facts and to-do list for "newcomers"
  https://coloncancersupport.colonclub.com/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1855&p=488742#p488742

Thanks, this is actually super helpful - and inspiring new ideas!
I think one of the things I need to figure out is what to include - and what NOT to include; there are plenty of things in the list above that represent topics I have no business sharing perspective upon!

Also working to clean up the functionality and navigation of the site, which has been a learning process to be sure. Until I'm ready to add to my signature, her is a link to the "favorite posts" section that links to some of what I think are the best:

https://www.weareallmadeofstars.net/copy-of-about

ginabeewell wrote:... But so appreciative of thoughts and feedback as I migrate it from something that was set up to be useful for me and make it useful for other people!

Ginabeewell -

I read your current draft of "My Favorite Posts" and it looks very good to me. I like the way it is written. It succinctly summarizes your Stage IV journey, and it clarifies why you chose the title "We Are All Made of Stars" when you set up your blog web-site.

I do have some other comments, though, pertaining to your objective to "make it useful for other people".

My main question is: What kinds of "other people" do you expect will read your blog, and how are they ever going to be able to find this blog site given that a Google search for "We Are All Made of Stars" shows a number of other links with the very same title that have nothing to do with cancer?

There are two books on Amazon with the very same title as your blog site, and neither one of them is about cancer. Then there are references to a Youtube video with the same title as your blog site, and this video has been accessed over two and a half million times since it was first uploaded in 2009.

My concern is that your blog site might not get the attention it deserves if it is overshadowed by a host of other Google-search results with the same keywords. Do you have a plan for how you are going to make your blog site noticeable and accessible to your expected group of viewers?




We Are All Made of Stars (e-book novel) by "Rowan Coleman"
https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-All-Made- ... 017G7IVT6/

We Are All Made of Stars (e-book sheet music) by "Moby"
https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-All-Made- ... 00COA8OYS/

We Are All Made of Stars (musical video) by "Moby"
https://youtu.be/x1rFAaAKpVc

Peregrine wrote:Ginabeewell -

I read your current draft of "My Favorite Posts" and it looks very good to me. I like the way it is written. It succinctly summarizes your Stage IV journey, and it clarifies why you chose the title "We Are All Made of Stars" when you set up your blog web-site.

I do have some other comments, though, pertaining to your objective to "make it useful for other people".

My main question is: What kinds of "other people" do you expect will read your blog, and how are they ever going to be able to find this blog site given that a Google search for "We Are All Made of Stars" shows a number of other links with the very same title that have nothing to do with cancer?

There are two books on Amazon with the very same title as your blog site, and neither one of them is about cancer. Then there are references to a Youtube video with the same title as your blog site, and this video has been accessed over two and a half million times since it was first uploaded in 2009.

My concern is that your blog site might not get the attention it deserves if it is overshadowed by a host of other Google-search results with the same keywords. Do you have a plan for how you are going to make your blog site noticeable and accessible to your expected group of viewers?




We Are All Made of Stars (e-book novel) by "Rowan Coleman"
https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-All-Made- ... 017G7IVT6/

We Are All Made of Stars (e-book sheet music) by "Moby"
https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-All-Made- ... 00COA8OYS/

We Are All Made of Stars (musical video) by "Moby"
https://youtu.be/x1rFAaAKpVc

Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback. Definitely considered whether we would want to rename when we migrated from Facebook to a blog; and decided to keep it for the time being as I have ~600 regular readers there.

My husband and I both work in marketing - he is a creative while I’m in media - and know we will need to work on the SEO to ensure people who are looking for info can find it. My guess is that the people who seek it out will be primarily other cancer patients; but my current “audience” and those who seem most engaged in the content are not patients.

I’ll be honest - I’m not too sure whether what I write and share will have appeal beyond other patients, or what would draw them in if they don’t know me personally.

So right now, I’m less concerned about trying to build an audience and more focused on making sure that anyone who is actively looking can find it.

At some point, there may be other things I do: I have thoughts about a book, an app, and even more out there ideas! I think for any of those to succeed, I’ll need more unique names. : )