IAN Butler sadly lost his wife Janet to cancer seven months ago and unsurprisingly it has been a very difficult time in his life.

But through the tough challenges of caring and loss he's found tremendous comfort and friendship in the Cancer Support Centre, based at Sheffield's Weston Park Hospital.

Janet was being treated for pancreatic cancer at Weston Park Hospital's when they first spotted the centre after arriving early for a medical appointment.

The couple, both 53, decided to have a look inside and met the friendly staff and after a cup of tea and a chat the couple were told to call in again if they ever wanted to.

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Some time passed and Janet's health became worse. And it was when she was having a session of chemotherapy at Weston Park that Ian realised he desperately needed someone to talk to.

"By this time I didn't know which way to go, I was in a mess. I had to do something," said Ian. "How I got from the hospital to the support centre I don't know, I was in a whirl."

When Ian arrived at the door of the support centre he was greeted by the centre manager, Karen Holmes. Seeking out help turned out to be a positive decision as from that day on, Ian has continued visiting the centre, built strong bonds with the staff and found consolation in the support and advice it has given him.

"If we hadn't found this place I don't know what I would have done. It's my bolt hole," said Ian, a father of two.

Karen introduced Ian to the carer's course run by the Cancer Support Centre. At first he was reluctant to attend the course but with a little persuasion from Karen he eventually gave it a try.

After he had gained so much from the course, Ian wished he had joined sooner and as he said: "I'm glad I did it. I enjoyed it".

The four week carers course offers helpful advice for the wellbeing of both the carer and the patient.

In a friendly group setting professionals provide practical tips to help make life more manageable while carer's share experiences with each other. Topics include how to cope with emotional stress and anxiety, advice on how to defuse an argument and how identifying the signs of stress can make it easier to manage.

The part of the course that Ian found most beneficial was the communication session. He and Janet had previously had a bad experience with an insensitive consultant at the hospital but after the communication session at the carer's course, Ian had the confidence to question professionals and became more assertive.

Other topics covered in the carer's course programme include healthy eating and low appetites, coping with tiredness, benefits advice and holiday planning.

Ian found talking to other people on the course in a similar situation to himself constructive and he soon found someone who shared his interests such as walking in the countryside.

Karen Holmes took Ian's hobbies and interests into account when he wanted to give something back to the centre.
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