03Jan 2022 by Ronny Allan No Comments

Ronny Allan

Award winning Neuroendocrine Cancer Patient Advocate. Diagnosed with Metastatic Neuroendocrine Cancer in 2010.

I should be happy with over a quarter of a million views in 2021 but I’m not! Like 2020, my figures are down on previous years as the pandemic seems to have changed viewing habits, not to mention my own bandwidth during this period. I created my private Facebook group not that long before the pandemic started, and I think that has been playing a part as huge chunks of my time has been taken up on that special project. I also changed the nature and the type of posts on my “Ronny Allan” Facebook page, which led to fewer outlets for my blog posts. Hopefully, 2022 will be a better year.

However, just as I was totally astonished to have been able to accumulate a million views of my blog around the middle of June 2019 and then in December 2020, a Christmas present of one and a half million, I was also very pleased to reach one and three quarter million. So, 2022 is the year of 2 million views!

And in October, I won the WEGO Health Awards Best in Show Lifetime Achievement award for 2021, so I must be doing something right! Click here to read about that.

When I first set it up in Apr 2014, it was just to help spread awareness whilst I was walking the 84 miles of Hadrian’s Wall with my wife Chris. I never thought for one minute I would reach 1.5 million hits and accumulate around 18,000 followers across all my social media sites. Thanks a MILLION …and three quarters! – Ronny Allan – Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer

What was hot in 2021?

The top ten most-read posts for 2021 can be found below for your perusal and sharing (I didn’t count my home page which runs at around 15,000 hits per year).

Number 1

I am so pleased my tribute to Snooker legend Paul Hunter is the top post for 2021. Not only because he was a nice guy taken too young, but because many of the views came from outside the community which helps with awareness, something I know Paul was keen on. He was also the Number 1 snooker player in the world for a spell. Read the post – click here or on the picture.

Number 2

Diagnosed with Neuroendocrine Cancer? – 10 questions to ask your doctor (and where to find a NET Specialist Worldwide) – this is an increasingly popular post and one which people frequently return to including for the purposes of helping others who have the same questions. Click here to read or on the picture.

Number 3

Treatment for Neuroendocrine Cancer – a summary for patients – Ronny Allan – Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer. An FAQ in my private group prompted the production of this summary written by a patient for other patients. Click here to read or click on the picture.

Number 4

Neuroendocrine Cancer – normally slow but always sneaky – my most read blog post and knocked into 4th place in 2021 after being in the top spot for 3 years. This is a powerful, no holds barred, awareness post. It’s aimed at people who are not currently NET patients as awareness, but I’m told it also helps them to understand why NET patients struggle. Click here or on the picture to read.

Number 5

Neuroendocrine Neoplasms – Grade and Stage (incorporating WHO 2019 changes) – Some very basic information and it’s clear from the feedback that many patients, patient advocates, patient advocacy organisations, and doctors remain out of date. Click here to read or on the picture.

Number 6

The A to Z of Neuroendocrine Cancer – Ronny Allan – Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer was a lockdown project in 2020 and I am so pleased to see it’s being used given the amount of effort I put into it. Click here to browse the A to Z or click on the picture.

Number 7

The 3 x Award-Winning Blog and Community by Ronny Allan – Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer – Ronny Allan – Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer – this is all about my blog history including awards BUT it also lists all posts with a viewing history of over 5000. If you missed anything, you would find it here. Click here to read or on the picture.

Number 8

Ronny Allan: Background to my Diagnosis and Treatment – Neuroendocrine Cancer – Ronny Allan – Living with Neuroendocrine Cancer – my own story (I’m a patient too!). Click here or on the picture to read more.

Number 9

The Syndromes of Neuroendocrine Cancer – Early Signs of a Late Diagnosis – a summary of all the different syndromes related to Neuroendocrine Cancer and an attempt to dispel the myth that everyone has so-called carcinoid syndrome. Click here or on the picture to read more.

Number 10

Somatostatin Analogues for Neuroendocrine Cancer: Lanreotide and Octreotide the mainstay therapies known as somatostatin analogues. A comparison of both, a frequently asked question. Click here or on the picture to read more.

Facebook

As I said above, Facebook is the prime outlet for my blog site and websites in general. These are important outlets because most people tend to use Facebook rather than other mediums such as Twitter and email subscriptions to my sites. In 2020, I converted one of my Facebook pages (the one called “Ronny Allan“) to help people cope via my own experiences and this has been very well received to the point that I am considering setting up a new site focussed on travel and exercise – this would be in the context of something with cancer. I post more technical stuff on a Facebook page called Neuroendocrine Cancer (the original Neuroendocrine Cancer Facebook page, nice to see others renaming theirs). It is likely you have already liked/followed these pages so please do not ‘Unlike’ or ‘Unfollow’ by mistake!

Many thanks for your support in 2021 and I’ll continue to serve you to the best of my abilities in 2022 and beyond! My best wishes to every reader and their families wherever you and they are in the world.