It’s such a great system
Retiree Trevor was initially diagnosed with melanoma several years ago, and after chemo all eventually seemed to be going well as he went into remission.
Then in late 2021, he discovered a lump on his jaw line just before his annual check-up. He was referred for an ultrasound which confirmed the cancer had returned. He was immediately fast-tracked for further cancer treatment.
Trevor explains: “I’d also got lumps on my head and on my back, as well as in my throat. It had spread a fair bit. The top surgeon at Norfolk and Norwich hospital said it was now inoperable, which wasn’t great news. However, he mentioned that there was a new treatment available as an alternative to chemo, immunotherapy, which melanoma responds well to, so I was placed on a course for three months.”
After the initial three-month period, he switched to monthly immunotherapy treatment over the next two years, which is when a nurse told him all about Hope for Tomorrow.
I was soon using the unit for my treatment. And although the hospital is great, I have nothing but praise for the charity and the service they offer. It is just unbelievable.
Trevor lives in Guist, a village around 45 minutes’ drive away from the hospital he used to frequent for his treatment: “I would leave home earlier to allow for leeway as the traffic was often quite bad, plus there was also the issue of finding a space to park. Now it takes me just 20 minutes to get to the unit, which is situated in a huge Tesco’s car park where there are plenty of parking spaces.”
He can’t speak more highly of the NHS staff at the hospital, acknowledging that “the nurses are busier and there are of course a lot more people waiting”, but he loves the more personal environment on the unit.
“As soon as I walk onto the unit I’m asked if I want a cup of tea, and I get chatting to Jack the driver. Then within a very short time, the nurses start the treatment and I’m chatting to them too, as though they’re my personal nursing staff. It’s such a great system.”
He cites the treatment he receives on the unit as being “less stressful”, and although he finds himself having to get “mentally geared up for treatment” on the day, he finds the sociable aspect of it makes it all the more relaxing. So much so, that he confesses to actually “looking forward to going, because it’s just really nice, considering you’re being treated for something pretty nasty.”
He sums it all up: “It’s a fantastic service. You can’t say more than that because anything less wouldn’t do it justice. And the fact that it’s a charity too, it’s just incredible. It’s so important for people that we keep this going and more patients can get access to it.”
It’s such a great system
Retiree Trevor was initially diagnosed with melanoma several years ago, and after chemo all eventually seemed to be going well as he went into remission.
Then in late 2021, he discovered a lump on his jaw line just before his annual check-up. He was referred for an ultrasound which confirmed the cancer had returned. He was immediately fast-tracked for further cancer treatment.
Trevor explains: “I’d also got lumps on my head and on my back, as well as in my throat. It had spread a fair bit. The top surgeon at Norfolk and Norwich hospital said it was now inoperable, which wasn’t great news. However, he mentioned that there was a new treatment available as an alternative to chemo, immunotherapy, which melanoma responds well to, so I was placed on a course for three months.”
After the initial three-month period, he switched to monthly immunotherapy treatment over the next two years, which is when a nurse told him all about Hope for Tomorrow.
I was soon using the unit for my treatment. And although the hospital is great, I have nothing but praise for the charity and the service they offer. It is just unbelievable.
Trevor lives in Guist, a village around 45 minutes’ drive away from the hospital he used to frequent for his treatment: “I would leave home earlier to allow for leeway as the traffic was often quite bad, plus there was also the issue of finding a space to park. Now it takes me just 20 minutes to get to the unit, which is situated in a huge Tesco’s car park where there are plenty of parking spaces.”
He can’t speak more highly of the NHS staff at the hospital, acknowledging that “the nurses are busier and there are of course a lot more people waiting”, but he loves the more personal environment on the unit, nicknamed ‘Jack Russell’.
“As soon as I walk onto the unit I’m asked if I want a cup of tea, and I get chatting to Jack the driver. Then within a very short time, the nurses start the treatment and I’m chatting to them too, as though they’re my personal nursing staff. It’s such a great system.”
He cites the treatment he receives on the unit as being “less stressful”, and although he finds himself having to get “mentally geared up for treatment” on the day, he finds the sociable aspect of it makes it all the more relaxing. So much so, that he confesses to actually “looking forward to going, because it’s just really nice, considering you’re being treated for something pretty nasty.”
He sums it all up: “It’s a fantastic service. You can’t say more than that because anything less wouldn’t do it justice. And the fact that it’s a charity too, it’s just incredible. It’s so important for people that we keep this going and more patients can get access to it.”
