It means I can spend more time with my children
Thirty-six-year-old Anna went to the doctor in her native Ukraine during the summer of 2021 after experiencing a hardness in one of her breasts. She was given a course of antibiotics, but when she returned to her GP with the same symptoms, she was referred to an oncologist.
Following a subsequent biopsy, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and commenced radiotherapy. However, following the end of treatment in early 2022, Anna needed to undergo a mastectomy.
She reflects on that difficult period: “Around the same time, the war started, and normal life, as well as access to healthcare, pretty much stopped overnight.”
Fleeing to the UK, Anna along with her family were re-located to Colchester in July 2022, where she was able to resume her treatment under the NHS. It wasn’t long before she found out about the mobile cancer care unit from the nurses at Colchester hospital.
They told me I wouldn’t have to travel so far from my house in Birch, and the unit would be comfortable for me.
In order to visit the hospital, Anna needed to make several bus journeys which took more than an hour each way. With minimal income and young children to look after, this was proving a challenge, so she was pleased when she discovered the unit was just 30 minutes away by public transport.
With the added complexity of suffering side effects from Herceptin, she often feels unwell within two hours of receiving the treatment. “When I was at the hospital, I knew I had to rush home quickly as I only had a short timeframe before I’d start to feel the effects from the drugs. The longer journey often made this difficult and rather stressful. Now I can be at home earlier and just rest.”
She says she enjoys seeing the same nurses in the unit as at the hospital, and appreciates the company of the other patients. “It’s nice I see the same faces and we can speak with each other; sometimes after treatment we just all meet together somewhere.”
One of the key benefits experienced by many patients who use the unit is the freed-up time to make better use of it elsewhere. Instead of often sitting in traffic or travelling long distances to the hospital, they now use the extra minutes, even hours, to indulge more in leisurely pursuits such as walking, reading a book or meeting friends for a coffee. Anna is no exception.
“It means I can spend more time with my children, and I find I am walking more rather than catching a bus, which is good exercise.”
As for the service she receives via the unit, she counts her blessings. “I said to the nurses that they’re the kindest people in the world. Not just on the unit but also in the hospital, they really are very important people in my life. They have helped me – us – so much. On the unit, they simply give you your infusion and then you’re free to go about your day. That is appreciated more than anything.”
It means I can spend more time with my children
Thirty-six-year-old Anna went to the doctor in her native Ukraine during the summer of 2021 after experiencing a hardness in one of her breasts. She was given a course of antibiotics, but when she returned to her GP with the same symptoms, she was referred to an oncologist.
Following a subsequent biopsy, she was diagnosed with breast cancer, and commenced radiotherapy. However, following the end of treatment in early 2022, Anna needed to undergo a mastectomy.
She reflects on that difficult period: “Around the same time, the war started, and normal life, as well as access to healthcare, pretty much stopped overnight.”
Fleeing to the UK, Anna along with her family were re-located to Colchester in July 2022, where she was able to resume her treatment under the NHS. It wasn’t long before she found out about the mobile cancer care unit from the nurses at Colchester hospital.
They told me I wouldn’t have to travel so far from my house in Birch, and the unit would be comfortable for me.
In order to visit the hospital, Anna needed to make several bus journeys which took more than an hour each way. With minimal income and young children to look after, this was proving a challenge, so she was pleased when she discovered the unit was just 30 minutes away by public transport.
With the added complexity of suffering side effects from Herceptin, she often feels unwell within two hours of receiving the treatment. “When I was at the hospital, I knew I had to rush home quickly as I only had a short timeframe before I’d start to feel the effects from the drugs. The longer journey often made this difficult and rather stressful. Now I can be at home earlier and just rest.”
She says she enjoys seeing the same nurses in the unit as at the hospital, and appreciates the company of the other patients. “It’s nice I see the same faces and we can speak with each other; sometimes after treatment we just all meet together somewhere.”
One of the key benefits experienced by many patients who use the unit is the freed-up time to make better use of it elsewhere. Instead of often sitting in traffic or travelling long distances to the hospital, they now use the extra minutes, even hours, to indulge more in leisurely pursuits such as walking, reading a book or meeting friends for a coffee. Anna is no exception.
“It means I can spend more time with my children, and I find I am walking more rather than catching a bus, which is good exercise.”
As for the service she receives via the unit, she counts her blessings. “I said to the nurses that they’re the kindest people in the world. Not just on the unit but also in the hospital, they really are very important people in my life. They have helped me – us – so much. On the unit, they simply give you your infusion and then you’re free to go about your day. That is appreciated more than anything.”
