In a matter of minutes, I’m out of my front door and on the mobile unit.
John was first diagnosed with myeloma in 2014. “I had pains down my neck and back, and my GP couldn’t quite figure out what it was, so he referred me to a specialist,” he explains. “I was told they couldn’t cure it, but it could be managed with the right drugs.”
He had treatment on and off at Colchester hospital over the next eight years. Then in 2022, during a holiday with his wife, he suddenly developed severe difficulty in walking. On his return, he had an appointment with his consultant, who subsequently confirmed he had acute myeloid leukaemia.
“It was around this time that I was told about the mobile cancer care unit.
Although Colchester hospital isn’t far from where I live, the side effects from my ongoing treatment means driving for longer than just a few miles is an issue.
Around four months ago, his condition worsened, significantly affecting his mobility. “Just getting out of the car and walking into the hospital, which was at the opposite end of the site, I really struggled with. Even with a mobility walker, it is still a long walk from the car park to the department. But knowing about the mobile unit is an absolute blessing.”
He now continues his chemotherapy treatment on the unit, and also “for anything else in between, luckily”, including his bloods, thereby avoiding the physically exhausting ordeal of a hospital visit.
“In a matter of minutes, I’m out of my front door and on the mobile unit having a cup of tea or a coffee. I normally have a chat with the guy on there, he’s very good. They call him the driver but he’s a lot more than that! The service is absolutely brilliant, and I just wish everyone could have access to it. I’m 82 years old and particularly for someone my age who can’t get about quite as much, the mobile unit is vital. They’ve saved me the stress of getting to and from hospital and I can’t thank them enough for that.”
