…it’s really convenient to just park on the same site as Tesco. It works really well.
Liz, who is retired and lives just outside Newmarket, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2017. She recalls: “I’d had symptoms for a while, mainly bloating in my stomach. I’d returned from a bike trip in northern France, and I didn’t feel very well, but I wasn’t quite sure what it what it was. Initial tests for cervical cancer were carried out and came back negative so I just continued with life, while still experiencing symptoms but hoping it would eventually go away. Then the following year I returned from a second trip away and my symptoms were worse. I was really unwell, and I ended up in A&E with ascites, where several litres of fluid were drained from my stomach. I was in hospital for around five days.”
It wasn’t until she was referred to a specialist consultant at Basingstoke Hospital that further tests revealed she had cancer of the stomach lining. She began chemotherapy under West Suffolk Hospital, closer to home.
“As my disease is so widespread, there’s not a lot you can do. There’s no surgery or targeted treatment. I remember the initial chemo treatment took two and a half hours at the hospital, as there was a lot of waiting time.”
She visits the unit for three weeks at a time where she’s given Gemzar®, with one week off before the cycle resumes.
“The journey time from home to the unit is about the same as it is to the hospital, but the bonus is it now saves me an awful lot of time not having to wait. That’s a big, big advantage. At the hospital I was often waiting quite a bit before they got started or I might be delayed even more if something more urgent would crop up, whereas on the unit they are very much ready and waiting for you. There is always plenty of free parking and I usually do a bit of supermarket shopping as well.
While she salutes the staff on both sites involved, in all aspects of her care from day one, the often-frenetic environment at the hospital meant little time for banter with nurses, and little room to find a seat while waiting. “On the unit there are usually four chairs for patients and two nurses to greet you. It’s all a fairly smooth affair – one takes your obs and the other gets on with administering your treatment. You tend to know everyone’s names and they’re a friendly bunch.
Without the unit, my treatment and the whole experience would certainly be more arduous, so I’m grateful for that.
…it’s really convenient to just park on the same site as Tesco. It works really well.
Liz, who is retired and lives just outside Newmarket, was diagnosed with mesothelioma in 2017. She recalls: “I’d had symptoms for a while, mainly bloating in my stomach. I’d returned from a bike trip in northern France, and I didn’t feel very well, but I wasn’t quite sure what it what it was. Initial tests for cervical cancer were carried out and came back negative so I just continued with life, while still experiencing symptoms but hoping it would eventually go away. Then the following year I returned from a second trip away and my symptoms were worse. I was really unwell, and I ended up in A&E with ascites, where several litres of fluid were drained from my stomach. I was in hospital for around five days.”
It wasn’t until she was referred to a specialist consultant at Basingstoke Hospital that further tests revealed she had cancer of the stomach lining. She began chemotherapy under West Suffolk Hospital, closer to home.
“As my disease is so widespread, there’s not a lot you can do. There’s no surgery or targeted treatment. I remember the initial chemo treatment took two and a half hours at the hospital, as there was a lot of waiting time.”
She visits the unit for three weeks at a time where she’s given Gemzar®, with one week off before the cycle resumes.
“The journey time from home to the unit is about the same as it is to the hospital, but the bonus is it now saves me an awful lot of time not having to wait. That’s a big, big advantage. At the hospital I was often waiting quite a bit before they got started or I might be delayed even more if something more urgent would crop up, whereas on the unit they are very much ready and waiting for you. There is always plenty of free parking and I usually do a bit of supermarket shopping as well.
While she salutes the staff on both sites involved, in all aspects of her care from day one, the often-frenetic environment at the hospital meant little time for banter with nurses, and little room to find a seat while waiting. “On the unit there are usually four chairs for patients and two nurses to greet you. It’s all a fairly smooth affair – one takes your obs and the other gets on with administering your treatment. You tend to know everyone’s names and they’re a friendly bunch.
