I think the mobile treatment unit is just brilliant.
Sophie Shaw says that when she used to attend the mobile cancer care unit near her home outside Norwich it felt like she was going to hang out with some good mates.
“I was always greeted like I was an old friend. Everyone on the bus (unit) is endlessly cheerful,” says Sophie, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024.
“There were no warning symptoms before the diagnosis,” she says. “It came completely out of the blue, I had a pain that felt like a muscle ache under my arm, and I asked myself how could I have pulled a muscle under my arm?
“The next day I went to the walk-in centre near me and within weeks I had my diagnosis and surgery which amounted to a therapeutic mammoplasty – breast reduction on both sides. They managed to cut it out with good margins and the treatments that followed mopped up any cells which were zooming around my system.”
Sophie started her chemotherapy in January 2025 at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital in Norwich and she also had 15 sessions of radiotherapy.
“In my case the mobile unit and the hospital were both 20 minutes away so I decided to have the treatment at the hospital although I still visited the mobile unit once a week to have my PICC line flushed and I really want to emphasise how fantastic that was. I think the mobile treatment unit is just brilliant.
Essentially Sophie is now cancer free but the likelihood of it re-occurring is high so she is about to start a drug regime to prevent that.
“If it turns out that I need any extra care on the mobile unit I would have no hesitation in going there. In fact I would positively look forward to going back if I needed treatment there,” she says.
Sophie visits her local mobile cancer care unit ‘Amara’, pictured here with driver, Jack, and the nurse team.
The best way to describe the mobile unit is it really is that it’s just like visiting friends. That’s the bit I missed when I wasn’t going. Everyone on that bus is so positive and upbeat.
“But I got to know everyone on there, including Jack the driver who is wonderful and so helpful. I used to view it as going to see friends knowing some medical treatment would take place while I was there.”
Now aged 51, Sophie who works as a therapist says she is just starting to feel normal again and has recently been able to go back to her ukulele group.
“I was in quite a lot of pain for a while but I can see light at the end of the tunnel now and I am so grateful for the care I received both at the hospital and on the unit. I honestly can’t fault any of it.
“I have been so lucky to have a lot of support around me from friends, family and the Big C charity and there is a lot of comfort to be had in knowing that both the hospital and the mobile unit are there for me if I ever need them.”
I think the mobile treatment unit is just brilliant.
Sophie Shaw says that when she used to attend the mobile cancer care unit near her home outside Norwich it felt like she was going to hang out with some good mates.
“I was always greeted like I was an old friend. Everyone on the bus (unit) is endlessly cheerful,” says Sophie, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2024.
“There were no warning symptoms before the diagnosis,” she says. “It came completely out of the blue, I had a pain that felt like a muscle ache under my arm, and I asked myself how could I have pulled a muscle under my arm?
“The next day I went to the walk-in centre near me and within weeks I had my diagnosis and surgery which amounted to a therapeutic mammoplasty – breast reduction on both sides. They managed to cut it out with good margins and the treatments that followed mopped up any cells which were zooming around my system.”
Sophie started her chemotherapy in January 2025 at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital in Norwich and she also had 15 sessions of radiotherapy.
“In my case the mobile unit and the hospital were both 20 minutes away so I decided to have the treatment at the hospital although I still visited the mobile unit once a week to have my PICC line flushed and I really want to emphasise how fantastic that was. I think the mobile treatment unit is just brilliant.
Essentially Sophie is now cancer free but the likelihood of it re-occurring is high so she is about to start a drug regime to prevent that.
“If it turns out that I need any extra care on the mobile unit I would have no hesitation in going there. In fact I would positively look forward to going back if I needed treatment there,” she says.
The best way to describe the mobile unit is it really is that it’s just like visiting friends. That’s the bit I missed when I wasn’t going. Everyone on that bus is so positive and upbeat.
“But I got to know everyone on there, including Jack the driver who is wonderful and so helpful. I used to view it as going to see friends knowing some medical treatment would take place while I was there.”
Now aged 51, Sophie who works as a therapist says she is just starting to feel normal again and has recently been able to go back to her ukulele group.
“I was in quite a lot of pain for a while but I can see light at the end of the tunnel now and I am so grateful for the care I received both at the hospital and on the unit. I honestly can’t fault any of it.
“I have been so lucky to have a lot of support around me from friends, family and the Big C charity and there is a lot of comfort to be had in knowing that both the hospital and the mobile unit are there for me if I ever need them.”
Sophie visits her local mobile cancer care unit ‘Amara’, pictured here with driver, Jack, and the nurse team.
