It takes a special person to work with cancer patients - people who are very sick, scared and possibly facing death. Yet, the doctors, nurses and staff at the London Regional Cancer Centre are unfailingly professional, polite and kind.
I call the nurses that administer the chemotherapy angels in blue, because they all wear blue lab coats. They work together to ensure the needle gets in (and call in back up if one person is having trouble threading the vein), you're getting your different drugs on time and you're feeling okay during treatment.
The Canadian Cancer Society volunteers - the angels in yellow - wander the cancer suite handing out ginger ale and cookies to the patients. In the main part of the cancer centre, they help direct patients, assist with a machine that each patient must use each visit to answer questions about how they feel, staff the library and the wig-lending library, as well as stock carts with coffee, water and cookies. I know they perform other valuable jobs I haven't witnessed, such as driving patients to treatment, appointments, etc.
Even though the reason for going to the cancer centre brings anxiety and fear, the angels in blue and yellow made the experience less traumatic. For that, I'm thankful.
Tina
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