Hi Nonny - how wonderful to hear from someone down in the far South West. I live in South East Cornwall, between Cremyll and Kingsand but have being going to Derriford since we repatriated here from Spain some 14 yrs ago - initially for Crohn’s, but last 5 yrs for bc. I have the wonderful Mr. Watkins as my bc surgeon who has always been so compassionate and is on the ball with many complications I have had with concurrent diseases. Did you know he raised some £250,000 in the local community for the Primrose Breast Care Centre at Derriford? He did my two surgeries, but had a small stroke 2 yrs ago and doesn’t do surgery any more, but still sees patients in clinic.
When I had finished chemo and was about to start rads, one of the elderly receptionists in the Oncology Suite (not sure if they are still there, as I was discharged by my Onc straight after rads!) asked if I would like volunteer transport for the 5 and a half weeks of rads, knowing how far away I lived and it entailed a ferry journey. It was winter and some days when we have gale force winds neither the Torpoint car ferry or the foot ferry from Cremyll can make it across the Tamar. There were no notices in the Oncology suite about this service, so I was surprised, especially as she didn’t know my then 75 yrs old husband is disabled - perhaps she is one of the “white witches” that myth has it live in the local village. This is a weird place to live.
I agreed to the service and was even more surprised to learn that if you live in Cornwall and are being treated at Derriford, you don’t have to pay for the service. Yet, quite unfairly to my mind, patients in Devon, even if they live 10 mins from the hospital, have to pay £4.50 each way, and for 5 and a half weeks, that is quite a chunk out of elderly folks’ retirement pensions. I did ask the various drivers why this was, but none could give me answer. We are not on any income benefits, and no questions as to our finances were asked. I don’t know if this service is available to all cancer patients, never thought to ask at the time, but we did pick up other patients for dialysis and a young guy locally who has severe MS. This could sometimes take 6 hours, just for 5 mins of rads, but it is a one and a half hour’s journey each way for me, and being retired was not a problem. I just took a soft drink and a book and sat in the back of the car. Had some lovely interesting journeys to Looe, Polperro, St. Austell etc. and one bizarre day to Bude on the North Cornwall coast. Magical mystery tours at no cost! The male drivers were great - most of them had lost their wives to cancer and it was their way of putting something back into health care services. They usually had a cancer collection box in the car, so I would make sure I had change to put a donation in.
I can’t now remember the names of the two elderly receptionists in the Oncology suite - seemed like tartars as first, but I took them both a big box of chocolates when going through chemo, and although it is a bribe in the loosest sense, it does oil the wheels. When I had problems with my initial Onc, at my first chemo treatment, which I nearly didn’t have as he frightened me, saying I would die of septicaemia if I continued to take my Crohn’s chemo, I said to the receptionist I would see anyone but him - you had to see an Onc before chemo. She made no remark other than “Sit down, I’ll sort it out quickly”. No fuss, no questions, and within 15 mins I saw a lovely young female GP from Plympton who worked one morning a week in the Onc suite. I guess I had two angels on my shoulder that day.
I don’t know where you live, but if you live in Cornwall, you might care to ask about the volunteer car service. It did get me through a very difficult time and I am so grateful.
Hope your rads go well - I found it a doddle compared to chemo!
Liz.