Today was my Tuesday in the Cancer Unit where I volunteer on a fortnightly basis. Unusually I wasn't full with pre-booked treatments today and didn't have any takers in the chemotherapy ward. It seemed to be a case of one patient saying no thanks and then everyone else being too polite to say yes please!
So my services were offered on the main cancer ward in the hospital which was a first for me. The atmosphere on the main ward was just as friendly and welcoming as I was used to. In the cancer unit the patients I offer treatments to generally look very well, many of them do suffer from hair loss due to the chemotherapy but apart from that very often you wouldn't know that they were ill at all! However on the main ward in the hospital the patients do look ill. The other difference is that many of them are hooked up to different pieces of equipment and remain in their hospital beds for their treatments, meaning you have to adapt your treatments to fit around the patient.
One of the other adaptations is in the length of treatment, I found that patients were affected more quickly by the reflexology resulting in shorter treatments with the main aim being to relax and calm. During one of my treatments we were interrupted by a nurse doing observations, and then by the consultant doing the rounds!
Overall a great experience in adaptability and flexibility with my reflexology treatments and I'm definitely looking forward to making a return trip to the ward :)
So my services were offered on the main cancer ward in the hospital which was a first for me. The atmosphere on the main ward was just as friendly and welcoming as I was used to. In the cancer unit the patients I offer treatments to generally look very well, many of them do suffer from hair loss due to the chemotherapy but apart from that very often you wouldn't know that they were ill at all! However on the main ward in the hospital the patients do look ill. The other difference is that many of them are hooked up to different pieces of equipment and remain in their hospital beds for their treatments, meaning you have to adapt your treatments to fit around the patient.
One of the other adaptations is in the length of treatment, I found that patients were affected more quickly by the reflexology resulting in shorter treatments with the main aim being to relax and calm. During one of my treatments we were interrupted by a nurse doing observations, and then by the consultant doing the rounds!
Overall a great experience in adaptability and flexibility with my reflexology treatments and I'm definitely looking forward to making a return trip to the ward :)
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