People in Oldham have access to the best possible care and fantastic dedicated staff at The Christie at Oldham - Councillor Yasmin Toor

Councillor Yasmin Toor - Mayoress of Oldham

Councillor Yasmin Toor, Mayoress of Oldham

I have always wondered what happens inside the beautiful, big purpose built building that is The Christie at Oldham. Whenever I walked or drove past this amazing looking glass building lots of questions kept going on in my mind. I always wondered what life is like behind those mysterious doors. 

The Christie at Oldham treats cancer patients so it is very easy to imagine lots of people with sad faces that have lost hope for life. I worried that there were bed bound patients and my eyes filled with tears of sadness. Worrying about their lost hopes made me very upset.  

Thinking about this made me realise how precious life is and how important and meaningful relationships are. One minute we plan a full life and then the word ‘cancer’ can change everything – affecting our personality, relationships and lifestyle.

So my visit to The Christie at Oldham, with my husband, the Mayor of Oldham, during the autumn was a very ‘special’ visit. I stepped into the building with lots of questions, emotions and many different feelings.

The sun was shining above us and I took some sunshine with me so I could be strong. We were greeted by a very friendly face at the reception. There were a couple of patients sitting waiting for their appointment who we said hello to and our wonderful local Oldham Chronicle newspaper photographer Tony was there too.

Julie Davies, the Lead Radiographer at The Christie at Oldham, formally welcomed us and with the head of communications helped to show us round. The local newspaper wanted to take a quick photo and then we were shown around by two wonderful ladies, Julie and Maggie.

The atmosphere was very calm; everything was so clean and tidy. The colour choices were fantastic and the walls, paintings and seats were amazing. It didn’t feel like a hospital at all. I couldn’t believe my eyes. I became very relaxed, all my fears slowly started fading away and I started looking forward to the rest of my tour.

Each corridor, each room was very peaceful. We were shown the whole of the building, including the open, spacious, caring and calm reception area, the wide corridors, the complementary therapy room and the treatment rooms. Everything under one roof.  

We were even taken to this beautiful garden where patients can enjoy the beauty of nature.  “This is my Rose Garden” a very proud voice touched my ears as we were walking by. It was Julie`s voice, who was showing us around. I looked up and she was pointing to lots of beautiful framed photos of all the staff, in burgundy colour uniform, smiling faces, all displayed on a big window sill. How nice is that to compliment your dedicated staff. Their expertise and their skills can make a huge difference in someone’s life. The tests and treatments they do can save someone’s life, and can make a big difference in a family`s life.  
We were shown the expensive machines and treatment rooms, and saw how the staff are dedicated to their work, with a very carefully measured approach towards everything.

They make very good use of modern technologies in their training /conference rooms, with video link training for meetings. They work hard to provide the highest standard of care and take care of every possible angle so patient don’t suffer any more than what they have already been through. The patients are in very safe hands.   

I also learned that patients visiting The Christie in Oldham can use a dedicated free car park. How wonderful is that, to take away the extra stress and pressure not only financially but emotionally too from the patients and their carers. How nice is it to offer them everything they need under one roof, with the best care in the form of modern machines and comfortable chairs, so they can keep their dignity and respect and keep their will power going. Patients sometime choose to sit on the comfortable sofa style chairs rather than lying down on a bed where they might feel more ill, more sick and more in pain. 

In the complimentary therapy room, not only the patient but their carer can have a quick soothing treatment done. 

And patients can go to the information centre to get lots of relevant advice, help and support e.g. about their cancer or the benefits they may be entitled to. So patients or their carers don’t have to run around too many places for information.

Doctors, consultants and other staff also make use of the purpose built meeting/training/conference facilities to save travel time by using the video link if required.

At the end of this life changing tour, both myself and my husband are very happy that The Christie at Oldham is one of our chosen charities for the year.

We were both very pleased as people, as Councillors and as the Mayor and Mayoress to know that people in Oldham have access to such wonderful resources. They have the best possible care and fantastic dedicated staff. Most of all, we learned that The Christie at Oldham can give hope to a person who has lost hope. 

I want to thank everyone at The Christie at Oldham from the bottom of my heart and salute all health professionals who are making a big difference in people’s lives. I want to especially thank our hosts who showed us around and gave us all the information we needed. And I want to thanks the press who followed us all the way and who understand the importance of the place, taking great photographs to help their readers understand how lucky we are to have this facility.

I lost the sight in my right eye, my sense of smell and had a diminished taste - Graeme Heward

Graeme Heward - Christie patient and fundraiser

Graeme Heward

Five years ago, aged 50, I was going about my daily life, working as a physiotherapist, being father to two boys entering their last few years of school education, playing squash and generally enjoying life. It’s perhaps a stage in many people’s lives when they think of enjoying the fruits of their labour and taking life a little easier, however, my life was about to endure a twist.

The only thing that alerted me that an ‘Alien’ passenger had entered my life was a watering eye. The ‘Alien’ and me, plus a multitude of medical staff from The Christie and other hospitals in Manchester were about to commence a battle. I remember in those early days when my whole life was shaken into sudden turmoil, being so grateful that The Christie, with its wealth of expertise and facilities, was there to support me, my partner and family.

I had been diagnosed with a sinonasal adenocarcinoma following a scan and subsequent operation to remove the tumour, which at the time was thought to be benign. It’s a rare tumour affecting 1 in 100,000 people. Situated in my nasal lining, the tumour had expanded and grown to such an extent that it had fractured my delicately thin bony eye orbit.

As the ‘Alien’ took over, I lost the sight in my right eye, my sense of smell and had a diminished taste. 

Fifteen operations later, following muscle and skin grafts from thigh and abdomen, an autoimmune reaction, two episodes of radiotherapy and one course of chemotherapy; and having completed a gruelling charity fundraising bike ride I was ready to write a book – ‘Riding With The Alien’.

As a physiotherapist, I was in a unique position to see my care from both a patient and a medical perspective. I felt a responsibility, particularly with such a rare condition, to pass on my experience so that other patients and medical professionals could learn from it and see the whole patient picture.  

My book has been written entirely by me in easily understandable language and terminology. I hope it’s an enthralling story that draws you in with emotion and snippets of humour. 

Offering hope and inspiration to sufferers of any kind, it affords an opportunity for family and friends to gain a greater understanding of the patient’s perspective. For those who are sometimes guilty of taking life and good health for granted, it’s a fascinating ‘ride’.

The rollercoaster, with its ups and downs is a theme throughout my book. I explain in detail each operation and many of the consultations and procedures. I describe the effect it had on my health, relationships, finances, occupation and how it nearly forced me and my family out of our home. Through his time my family and I had to cope with incessant battles with the ‘Alien’ and rationalise the prospect of death.

Without the input of the fantastic medical staff, my friends and patients, I would certainly not be here today, nor would my two boys and myself have been able to undertake a challenging bike ride and climb that served not only to raise money for both The Christie and Macmillan, but also became a focus for my recovery.

I was encouraged to write this book by many people, my own patients and the doctors who have treated me, who, having read my internet blog, thought it worthy of a wider audience.  

Recently, I came through my first clear annual scan in four years. I’m going about my daily life now, working as a physiotherapist, being father to both sons who are now studying medicine at Manchester University, playing squash and cycling regularly. Life is a little more difficult now, especially with the loss of my eye, but it has also been enriched by meeting so many fabulous people. 

‘Riding With The Alien’ is available from Amazon in paperback (£7.99) or Kindle (£3.99). Profit from the book sales will go to The Christie.

We are trying to improve the benefit patients receive in Phase I trials by selecting treatments specific to their cancer type - Dr Emma Dean

Dr Emma Dean - Consultant in Medical Oncology

Dr Emma Dean - Consultant in Medical Oncology

The Experimental Cancer Medicine Team specialises in treating patients in Phase I Clinical Trials. These trials help us find out if a new drug is safe and has side effects, as well as how much of the drug can be given safely and whether the drug is effective against cancer. 

Treatments are experimental and unproven and there can be risks, but these are managed by treating small numbers of patients with strict safety controls and regular reviews in clinic.

One of the things that always surprises me is patients’ reasons for wanting to take part in a clinical trial. You would expect that for most patients it is the chance to receive, and possibly benefit from, a new treatment when they have limited or no further treatment options available. This is one reason, but another is to ‘give something back to research’ to benefit patients in the future.

Our patients are referred by their oncologists, and I always like to see new patients at an early stage (even while they are still receiving other cancer treatments), so we can assess their suitability and prepare for the possibility of a clinical trial. We receive referrals from within The Christie, Greater Manchester and from across the UK – the patient’s oncologist will advise if a referral is appropriate.

A trial must be carefully explained and written information provided to patients. It is entirely the patient’s decision whether or not to take part. Before we can start treatment, patients must provide written consent and undergo a series of tests to check that they are suitable for any given clinical trial. There are frequent hospital appointments to ensure the safety of the patient, and often long days in hospital when we take blood samples to measure the effect of the new drug on the body and try to learn more about the drug. The start of treatment can be an anxious time and patients may experience some side-effects which require management.

We are trying to improve the benefit patients receive in Phase I trials by selecting treatments specific to their cancer type. This is usually done by looking at the genes in a biopsy specimen, but we are also investigating whether we can also look at the DNA of tumour cells that may be circulating in the bloodstream. This research is not easy and because the technology is new, it is expensive for us to fund. We also need to work with lots of companies to provide the experimental drugs to ensure that, if we do find a genetic aberration in a patient sample, we can do something about it and offer our patients access to drugs which may not be widely available.

Successful drug development depends on effective collaboration with scientists from academic institutions such as The University of Manchester, CRUK, the UK network of Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres and pharmaceutical companies. The most challenging aspect of my job is when we don’t have a trial slot immediately available and a patient has to wait for a clinical trial. Also, telling a patient when a treatment is not working. The best part of my job is when a patient tells me that they are glad to have taken part in a trial and that they have been well looked after by our team of dedicated staff, even if the outcome is not positive. Of course, it is thrilling when a patient responds well to a new treatment, probably the first sign in the world that the drug could be a successful treatment in the future.

To find out more about phase one trials at The Christie please follow this link.

Lab work one day, scanning patients the next: the life of a clinician scientist - Dr James O’Connor

Dr James O’Connor - clinician scientist at The Christie and The University of Manchester

Dr James O’Connor

‘So what exactly do you do?’ That’s a question I get asked a lot. Colleagues at work, as well as family and friends, all want to know what a clinician scientist actually is. In short, my job is a mixture of being a researcher and being a medic. And the two parts of the job go hand in hand. 

I spend most of my time in the lab as a researcher, developing new ways of imaging cancer.

But one day a week I work as a consultant radiologist at The Christie. As a doctor, I use my experience and judgement to diagnose cancer, see where it has spread to and decide if tumours are responding to therapy. And keeping an eye on both these areas is really important.

Being a medic helps me to identify limitations in the scans used to diagnose and monitor patients with cancer. Being a scientist lets me take those limitations and develop and test new ideas in my lab that could solve these problems.

And if we find something that could work then, I’m in the perfect position to help make sure these new approaches can be tested in the clinic and potentially benefit patients quickly.

One great thing about being a clinician scientist is variety – no two days are ever the same. Some days are spent in the lab; others in meetings; others writing funding proposals or turning data into papers. 

In some ways it is a bit like being self-employed. 

Although I have several staff funded by my grants, I need to attract more funding to build a research group that’s at the cutting edge of imaging science research. So I am always looking out for new ideas, new studies and new collaborators.

This aspect is really different from clinical work. Thinking outside the box is crucial.

It’s never nine to five, but I like that! Being a clinician scientist lets me organise my day to fit in around home life too. This is busy – we have four young children – but it can work well. I (nearly) never miss school assemblies or plays. I often do the school run. But it does mean that evenings and weekends are often filled with ‘working from home’.  

The scans and technology used to diagnose cancer can seem a bit removed from having contact with patients. And when you’re looking at new versions of this technology in the lab it can seem even more distant. 

But I’ve had some wonderful encounters with patients during my research. They have generously given their time to take part in my studies, which has not only shaped my research, but has also given me a crucial understanding of what it’s like to live with cancer.  

And that’s why we do the work that we do.

The Christie is one of the largest single centre cancer sites in Europe. Every year, around 2,000 of our patients take part in trials of new therapies that may alter how a tumour behaves, but not necessarily shrink it. Sometimes it can be difficult to work out why that’s happening and this is where my research comes in. 

Current scanning methods often can’t match the best treatment for each individual, or detect which patients are responding to a new therapy. My research group is developing new scanning methods that try to address these problems. We use advanced MRI scans to map different biological properties within different regions of tumours. 

And we’re beginning to see some promising results.

We recently developed a new way of measuring oxygen levels inside tumours which is something that has been difficult to do before.

Being able to see areas of low oxygen – called hypoxia – is really important. These regions can suggest whether a tumour might be more aggressive and likely to spread, and spotting them could signal where to target new treatments. 

These encouraging early results have allowed us to move this technique into two trials in patients with lung and rectal cancers.

It’s early days, but this method looks really promising! One day this technique could help doctors select the best therapy for each patient and monitor how tumours respond to new drugs and radiotherapy.

And it’s great to be in a position to see that discovery move from the lab and into the clinic.

Imaging scientists must show that scans are affordable and can improve patient care. There is no shortage of people developing clever ideas but these ideas must produce techniques that directly benefit patients.

It’s critical that our best imaging scientists work together to keep the UK at the forefront of cancer imaging. Cancer Research UK and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) have invested a substantial amount of money to help make this happen.  This initiative has helped me build collaborations with colleagues across the country, combining the strengths of all our scientists. 

Research is all about communication and building relationships with other academics. As well as collaborating with UK colleagues, I also work closely with many other scientists in the USA and Europe. This is one of the most enjoyable aspects of my work.  

Only by sharing ideas and working together will we truly crack the big challenges in research.

My job is challenging, but it’s great fun and is never boring! I love the balance of seeing patients and also having the opportunity to take an idea and hopefully turn it into something that improves people’s lives.  

Coughs and sneezes spread diseases - Jo Taylor

Christie patient Jo Taylor

Jo Taylor - Christie patient

On 1st October this year I was scheduled in for a regular appointment with my GP, while I was there he asked me if I would like my flu jab. Without hesitation I said ‘yes’!

I was 38 and married with two young children when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. My daughter was five months old and my son was two and a half. It was a HUGE shock. Before being diagnosed I’d always suffered respiratory problems which have made me susceptible to infections and coughs and colds. I had my tonsils out when I was 21 and since then I’ve not have the defences needed to stop chest infections.

Having my flu jab made total sense.

As a patient, the last thing I want is to be unnecessarily ill and forced to delay my treatment for any reason. This is why it’s so amazing that The Christie tries so hard to make sure as many staff as possible have the flu jab. The nurses I’ve spoken to are determined to keep the patients as well as possible. Last year The Christie vaccinated the second highest number of staff in the country and this year they want to hit the top spot.

Last year, during my chemotherapy treatment, I caught the flu and it was horrendous. I was so ill I couldn’t even leave my bed, I was incredibly lucky not to have been hospitalised. And for some vulnerable people that catch it, the flu can be life threatening. 

It’s so encouraging to know that everyone I come into contact with at The Christie will have been offered the flu vaccination. The Christie is an amazing place for treatment and the staff are well aware of the risks of flu.  They know their patients have a weakened immune system and need all the help they can get to stay well during treatment. I wouldn't want to be treated anywhere else, the clinicians and nursing staff - in fact everyone I have met - are the most welcoming and understanding of cancer.  And to know that they are so willing to go the extra mile to make sure their patients are safe by getting their flu jab is so reassuring. 

Although I wouldn’t have expected anything less…it's The Christie way.

Maggie’s and The Christie are working in partnership to create cancer support of the highest quality - Sinead Collins

Sinead Collins - Centre Head of Maggie’s at The Christie 

Sinead Collins

I’m delighted to introduce myself as Centre Head of the new Maggie’s Centre which will be opening its doors on Kinnaird Road in Spring next year. Readers might recognise me from my previous role at The Christie in surgical oncology. I had 12 wonderful years at The Christie but I am very excited about my new role with Maggie’s.

I’m sure readers will have noticed the rather unique-looking building as it has grown since we broke ground in April this year. I have heard people asking ‘what is Maggie’s?’, ‘what will happen inside this new building?’ and ‘how will this new support help me and my colleagues?’

I’m hoping this blog will give readers a good overview of Maggie’s and the support we’ll be providing, I’ll also be available in person to answer any questions at Grand Round on December 18th and I’ll be hosting an information stand on the glass corridor the week commencing 21st December and again in January. 

So, just to make a start; Maggie’s is a charity that provides completely free practical, emotional and social support for people affected by cancer and their family and friends. Our aim is to support people with all of the issues that cancer brings into their lives. 

Maggie's Centre design

We currently have 18 centres across the UK, online and abroad, each built in the grounds of specialist NHS cancer hospitals. All of our centres are unique, warm and welcoming places. From these centres we offer Maggie’s evidence-based core programme of support which has been developed to complement and add value to the excellent medical treatment and support that  is provided for patients here at The Christie day-in and day-out.

In my new role as Maggie’s Centre Head I will oversee everything that happens in the centre, supporting the needs of anyone who walks through the door, ensuring our programme of support is meeting the needs of the people being treated at The Christie and working with my team to create as warm and welcoming an environment as possible. 

Alongside myself, the new Maggie’s Centre will also be staffed with a team of qualified professionals including a psychologist, cancer support specialists, a benefits advisor, relaxation specialists as well as experts in a particular field who will come into the centre to provide sessions on nutrition, art therapy, tai chi, yoga and creative writing. 

The programme of support we’ll be offering will include psychological support, guidance on nutrition, benefits advice and exercise and has been shown to improve physical and emotional wellbeing.

Support at Maggie's

Any Christie patients and their loved ones will be welcome to access this support at the centre for free and without an appointment as we’ll be offering drop-in cancer support every weekday from 9am-5pm as well as a scheduled daily timetable of courses and workshops. 

As for the centre itself; Maggie’s Centres are intended to feel more like a home than a hospital and are designed to feel non clinical to help make our visitors feel safe, valued and comfortable in an atmosphere that stimulates their imagination and lifts their spirits. 

The new centre at The Christie has been designed by world-renowned architect, Lord Norman Foster, who was born and grew up in Manchester and will be surrounded by a garden designed by landscape designer Dan Pearson. We hope the space will provide patients and their family and friends with a friendly place to meet other people who are in a similar situation as well as offering a calming space where they can simply sit quietly with a cup of tea if that’s what they need.

If any readers have any questions about the new centre and the support we offer or would like to arrange a time for us to meet and to have a look round the centre then please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me on sinead.collins@maggiescentres.org or 07584680575. I look forward to catching up with everyone soon.

For further information on Maggie’s programme of support please visit 

www.maggiescentres.org/how-maggies-can-help/ 

Christmas is a special time of the year for the children at Beaver Road and The Christie has a very special place in all our hearts - Holly Myers

Holly Myers - Subject Leader for Music at Beaver Road Primary School

Holly Myres

On Tuesday 8th December, the members of the Beaver Road Primary Choir in Years 3 and 4 will be performing in The Christie Charity Christmas Concert at Manchester Cathedral. 

This will be the third year that our choir has been invited to take part in the Christie Concert. We loved performing at Gorton Monastery the last two years, but we are really excited about singing in the cathedral. It is a very special venue and I am sure that it will be another amazing experience for our pupils. 

We have been enjoying practising the songs for our performances in our choir rehearsals. We will be singing the traditional carol Away in a Manger, and a lively song called Sparkle and Shine from the film Nativity. We are also looking forward to performing alongside the professional performers and other community groups in some other songs.

Christmas is a special time of the year for the children, parents and staff at Beaver Road and The Christie has a very special place in all our hearts. For me, the Christmas season begins with The Christie Concert. We are proud once again to have our school choir invited to join this wonderful celebration.

Beaver Road Choir performing at
Gorton Monastery last year.

Lots of the children here are really excited about performing in the cathedral and are very enthusiastic about supporting The Christie. One of our Year 4 members of the choir Rosie Cooke is delighted to be singing at the cathedral. She did a yard sale recently which raised £24 for the Christie and she loves being part of the choir. She is delighted that our school has been invited to sing for The Christie again this Christmas. 

The school has lots of other exciting events coming up this month. The Year 5 and 6 members of the choir will be singing in care and residential homes in the local area. They will also be entertaining patients in the dining room at The Christie.

We are also extremely excited to be invited to perform on the Blue Peter Christmas Special. The children will be filmed at the BBC studios at Media City on the 10th December and the show will be broadcast on Thursday 17th December. 

The choir and I are really looking forward to all of our performances, and we can’t wait to spread some festive cheer in the local community and beyond!

I’ve really valued the emotional support from everyone around me, especially the team at The Christie - Katie Stephenson

Katie Stephenson – Parotid Gland Cancer Patient (Mammary Analogue Secretory Carcinoma)

Katie Stephenson

I’m 30 years old and November 2015 marks four years since I began treatment for parotid gland cancer. 

I live in Chorley, Lancashire and I work in Public Relations for the NHS. I remember the moment I found my first tumour like it was yesterday. It was July 2011 and I was having a lovely lunch in a beer garden in Lancaster (fish and chips if you were wondering!) when I felt a lump on my jaw. Always the hypochondriac, I dramatically said to my friend, "feel this lump, it must be a tumour!"

The lump didn’t go away and after weeks of poking and prodding by various doctors and a few courses of antibiotics in case it was a cyst, I had an ultrasound. I’d done a lot of research by this point and pretty much knew every eventual outcome so when he told me it was a solid mass I was as prepared as I could be to hear that news. After a fine needle aspiration, which basically meant a doctor stuck a tiny needle into the lump and drew some fluid from it to test, the results were inconclusive so I was delivered the news that I’d need a major operation to the side of my face to remove the lump (most likely a tumour) and half of my parotid gland. 

The parotid is part of a family of three salivary glands and it sits just below your ear. Again, I’d done my research and found that salivary gland cancer is rare with approximately 550 cases being diagnosed each year, most commonly in people over 50. The exact cause of this cancer is unknown and in most cases, tumours in salivary glands are benign. 

With any surgery there were also side effects and with mine these included facial paralysis, numbness and problems with the salivary function. Although these were worrying to me, I was only 26 at the time so my main concern was about the gigantic scar I’d have running down my face.

I had my surgery done in Preston and I cried the first time I looked in a mirror. I’m not an overly vain person (my friends might correct me on this!) but I had 40 stitches down the side of my ear and down my neck, a huge dent in my face where part of the gland had been removed and little to no movement in half of my lip. 

Katie post surgery

Despite this I waited patiently for the results of the tests…..I waited and I waited….20 weeks later I was delivered the news that it was a malignant tumour however it had been removed with clear margins which meant that they believed they had got it all. The reason for the delay was that it was a newly described tumour and not many labs had seen one before. Eventually I was given its definitive name; Mammary Analogue Secretory Carcinoma.

Almost a year to the day of finding the original lump, I found, and had removed a second tumour. Luckily this one was a lot closer to the surface and the surgery was nowhere near as invasive. At the same time as this surgery I received Botox injections to my face as I’d developed a relatively rare side effect of the surgery known as Frey’s Syndrome. This is basically a mutation of your salivary glands so instead of your mouth watering on the inside, I was getting a moist cheek – not a good look when you’re stood in front of a tasty buffet and your cheek starts watering!

Following the removal of the second tumour I was referred to The Christie to discuss my treatment options. As it was a relatively recently named tumour there was some uncertainty as to what the treatment should be. At the initial consultation we discussed the different options available to me; further surgery to remove the rest of the gland or a course of radiotherapy, both of which carried further risks and complications. In the end we decided that I would be a “watch and wait” patient, meaning I’d have scans and check-ups instead of treatment. 

This course of action didn’t initially sit well with me. I’d really struggled emotionally during the wait for my initial results and I didn’t think I had the strength and resilience to do it again, but with the support of my consultant we decided to go ahead. I now have bi-annual MRIs to my head and neck and I visit The Christie four times a year for check-ups. I won’t lie, sometimes it’s really hard to just sit back and wait. I check the area every day and I’m just waiting for the time I feel another lump. I did have a scare last year but thankfully it was just scar tissue from my original surgery on the move.

Throughout my experience I decided to document this by blogging (www.apainintheparotid.wordpress.com). I struggled to find a lot of UK based information about the condition so thought I’d share my experiences with anyone else who was going through this too. I post pictures, tips and updates and I find writing about my day, hospital appointments, scar progress (and the occasional whinge) extremely therapeutic.

I’ve also really valued the emotional support from everyone around me, especially the team at The Christie – shout out to Professor Slevin! Whilst I might not be having visible treatment, people should never underestimate the emotional impact a cancer diagnosis can have and the compassion and care from the team at The Christie has been second to none.

After my surgery I was left scarred, unable to smile on one side of my face and feeling very self-conscious. I became extremely anxious and pretty much ate my feelings, putting on over six stone in weight in the process. Over the last 18 months I have really seen an improvement emotionally, and finally managed to get some focus back in my life. I even went back to university to study for a postgraduate qualification, something I could not have imagined doing three years ago. 

If I was to give one piece of advice to anyone reading this who is going through something similar, it would be to never underestimate the power of emotional support. I know all too well how easy it is to retreat and want to deal with it on your own, but please just talk to someone. I’m a very independent person and leaning on others for support didn’t come easily to me but I learnt that this doesn’t make you any less strong or unable to cope and, without that support, I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I have a much brighter outlook on life, my confidence is coming back and I’ve started to shift some of the weight that I’d put on. I’m still a way from eventual discharge (pending no new lumps – fingers crossed!) and visiting The Christie has just become part of my life routine, but without the fantastic support of the team at The Christie, my friends and my family I don’t think I would have come through this so strongly.   
  

How hypnotherapy can help our patients to overcome anxiety, claustrophobia, needle phobia, nausea and fear of pain - Peter Sandy

Peter Sandy - clinical hypnotherapist

Peter Sandy

Why is six scared of seven? Because seven, eight (ate) nine. This is my daughter’s favourite joke and you will find out why this is important when you read on. 

I’ve been a clinical hypnotherapist for eight years. For the last two and a half years I’ve been lucky enough to work in The Christie’s complementary therapies CALMs team with a talented group of experienced therapists supporting patients (and carers) to overcome a varied range of issues such as anxiety, claustrophobia, needle-phobia, nausea and fear of pain. 

I support patients undergoing a range of radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments as well as MRI and CT scans. Radiotherapy patients are often most anxious during the mould making process prior to treatment and some of our patients need help with cannulation prior to having chemotherapy or other treatments and procedures.

Many people imagine hypnosis to be along the lines of the stage hypnotist in the TV programme Little Britain…“look into my eyes, not around my eyes” * click fingers * “you’re under!” 

Whilst the idea of a hypnotist having instant mind control may be entertaining (even a little scary), the reality is quite different. Nobody can tell you how to think, not even if you want them to. 

Hypnosis is an altered state of consciousness, a relaxing state of internal focus – a bit like daydreaming – where a person can feel calmer and become more in tune with their unconscious ideas, thoughts and beliefs. A skilled hypnotherapist will build rapport and have an understanding of how to use unconscious communication – verbal and non-verbal - to connect with, and then help discover new strategies, changes in emotional levels or alternative ways of thinking. 

We all have a vast collection of useful past experiences - some are easily remembered and some are buried deeper. These inner resources have been acquired over the years (like humour, stubbornness, intelligence, and a plethora of problem-solving skills), and the ability to imagine different ways of coping in the future. Hypnotherapeutic processes explore and utilise these pearls, and we are able to anchor and recall powerful resources using gestures, colours, words or aromas. 

There’s an old saying: “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, teach him to fish and he can feed himself for life”. The CALMs team can teach a variety of techniques and methods to help people become less anxious and feel calmer. This in turn can provide a long-term benefit, not only to the patient but also to everyone involved.  

If a patient is struggling with anxiety, we come alongside and invite them to try different self-soothing techniques to help them regain some control. Normally a patient who is panicking will be over-breathing so the first thing we might teach is a simple breathing technique, like breathing round a square shape to slow it down and keep it steady. We may ask them to close their eyes and vividly remember a special place and re-experience how they feel in that place (calm, relaxed, resilient, empowered) then use an aroma, object or even a hand gesture to retain and recall (anchor) the feeling. 

One of the things I really enjoy about working with patients is how often they teach us things.

I saw an 80-year-old man a few weeks back who was suffering from breathlessness. He was already halfway through radiotherapy on the lung and began the session looking out of sorts, slightly bent posture, struggling to breathe steadily. That was until we got onto the subject of Karate, of which he is an expert, and before I knew it, he was on his feet, chest out, showing me how to breathe in a way that allows you to take a punch to the stomach - which comes in handy when you have three kids! We swapped breathing techniques and this inspirational man quickly picked up how to do self-hypnosis so he can re-enter a useful relaxed state whenever he needs. 

Many of the radiotherapy patients we support will be receiving treatment focussed on the head and neck, lung or breast areas and they often have something in common – claustrophobia, the fear of confined spaces. 

Claustrophobia affects one in ten UK adults and, if severe, it can result in a full-blown panic attack. This type of phobia is awakened if the patient is required to wear a special mask that is closely moulded over their head, neck and shoulder areas and worn during each treatment to ensure they remain in exactly the same position for every session. Although this mask is an essential tool for the accuracy of treatment it is a very snug fit (and doesn’t look pretty either) so it’s not surprising that patients with high anxiety, pain, breathing issues or claustrophobia struggle to even have the mould made. 

Being able to help a patient get through the mould-making stage as smoothly as possible is important as it can reduce anxiety and make a significant difference to how that person feels about their future treatment. 

There are a number of ways we can help. I was asked to help a patient who suffered severe claustrophobia combined with neck pain issues from surgery who was shaking and hyperventilating in the waiting area outside the mould room. I recognised the signs of panic and quite naturally felt some of her anxiety rise in myself. As we spoke, I allowed my breathing rate to match hers so I could begin at her pace, and I invited her to take a sip of water and hold it in her mouth as research suggests that having a moist mouth tells the brain “you’re doing ok”. 

Next, I asked her to focus her attention on steadily clenching and then relaxing two squashy ‘stress-ball’ yellow stars in tune with her breathing, keeping in harmony with her as I slowed my own breathing and softened my voice. 

We agreed ways in which she could feel more comfortable and in control by establishing a clear stop signal. 

We discussed how she would like to feel in charge when we began to make the mould. We also spoke about things other people had found helpful, like slowly counting numbers down from 200 or focussing on rotating the yellow star and visiting places in her mind. We worked on releasing tension in her feet and legs by tensing and relaxing the large muscle areas involved in the fight-or-flight instinct.

Throughout the process, I continued to hold her hand and give her steady voice contact updating her on the mould process and directing her attention to all manner of other things. 

Having successfully completed her mould and the following CT scan, she thanked the radiologists and me and even laughed at my daughter’s favourite joke!

The Board of The Christie is focused on making it a world leading centre for cancer care and research - Kathryn Riddle

Kathryn Riddle - Christie non-executive director

Kathryn Riddle

I joined The Christie Board as an interim non-executive in May 2014 and became a substantive member of the Board a year later. From the very first day I was hooked!

I have been involved with the NHS as a non-executive for over 20 years, but in all that time I have never been directly involved with a hospital and I am delighted to have put that right.

The Christie is a very special place and part of that is undoubtedly because it is a specialist hospital. In other roles I have visited many hospitals and noticed that specialist hospitals or units have unique cultures because of the very specialised nature of their work.

Having said that, The Christie is both unique and very very special.

What makes it so special?

The staff and the patients undoubtedly, but also the volunteers and the people from Manchester and the surrounding areas. If I get a taxi to The Christie, within minutes the taxi driver is telling me how wonderful the hospital is and "how lucky we are to have such a great place on our door step." I have never encountered that sort of praise and loyalty anywhere else!

One day I had lunch in the hospital dinning room and found myself chatting to the man opposite. We both thought the cheese pudding was excellent! He told me that he came to eat here once a week because his wife had been a patient at The Christie for several years and they had made friends and grown to love the place. Now that she was no longer here, being back at The Christie made him feel close to her and he liked to check that the food and general feeling of the place was just as good as it had been for his wife.

The Board of The Christie is impressive, vibrant and totally focused on making the organisation a world leading centre for cancer care and research,  where patients feel safe, comfortable and reassured that they are ‘in the best place '.

The Governors from different surrounding areas want the very best for the patients and are rightly proud and protective of The Christie’s name and reputation.

I have been part of some appointment panels for new staff and have been hugely impressed by the calibre of people being interviewed, not only for their clinical expertise, experience and backgrounds, but for their genuinely caring and compassionate natures. Values matter!

I spent one lunch time with the director of nursing and quality, seeing how protected meal times work and the careful choice of food and quantities all tailored to individual patients’ needs.

On another walk about with fellow non-executive directors and staff, we discovered that chemotherapy treatments are also tailor made for individual patients - an absolute revelation which made me realise that I have so much to learn.

I love the gardens at The Christie, alongside the glass corridor, which are beautiful to look at and full of patients, families and even some staff on sunny days!

The volunteers and Friends of The Christie are truly amazing in their dedication and their extraordinarily imaginative ways of raising money. Bike rides, runs, abseiling, coffee mornings and evening events of all kinds to say nothing of the culinary expertise (my kitchen cupboard is full of Jean's special preserves! Her bramble jelly is just fabulous!) Like other members of the Board I am a Trustee of The Christie charity and I have been so impressed by the generosity of people who want to support the hospital. Through legacies, donations, and imaginative fundraising, thousands of people contribute to the work of this wonderful institution, and every single donation whether it be large or small is very much valued and appreciated.

This is a truly remarkable place, made so special by the people who work here and the patients they serve. I am proud to be a part of it and I have thoroughly enjoyed my first year on The Board.