International Nurses Day: I received amazing support from my nurses

Outreach Clinical Nurse Specialist Nikki

I met Nikki a couple of weeks after my diagnosis. She explained what she did and told me that she was linked with the Teenage and Young Adult cancer team at the main hospital in Southampton. There were so many people at the hospital that it was great to have Nikki as a set person who I could reach if I needed anything. She gave me her work mobile number and I was able to contact her with any concerns or problems. She also came to visit me at home to see how I was coping emotionally.

She introduced me to the IAM portal, which is an online tool where I could say how I was feeling about different situations and then they offer me the support accordingly. The standard of care was so high that I didn’t need it much, but it’s a great system for people who are nervous to speak out.

Part way through my treatment I needed to move from the Queen Alexandra Hospital to Southampton General Hospital. This is when having Nikki’s support was really crucial as she helped co-ordinate all of my care. I’m a 15-minute walk from Queen Alexandra, while it can be a three hour round trip in the car to Southampton in traffic just for a blood test, so Nikki arranged for me to have all of my blood tests at Queen Alexandra. She would help me work out when I needed blood tests and then forward the results to Southampton ahead of my treatment. This saved me having to book everything myself, call Queen Alexandra for the results, then call Southampton. She was also available to do my blood tests at home if I couldn’t make it to the hospital.

Mental health support

As well as the physical side, Nikki looked after the emotional side and always asked me how I was getting on. I was stuck at home and spending a lot more time with my family as my mum retired when I was diagnosed, and my dad and sister worked from home while my immune system was low to avoid any illnesses at work. While I appreciated them, I had lost a lot of my independence. Because Nikki has worked with so many other young people who are in a similar situation, she knew what to say to me and understood how I was feeling. 

Nikki was there to listen to me when I needed her. My mental health really dipped when I was on large doses of steroids and she helped me to get a psychologist, pointing me to the right people. I’d had a therapist before and when I was offered one at the start of my treatment, I knew I wasn’t ready for help. I knew when I needed one and I caught it just in time.

I would recommend anyone to get a therapist so they can say whatever they want and get everything off their chest to someone independent. I didn’t want to put it on my family, so it was nice to speak to someone who didn’t know me. I feel they are such a great preventative measure too, as they can often pick up on issues before they grow into problems. Nikki also supported my mum and my girlfriend too. It was my illness, but a journey for all of us.

The other nurses at Queen Alexandra have been amazing too. I know they are always there to help with any issues. Having been with me right from my diagnosis, they understand me very well and still stay in contact to help even after I was moved to Southampton General Hospital.

Support from Teenage Cancer Trust’s unit in Southampton 

Everyone on the Teenage Cancer Trust unit in Southampton was truly amazing. You could tell that they didn’t just see it as a job. They genuinely wanted to see you get better and help in any way they could. Every time I pressed the buzzer, someone would come and help me right away.

The nurses, Jo, Bebe and Tracey, were all great. Either Bebe or Tracey were always in the clinic with me. I met so many different professionals, so it was great to have a familiar face there. They answered any questions which I might have. Jo was so supportive, and always knew the answers to the questions I had.

I also had support from Kat and Vicki, Teenage Cancer Trust’s Youth Support Coordinators. They were such a great pair and really helped me. I was stuck inside a room for a month, so they would come and distract me and pass the time. They would sympathise when I moaned or sometimes encouraged me to see things a different way.